Cozy Winter Night Routine for Better Sleep

There’s nothing like crawling into bed after a long day, wearing your favorite holiday PJs, all ready to finally get some rest and go to sleep… just to stare at your ceiling for 2 hours, wide awake. And why does it seem like sleep becomes so much more evasive during the fall and winter months?? Like, we already have seasonal depression. The least our bodies could do is just let us rest. If you’re not getting good sleep in the winter either, then you’re in the right place. After this blog post, you’ll know my best tips for a cozy winter night routine to finally catch some zzz’s.

So, pour yourself a mug of hot cider and get settled in. Let’s do this thing.

via GIPHY

Why is it harder to sleep in the winter?

First things first: Let’s address a few common reasons we have a harder time sleeping in the winter. 

• Napping during the day or sleeping in later than usual makes it hard to fall asleep at night
• Less sunlight throws off our circadian rhythm 
• The colder weather makes it harder to feel motivated to exercise regularly
• We tend to eat more comfort meals and carb-heavy foods close to bedtime during holiday seasons, which can cause the heartburn and stomach aches that disrupt your sleep
• Our bedrooms are too warm because we’re heating the house
• We’re stressed as heck, cause the holidays are stressful, man.

Now, there can definitely be other reasons it’s harder to fall asleep in the winter, but these are just a few possibilities.

So without further delay, let’s dive into my best tips for an evening routine for better sleep in the winter!

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Create a cozy atmosphere in your bedroom

The winter months are the perfect time to turn your bedroom into a cozy little hibernation cave.

My favorite ways to make my bedroom feel like a sleep haven is to get the lighting right. I like to turn on soft, warm lights and my little candle warmer lamp, instead of harsh, white ceiling lights that keep me feeling alert. 

Fairy lights hung up around the room also add a cozy ambiance, and they’re a great way to light up your bedroom without it being too bright!

I’m also pretty picky about how my bed feels, so I invested in an organic cotton comforter, which I now can’t sleep without. It keeps me warm without overheating me, and I love knowing that my comforter is free of chemicals and toxicities. 

Last but not least, make sure you have a mattress that works for your body. 

My boyfriend and I made the plunge to buy a king sized mattress from Molecule (I’m a long girl, and I need my leg room), and it was honestly so worth the splurge. It’s the comfiest mattress I’ve ever slept on, and my back never hurts in the mornings.

Cut off alcohol and caffeine before bed

Although I’ve self-identified as a coffee addict for my entire adult life, and my drink of choice will forever be a glass of red wine, both of these things are unfortunately bad for sleep.

And while a hot coffee or a glass of my favorite merlot feel like the perfect thing to sip on during the colder months, they’re guaranteed to disrupt your sleep cycle. 

Now, I will never encourage someone to quit coffee, because I believe everyone should be happy. 

BUT. 

If you’re wanting an evening routine that helps you have better sleep, then try to cut off caffeine at least six hours before bed and limit your alcohol intake – especially close to bedtime.

And as someone who apparently needs to actually see the data on how alcohol screws up my sleep quality (rather than simply believing that fact), I’ve come to appreciate my WHOOP band as the best tool to help me track my sleep habits.

WHOOP is basically a personalized, digital health and fitness coach designed to help you track 3 main things: Sleep, recovery, and strain (basically, how hard you push your body).

When I started tracking how alcohol in the evening was affecting my sleep and recovery, well. Let’s just say I would recover about 80-90% on the nights I didn’t drink, and about 50-60% (or less) on the nights I did.

Seeing actual, scientific data on how wine was totally screwing my sleep in real time made all the difference for me, and gave me the motivation to cut wayyy back. (Hello, CBD sparkling water.)

Sound like something you want to try? You can get a free WHOOP 4.0 plus 30 days free when you join with my link 🙂

Learn to manage stress better in the day

Stress is, unfortunately, a huge factor in the quality of your sleep quality. 

If you’re stressing all day, or using unhealthy coping mechanisms to chill out (does anyone else smell that skunk?), then don’t be surprised if your sleep quality suffers.

You can have the best evening routine in the world, sleep on the fluffiest pillows, and drink a gallon of herbal tea, but if you can’t manage your stress then you’re gonna struggle to sleep soundly.

So, experiment with different ways of managing your stress during the day so it doesn’t keep you up at night. 

Try herbal supplements that help ease anxiety, like ashwaganda or resihi. 

Or, look for a yoga class near you. A lot of yoga classes offer a complimentary first class, so you can see how you like it.

More healthy ways to manage stress could be:

• Scheduling regular self care days
• Trying a new hobby like painting, baking, writing, photography, knitting, etc.
• Prayer or meditation
• Spending more time with the people you love
• Practice gratitude and mindful living

Get in the habit of regular exercise

Look, friend, I’m not trying to peer pressure you into working out.

Wait, no. Yup, I am. I definitely am.

But it’s only because I CARE about you. And working out literally makes your quality of life and your health so, so much better.

