Why You Need to Relax Before Bed | A Simple and Contented Life

INSIDE: Do you find it hard to relax before bed? To stop your mind from buzzing come bedtime during the holiday season? Well, today’s challenge is going to help! I’m sharing with you something you can do each night to help you not only unwind before bed but get some sleep too!

Welcome to Day 23 of the 30 Days to a Stress-Free Christmas!

How many times have you gone to bed ready for sleep only to close your eyes and have that mental to-do list play out in your head? It’s the worst! No matter how tired you are or how hard you try, you just can’t stop thinking about all the things you need to do. And it makes getting to sleep virtually impossible.

This happens to me on a regular basis but more so than ever at Christmas. And I’m sure it’s the same for you too.

With so much to plan and organise during the busy holiday season, it can be hard to switch off come bedtime. Our brains go into overdrive and all we can think about is Christmas.

If we’re not laying there thinking about what gifts we have left to buy, we’re thinking about what to cook and serve on Christmas Day. Unable to get to sleep, we start worrying about how we’re going to fit seeing everyone in, what to wear to the neighbour’s Christmas party and how on earth we’re going to make the costume for the school nativity.

When all we want to do is go to sleep, it can be incredibly frustrating!

Getting a decent night’s sleep…

We all know we need sleep. But when things are busy and there’s so much to do, just how do we switch off and get some shut-eye?

Well, that’s what today’s challenge is all about!

I’m going to show you how to relax before bed so that not only do you get a decent night’s sleep but come morning, you’re rested and ready to carry on planning all things Christmas. Let’s dive in!

Challenge #16: Relax before bed…

Relax before bed with the Amish hour…

Now, you might think it a bit odd I’m including a challenge all about sleep in a challenge that’s all about planning Christmas but stay with me. This week is all about taking care of ourselves remember – and that includes getting a decent night’s sleep! If we don’t get a decent night’s sleep, we’re tired the following day. Our energy levels are low, our productivity levels suck and that can make it hard to do all the things we need to do – including planning and preparing for Christmas!

And so, today I want you to put getting a good night’s sleep high on your list of your priorities. I want you to relax before bed by adopting the Amish Hour.

What’s the Amish Hour?

The Amish are known for their simple way of living and their lack of use of technology. And so the idea of the Amish Hour is to adopt this principle and unplug from all things technology one hour before bed. No phones, no laptops, no screens and no TV. Just you and peace and quiet. You switch your phone to airplane mode, put it out of reach, turn the TV off and do something that relaxes you instead.

So how does the Amish Hour help us relax before bed?

We all want to spend time relaxing before bed. But screen time isn’t necessarily the best way to do it. The light emitted by screens – including our TVs and phones – can undermine the quality of our sleep. And if we’re on our devices right up until we go to bed, our brains are still wired when we climb those stairs and it can be hard to get to sleep.

If we’re to have quality shut-eye, we need to give ourselves time to wind down and relax before bed. And one of the best ways to do it is to unplug. To switch off our devices and not use technology – just like the Amish. By adopting the Amish Hour and doing something other than screen-time, we’re giving our brains – and ourselves – the opportunity to unwind and relax. We’re sending the signal to our brain and body that very soon it’ll be time for bed.

And when we do turn in it’s easier to get to sleep because we’ve given ourselves time to relax before bed. Our minds are no longer buzzing and we feel calmer. It’s easier to drift off and that means a better night’s sleep.

Relax before bed…

Try adopting the Amish Hour for as many nights as possible over the next few weeks. Choose something that’s technology-free that will help you to unwind and relax before bed. Read, meditate or journal. Offload that mental to-do list onto paper so that you’re not thinking about it when you’re laying in bed. Free up your mind and you’ll find it easier to settle. You’ll have a better night’s sleep and come morning you’ll feel more rested. You’ll find that you’ll be able to think more clearly and as a result, you’ll be more productive too.

Want a few ideas of what to do in that hour before bed? You’ll find ten activities to do during your Amish Hour that will help you relax before bed in this post.

Get into the habit of the Amish Hour during this holiday season and I guarantee you’ll want to do it all year round. I sleep SO much better when I do it and I know you will too!

That’s it for today!

I’ll be back tomorrow with challenge #24 of 30 Days to a Stress-Free Christmas challenge. In the meantime, have fun unplugging and taking time to relax before bed! And be sure to check out the rest of the posts for this challenge if you haven’t done so already too!

That’s it for this post! Do you unplug so that you can relax before bed? Has this post inspired you to do so? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time…

P.S. Get all of the Christmas challenges by email!

Want a little more accountability? Don’t forget that you can sign up to receive each challenge by email! Every day for the next 30 days I’ll land in your inbox with the next Christmas challenge. A great way to remind you to take action, you’ll also receive my FREE Ultimate Christmas Planning Checklist too!

In it, you’ll find checklists for your Christmas budget, Christmas shopping, meal planning and prepping, family traditions, planning your travel and so much more. With every Christmas planning step you can possibly think of listed, no stone will be left unturned and nothing will be forgotten!

Simply enter your email address below and I’ll send it to you right away along with the first challenge!