40 Relaxing Bedtime Rituals You Can Add To Your Evening Routine

I feel like an evening routine always gets overshadowed by its cooler younger sister, the morning routine.

But the truth is, they are just as important as each other, as your morning always starts the night before.

So wake up every morning feeling refreshed by spending your evening routine unwinding with these relaxing bedtime rituals.

What is an evening routine?

An evening routine is a set of habits or rituals that you typically engage in before going to bed to prepare your mind and body for sleep.

This could look like doing some gentle stretches, having a warm shower, practising gratitude or meditating.

Having an evening routine can help you to establish a sense of structure, boost your mood and set the right tone at the right time of day.

Your evening routine can essentially be anything you want it to be, but it is supposed to make you feel good. An evening routine is not supposed to add more stress to your day or even feel like a chore, for that matter, so build it to work for you.

The benefits of an evening routine

Before I do a deep dive into the many things you can do in the evening to rest your mind and body, let me first share the many benefits of having an evening routine.

An evening routine provides you with the structure and downtime you need to prepare your body for sleep.

There’s nothing worse than trying to sleep straight after shutting down your laptop or turning off the TV because your brain is wired. So allow your mind the time it needs to find calm and your body the time it needs to relax by spending your night unwinding with these relaxing bedtime rituals.

Other benefits of an evening routine include:

• Improves sleep quality
• Reduces bedtime distractions
• Gives structure to the end of your day
• Helps you establish positive and healthy habits
• Increases productivity and focus for the next day
• Reduces evening stress and anxiety
• Enhances self-care and overall well-being
• Increases mindfulness
• Gives you a reason to stay in on a Saturday night

My love for evening routines

During my mid-twenties, the majority of my evenings were spent partying, getting drunk and staying up late.

I couldn’t think of anything worse than going home after work to be alone with my thoughts. So the more plans I had in the evenings, the better. But in all honesty, it was exhausting.

I would have had interrupted sleep and wake up with a thumping headache.

A hangover was no way to spend my morning, and it definitely did not set me up for a successful day.

But in a way, I guess that is just the natural cycle of life — to be young and carefree before grounding yourself and learning to take care of your health and well-being.

So now that I am in my thirties, I cherish my evenings.

My evening routine calms my mind, relaxes my body, and helps me wind down before bed.

I also now LOVE staying in on a Friday and Saturday night because I have a string of rituals that I enjoy doing.

I’m famous amongst my friends and family for getting non-stop 8 hours of good-quality sleep a night. And I put it all down to the fact that I prioritise my wellness from the moment I open my eyes in the morning to the moment I close them at night.

Want in? Here are 40 relaxing bedtime rituals you can add to your evening routine!

40 Relaxing bedtime rituals you can add to your evening routine

Just like its cooler younger sister, the morning routine, your evening routine can be anything you want it to be. So, choose rituals from this list that you actually enjoy!

I suggest building your routine with 3-5 small and big rituals and spending between 1-2 hours unwinding before bed.

From doing a simple jigsaw puzzle to giving yourself a gentle face massage, here is an extensive list of relaxing bedtime rituals you can add to your evening routine tonight.

Relaxing bedtime rituals for the mind

• Establish an end-of-day routine to help you shut down from work
• Reflect on the day and write down your evening thoughts with the Night Notes Journal by Intelligent Change. Grab 10% off your purchase with code NBT10
• Practice gratitude by writing down 3 amazing things that happened today and 2 things you are looking forward to tomorrow
• Tidy away any clutter in your bedroom 
• Lay out your outfit for tomorrow
• Put your phone on ‘do not disturb’
• Diffuse some essential oils
• Spray your pillow with lavender
• Ditch the caffeine and drink chamomile tea instead
• Dim the lights and light some candles
• Colour in an adult colouring book
• Sit and do a simple jigsaw puzzle
• Read a chapter or two of a fiction book
• Go screen-free at least an hour before bed
• Create a calming music playlist or listen to this mellow acoustic one
• Listen to binaural beats or soothing ocean sounds
• Put on a guided meditation for sleep
• Plan for tomorrow
• Sit for 2 minutes and focus on your breathing
• Use a sunrise alarm clock to help regulate your circadian rhythm

Relaxing bedtime rituals for the body

• Eat a light, healthy dinner
• Have a cuddle session with a loved one or pet
• Enjoy a relaxing hot bath in candlelight
• Slowly drink a glass of red wine and nibble on dark chocolate
• Have a cooling shower to reset your body temperature
• Change into clean, soft, comfy pyjamas
• Do some light stretches or bedtime yoga
• Follow the 10-3-2-1-0 formula; no more caffeine 10 hours before bed, no more food or alcohol 3 hours before bed, no more work 2 hours before bed, no screens 1 hour before bed and 0 is the number of times you’ll hit your snooze button in the morning
• Take probiotics before bed for a healthy gut
• Have sex or masturbate
• Get your partner to give you a massage (or buy yourself a back massager and do it yourself)
• Build a nighttime skin routine: Exfoliate and moisturise all over
• Apply hand cream and lip balm
• Put on a face and/or hair mask
• Brush your hair and apply serum to the ends
• Set a timer and brush your teeth for 2 minutes
• Massage your feet to get the blood flowing
• Give yourself a face massage, taking special care with your temples and eyelids
• Hydrate and drink some water before bed
• Go to bed at the same time every night

Final thoughts

Just like with my list of morning routine ideas, I suggest testing out these relaxing bedtime rituals first before fully committing to them.

The trick is to find out what works for you.

Try putting together an evening routine tracker to help you track which bedtime rituals you found relaxing and which ones you would do again.

Rate each ritual out of 5 stars. Ask yourself, “How did this ritual make me feel?.” If it’s a hell yes rather than a hell no, then add it to your evening routine and get consistent.

I’m all about doing the stuff that works for you. Not one-size-fits-all BS.

You’ve got this.

Thalia xx