Night Time Routine — Dominique Elissa

Sleeping is one of my favourite things to do. Nothing makes me feel better than eight hours of undisturbed and high-quality sleep!

I think as a society we place so much importance on working hard, and it is almost glamorised to be busy all the time. I want us to put an end to this. Firstly, this lifestyle creates stress which is toxic for the body. Secondly, to achieve the most out of our days, rest is a key ingredient to maximise our performance and productivity.

I used to be a terrible sleeper, I always felt anxious in the evenings and found it hard to switch off. Through a lot of trial and error, I have created the perfect night-time routine to signal my body that it’s preparing for rest. These signals help with the production of the hormone melatonin which is crucial for a good night's rest.

1. Eat dinner early

Your night-time routine should start at dinner. I have found that not eating after 7pm really helps your body to wind down for the night. When we eat our body is working hard at metabolising and digesting the food, so by eating earlier we give our body time to settle before we get into bed.

I know that for lifestyle reasons this can be difficult, but whenever you can it’s an easy way to improve your nights rest.

2. Set the scene

As soon as I finish dinner, I like to put a candle on and dim the lights. Melatonin production is stimulated by darkness, so it’s important you really set the scene. I also make sure my phone is on “Night-shift” from 6pm.

3. Enjoy a chamomile tea

Our bodies thrive off routine in the day, and this is also true for the evenings. Just as you would have your morning matcha or coffee in the morning, make it a habit to enjoy a chamomile tea at night. This tea’s properties help you sleep, and I like to enjoy it about an hour before I get into bed.

It is also important you are aiming to fall asleep by 10pm. This fits in best with your circadian rhythm, and ensures you are getting enough sleep.

4. Make use of supplements

Every evening I have magnesium powder and a JS health “PM + Sleep Formula” supplement. Not only do these both have incredible properties to relax your central nervous system, but again it is a routine that helps signal your body that you are preparing for rest.

5. Journal in bed

As soon as I tuck into bed, I have my eye mask on my head and my journal on my lap. Journaling before bed is incredibly powerful at clearing the mind. So many of us toss and turn in bed thinking about work, relationships or something we need to do tomorrow. If this sounds like you, make sure you put pen to paper every night. I like to follow this framework:

Today I will let go of:

Today I am grateful for:

Tomorrow I will focus on:

I follow this with my affirmations.

I know this can all sound like a lot at first, but the changes to my life from implementing these 5 steps every night is tenfold. Let’s start prioritising rest so we can wake up fresher and get more out of every single day.