Quick checklist of why working out makes your life better:

• You sleep better
• You feel happier
• It makes you less at risk for diseases
• It helps ease stress and anxiety
• It makes you feel strong and confident
• Putting your body through physical stress is good for your mental health
• You have more natural energy
• You get to wear cute gym clothes

Now, let’s get into the specifics.

Regular exercise (I’m talkin’ at least 3-5 times a week) can help regulate your sleep cycle. 

And of course, taking a brisk walk is definitely a bonus. But vigorous, strenuous exercise is what you really want to aim for to get all the health benefits.

More strenuous exercises like weight training, pilates, jogging or running, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), swimming, and other forms of exercise that spike your heart rate are crucial for your overall health.

But intense workouts are actually crazy good for your sleep, too. 

‼️ And even though this post is about winter night routines for better sleep, I recommend not working out too close to your bedtime. Exercising can get you all hyped up and energized, which makes it even harder to fall asleep.

Give yourself plenty of time to workout, shower, have a high-protein snack, etc. well before you try to go to bed.

Incorporate relaxing scents into your winter evening routine

I’ll take any excuse to buy a new candle.

If you want to create a more relaxing atmosphere to help you fall asleep, try incorporating scents like lavender, chamomile, and vanilla. Certain scents like those can have a calming effect and help ease anxiety. 

Besides candles, I like to spray a lavender mist around my room and over my bed on nights when I feel a little highly strung.

Consider getting yourself some calming essential oils, an essential oil diffuse, or scented candles for your winter evening routine.

Plus, the candle light also adds to the cozy vibes. This chai latte candle is one of my absolute favorites — it smells exactly like it sounds, and it makes my bedroom feel like a cozy paradise.

Try breathing or meditation exercises for sleep

Did you know the way you breathe can literally change your blood pressure?

Yeah, dude. Your breath is, like, super powerful.

Why does that matter? ‘Cause the way you breath can also ease anxiety and stress, making it much easier to fall asleep at night.

So, let’s try it, shall we?

Here are some breathing exercises for sleep:

• 4-7-8 breathing:Sit down or lie down. Breathe in slowly for 4 seconds. Hold for 7 seconds. Release the breath for 8 seconds. Repeat up to 4 times.
• 4-4-8: Inhale 4 seconds. Hold 4 seconds. Release the breath over 8 seconds. Repeat.

Of course, meditation can also be an effective way to calm your mind, which can help you sleep if you’ve been dealing with anxiety or just a busy mind.

If you’re new to meditation, I like to use a guided meditation app, like Calm.

But there are tons of other free options for guided meditation, too. Check out YouTube or Spotify for free guided meditations. Find one that works for you and if you meditate regularly, it should help you sleep better.

Drink herbal tea to help you fall asleep

My all-time-favorite alternative to my evening wine is a hot cup of Kava tea.

Kava kava is an herbal remedy that helps fight anxiety and stress, and can help you fall asleep faster.

There are some restrictions with how much you should take at a time, so just to be on the safe side, I only drink one cup of this Kava Stress Relief tea at night.

I swear by this tea, and anytime someone tells me, “I just can’t ever seem to fall asleep!” I tell them, “That’s cause you’re not drinking Kava.”

Buuuut, if Kava isn’t your jam, you can always try a chamomile tea, or any other relaxing herbal tea.

You might also enjoy: My favorite herbal teas to drink for better sleep

Girl, get off your friggin phone

I’m sure you’re tired of hearing it, but I’m honest to a fault, so here it goes: If you want to sleep better, you need to get off your phone.

The blue light blaring from your screen into your eyeballs is screwing with your body’s natural sleep cycle. It’s saying, “It’s daytime! We’re awake! Let’s do stuff and think about things!”

Nah, that’s not what you want before going to bed.

Try to stop using screens at least an hour before you go to bed. Put the phone down and pick up a book, or try some yoga positions for sleep, or even just drink some herbal tea and meditate for a while.

Whatever you do, make sure you get off your phone, turn off the TV, and pretend you’re in Bridgerton and you literally can’t get on your phone ‘cause it doesn’t exist, and you’re too busy writing some hot town gossip that will ruin someone’s life tomorrow when it comes out in the paper, anyway. 

Conclusion to winter evening routines for better sleep

So, let’s recap my best tips for an evening routine to get better sleep in the winter!

1. Create a cozy atmosphere in your bedroom
2. Cut off alcohol and caffeine before bed
3. Learn to manage stress better during the day
4. Get in the habit of regular exercise
5. Incorporate relaxing scents into your evening routine
6. Try breathing or meditation exercises for sleep
7. Drink herbal tea
8. Get off your phone

That concludes this blog post, friend!

I hope you found it helpful, and that you try some of these tips and get that beauty sleep you’ve been waiting for.

If you liked this post, it would mean so much to me if you took a quick moment to share it! 🙂

Sending love and sleepy vibes,

XO Sav