Before Bed

  

1. Have a nighttime routine. Whatever it may be to wind down (hot bath, read, meditate..etc).
2. Omit “Blue light” at night. No screen time at least an hour before bed (kindle, TV, phone, ipad).  This light bulb is really good to put in your bedroom (very soft) and lasts forever. https://lowbluelights.com/product/9-watt-led-general-purpose-light/ Here’s an article about the affects of blue light on sleep. https://authoritynutrition.com/block-blue-light-to-sleep-better/
3. Clock Out. If you have any “to do’s,” move them to the next day!! Everyone has their own system, but I find that having it typed up/written helps me unload it from my head, which means it won’t interfere with sleep. So anything  that's not done, gets moved to the next day. I also have a whiteboard in my room, so IF I remember something after I put my phone down, I can write it on there to get it out of my head. 
4. Tea (during evening  TV/reading): Chamomile tea works wonders. I make 4 oz of      chamomile/lavender tea every night (half a cup so I don’t have to go to the bathroom all night). Adding lemon and some ginger. And whatever  sweetener (raw honey is good for sleep). Tea really helped me kick my evening wine habit. 
5. Sleep the same time everyday. And give yourself an extra hour on top of what you need (so if you need 7 hours, give yourself 8). 
6. Stretch and meditation. After putting the TV and/or phone off, I do full body stretches and meditation for about 10 minutes (with calm music in the background).  
7. Orgasm! Yep, that’s what I said! And no need to depend on your partner, there’s nothing wrong with driving solo if they aren’t available (or you just feel like taking the trip alone :). It releases oxytocin which helps you relax and fall asleep!
8. Breathe. There are tons of  meditations out there. I generally just do some om breathing, (if you’re comfortable with that). http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7565/om-what-is-it-why-do-we-chant-it.html Another breathing exercise before sleep:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7QlH5kflXo&list=PLEGm2ygPJK_WwHfG_hg6Y4GNvnEhhY-xB&index=2. 
9. Chakra  breathing is also good, there are a lot of different types on youtube. 
10. Pranayama before bed: https://www.doyouyoga.com/4-pranayamas-you-can-do-before-bed/
11. Customize. Eventually you figure out what works for you. One breathing technique/meditation doesn't work for all. We're all build/wired differently. You’ll also find that the more breathing exercises you start to master, the more you experiment with new ones to see how your body responds (kinda like cooking :).