wind down practices

Creating an Evening Routine for Better Sleep

/ Eric Dickson / Leave a comment

Wind Down with Intention and Wake Up Rested

How you end your day sets the stage for how you experience the next one. Yet many of us stumble into sleep — overstimulated, under-nourished, and still mentally tangled in the noise of the day.

A calming evening routine doesn’t just help you fall asleep faster — it creates a rhythm your nervous system can rely on. When you treat your evenings as sacred transitions instead of leftovers, you reclaim your nights for healing, not just recovery.

Today I want to talk about 7 proven practices that will help you wind down with intention and sleep more peacefully.

Dim the Lights and Disconnect from Screens

Your body has a built-in clock called the circadian rhythm, which responds to light and dark. Blue light from screens delays melatonin production — the hormone that tells your brain it’s time to sleep.  Luckily, there are many different ways to prevent this interruption in your melatonin production, here are a few you can try:

  • About 60–90 minutes before bed, start dimming overhead lights and turning off unnecessary electronics.
  • Swap your phone or TV for soft lighting: Himalayan salt lamps, candles, or amber bulbs are ideal.
  • Use blue-light blocking glasses if you must use a screen after sunset.
  • Avoid scrolling or consuming content that triggers emotional or mental stimulation.

If you follow these, it will help you fall asleep faster and improve your body’s ability to naturally regulate sleep hormones, making it easier to stay asleep and wake refreshed.

Practice Breathwork or Meditation

When your body is in a stress state, it activates the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight). Breathwork and meditation help shift you into the parasympathetic state (rest and digest), lowering cortisol and calming your mind.  Here are four different options to help you calm your nervous system before bed:

  • 4-7-8 Breathing: Inhale through your nose for 4 counts, hold for 7, exhale slowly through your mouth for 8. Repeat 4–8 times.
  • Box Breathing: Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4 — excellent for anxiety.
  • Body Scan Meditation: Slowly bring awareness to each body part, starting at the toes and moving upward, releasing tension as you go.
  • Use a guided meditation app if needed (Insight Timer, Calm, or YouTube).  I have also created multiple meditations that I have posted on my YouTube channel to help you wind down peacefully.

Helps reduce physical tension, quiet the mind, and signal safety to the body — making it easier to fall and stay asleep.

Create a Wind-Down Ritual You Look Forward To

A consistent sequence of calming activities becomes a neurological cue for your body: “It’s time to sleep.” Rituals also add a sense of intention and nourishment to your night.  By building a routine that you can follow every night, you are letting your body and mind know that it’s time to rest.  This routine is something that you can make based on whatever feels right to you, but here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Choose 2–3 relaxing actions and do them in the same order every night: e.g., make tea → wash your face → read → stretch.
  • Keep it simple and enjoyable. Think of it as “closing the tabs” of your day.
  • Light incense or diffuse essential oils, play soft instrumental music, or read a calming book.

By creating your own routine, you train your brain and body to relax on cue. Over time, your sleep onset becomes smoother and your nights feel more sacred and less chaotic.

Avoid Heavy Meals, Caffeine, and Alcohol Late at Night

Digesting a large or spicy meal can keep your body alert.  It can also prevent you from getting the rest your body needs, instead of resting and repairing, your body is still doing work to digest your food. Caffeine (even as late as 2 p.m.) can disrupt your ability to fall asleep, while alcohol may make you feel drowsy, it interferes with REM sleep later in the night.  Here are some basic guidelines to help you on your path:

  • Finish large meals at least 2–3 hours before bed.
  • Avoid caffeine after lunch (coffee, energy drinks, some teas, chocolate).
  • Swap alcohol for a calming herbal tea like chamomile, lemon balm, or valerian root.
  • Light snacks before bed (if needed) can include a banana, oatmeal, almonds, or tart cherry juice — all support melatonin or serotonin.

By following these guidelines, you can experience improved sleep quality, fewer overnight wake-ups, and more consistent energy the next day.

Reflect with Gratitude or Intention

Our minds often replay the stressors of the day when our heads hit the pillow. Gratitude and intention-setting shift the mind away from worry and create a peaceful emotional state before sleep.  Embracing gratitude can help you break away from the stress, and bring a better level of relaxation before you go to sleep.  Here are a few ways you can incorporate gratitude into your evening routine:

  • Keep a small journal by your bed. Each night, write down 3 things you’re grateful for — big or small.
  • If you’re feeling tense, try asking yourself or journaling about: “What’s one thing I did well today?”
  • Or, set a gentle intention: “Tomorrow, I will meet the day with calm presence.”
  • No need to overthink it — a few sincere sentences go a long way.

Ending your day with gratitude improves mood, reduces anxiety, and builds emotional resilience over time. You’ll sleep with a lighter heart and wake up with greater clarity.

Embrace Soothing Sounds or Scents

Sound and smell bypass the logical mind and directly influence the nervous system. Gentle sensory cues can signal your brain that it’s safe to relax and release.  Sound has been used for centuries by cultures all over the world to help heal and alter mental states.  Here are some quick easy ways that you can add sound into your nighttime routine:

  • Use a white noise machine, nature sounds (rain, waves, forest), or calming frequencies like 432 Hz or 528 Hz.  Insight Timer is an amazing app for finding this kind of sound healing.
  • Diffuse essential oils like lavender, bergamot, cedarwood, or Roman chamomile.
  • Light incense or use pillow sprays if diffusers aren’t available.

Sensory associations help anchor your routine, calm the body, and deepen relaxation — which can be especially helpful for busy minds or anxious sleepers.

Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule (Even on Weekends)

Your body craves rhythm. When you go to bed and wake at the same times every day, your internal clock (circadian rhythm) strengthens. This helps regulate energy, mood, digestion, and hormone cycles.

  • Set a regular bedtime and wake-up time that allows for 7–9 hours of sleep.
  • Try to stick to this schedule within an hour, even on weekends.
  • Pair it with your wind-down ritual so your body associates those times with rest and ease.

This may seem difficult or strange at first, but stick with it, it’s worth it.  Over time you will start to see better sleep efficiency, less grogginess, and improved focus, mood, and immune health.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a 10-step checklist or a perfectly optimized schedule. What you need is consistency, intention, and a little space to care for yourself at the end of the day. Your evening routine isn’t just about sleep — it’s about teaching your body that it is safe to let go, to soften, and to rest.

So tonight, start small. Dim the lights. Take a deep breath. Write one thing you’re grateful for. And return to yourself.

You deserve to end your day in peace.