The Ultimate Bedtime Routine for Adults

Once people reach adulthood, they’re often most excited about having the opportunity to stay up as long as they want. While you may be able to function well through college without a bedtime, a more stable routine later down the line will show you how great a bedtime can benefit you. Following a bedtime routine for adults is not shameful, and it can only improve the quality of your brain and body function as you take care of yourself.

How to Start a Bedtime Routine for Adults

As with any new habit, setting a bedtime for yourself can take time to build. You’ll have to practice and follow your routine, even when it feels difficult. Starting your routine is the hardest part, especially if you have bad habits that you need to break. Some of these bad habits may include consuming too many stimuli before bedtime or keeping your phone by your side.

You’ll first need to examine what bedtime works best for you. Adults need around eight hours of sleep a night to be able to function well in the morning. You can start with when you need to wake up, then count backward from there. Remember, it takes a person a while to fall asleep after they get into bed, so you should plan some time for how quickly or slowly you fall asleep. Map out your perfect evening, then do what you can to make it a reality.

A Bedtime Routine for Adults in 5 Steps

A bedtime routine for adults can be as straightforward or complex as you want it to be. When building your routine, make sure to implement these five core steps to get the most restful sleep you can. Without certain elements, your routine might be more challenging to follow or won’t yield the results you want.

1. Avoid Caffeine

Many people are dependent on caffeine to get them through the day. Coffee and soda can help you in a pinch, but they can also bring drawbacks — particularly if you drink them before bed. You should aim to omit caffeine from your diet eight hours before starting your bedtime routine. 

If you work a traditional workday, try to avoid caffeine after taking your lunch. Aim for your caffeine consumption to end after your afternoon pick-me-up. That way, you can ensure you have enough steam to work through the day while not making your sleep suffer as a result.

2. Power Off Devices

Keeping your devices at your bedside is a no-no. If you use your cell phone to wake up in the morning, consider investing in an alarm clock to allow your phone to charge overnight on the other side of the room. Taking in blue light before bed can leave you wired and unable to sleep. If you’re going to be active before bed, make sure it’s not on social media.

3. Do Something Relaxing

Performing a relaxing activity before bed can help you feel sleepier and fall asleep faster. You may choose to have a bath an hour or so before bedtime. As your body temperature cools back down after a warm bath, you’ll start to feel more tired. You can also choose to knock out your “to be read” list by reading a few chapters in a book before bed. Reading at night can make you more tired and likely to fall asleep easier. Make sure you’re reading with enough light but not so much that it’ll stimulate you.

4. Practice Skincare

You should take care of your skin before bed. Cleansing your face from the day’s dirt and moisturizing it can keep it looking young for years to come. It’s best to take care of your skin twice a day, in the morning and night. Once you slip into a nighttime skincare routine, you’ll start to feel sleepy after you’re finished taking care of your skin.

5. Prep Your Space and Lie Down

To get the greatest sleep, you’ll have to improve your environment. Try to sleep in a dark room, preferably with blackout curtains so no light from the street leaks in, with a cool temperature and plenty of blankets to keep you warm. The right environment will help you sleep so much better, and you may even find it easier to get to sleep, too.

Don’t Diss Bedtimes

Bedtimes may make you sound old to your friends at first, but once they see the benefits you’ve gained from getting enough sleep and getting healthy sleep, they’ll believe in the power of bedtime. A bedtime routine for adults might be similar to one for kids if you think about it — you can read a book to wind down and make sure that your sleeping environment benefits you. Once you get your routine going, you’ll find it an effective way to wind down and sleep better and longer.