How to Switch Off at Night and Get a Better Night’s Sleep
Do you ever get into bed absolutely exhausted, only for your brain to suddenly decide it’s the perfect time to think about everything?
What you need to do tomorrow.
Something you forgot earlier.
A conversation you had three days ago.
Work.
Family.
Money.
That completely random thing you haven’t thought about for 10 years… 😂
You’re physically tired, but your brain just won’t switch off.
It’s something I think so many of us struggle with, particularly when life is busy or stressful.
Getting a good night’s sleep isn’t just about going to bed earlier. Sometimes we need to help our body and mind recognise that the day is finished and it’s time to slow down.
So I’ve put together some of my favourite ways to switch off in the evening and prepare yourself for a more restful night’s sleep.
Evening routine
🌿 Create a little evening routine
You don’t need an elaborate two-hour bedtime routine involving 15 different skincare products and herbal tea. 😂
It can be really simple.
The important thing is creating a bit of separation between doing and resting.
That could mean having a shower, doing your skincare, putting your pyjamas on, dimming the lights, reading for a little while or listening to something relaxing.
Doing similar things each evening can become a signal that the busy part of your day is coming to an end.
🕯️ Make your bedroom feel like somewhere you want to relax
Your surroundings can make a difference too.
You don’t need to completely redesign your bedroom, but think about how it feels when you get into bed.
Could you dim the lighting?
Make the room slightly cooler?
Put fresh bedding on?
Clear some clutter?
Make the bed feel comfortable and inviting?
Little things can help create a calmer environment.
There’s a reason we associate certain lighting, smells, sounds and surroundings with relaxation — it’s something I think about constantly when creating the environment at HAZE Beauty too.
☕ Be mindful of what you’re having later in the day
If you’re struggling with sleep, it’s worth paying attention to things such as caffeine and alcohol and noticing whether they affect you.
You don’t necessarily need to suddenly ban everything you enjoy.
Just start noticing patterns.
If you sleep terribly every time you have coffee late in the afternoon, for example, try having your last one earlier and see whether anything changes.
🛏️ Don’t put pressure on yourself to fall asleep
This one can become a vicious circle.
You can’t sleep.
Then you start thinking:
“I NEED to sleep. I’ve only got six hours before I have to get up.”
Then:
“Now I’ve only got five hours and 42 minutes…”
And suddenly you’re stressed about not sleeping — which isn’t particularly relaxing!
Try shifting the goal from “I have to fall asleep NOW” to simply allowing yourself to rest.
Put on something calming, concentrate on your breathing or relax your body and give yourself permission to just lie there quietly.
Sleep will hopefully follow.
Put the phone down
📱 Give your brain a break from your phone
This one can be difficult — I’m definitely not going to pretend I’m perfect at it!
But scrolling through social media, replying to messages, reading emails or checking tomorrow’s jobs can keep your brain occupied when you’re supposed to be winding down.
Try giving yourself even 20–30 minutes without scrolling before going to sleep.
If you use your phone for a meditation or sleep recording like I do, put it on, turn the screen off and resist the temptation to have one last look at Facebook afterwards.
We all know one last look can somehow turn into another 45 minutes. 😂
Create a list
🧠 Get tomorrow out of your head
If your brain starts listing everything you need to remember as soon as your head hits the pillow, try writing it down before bed.
Keep a notebook nearby and jot down anything you’re worried you’ll forget.
You’re not trying to solve everything at 11pm.
You’re simply telling your brain:
“I’ve written it down. I can deal with it tomorrow.”
Sometimes getting those thoughts out of your head and onto paper can make it much easier to switch off.
Slow Your Breath
🫁 Slow your breathing
Deep breathing is one of my personal favourites when I’m trying to relax.
You don’t need to make it complicated.
Try slowly breathing in through your nose, allowing your stomach to gently rise, and then breathing out slowly.
The important part is slowing everything down rather than forcing huge breaths.
You can concentrate purely on the feeling of your breath going in and out.
And if your mind wanders — which it probably will — just bring your attention back to your breathing.
🌿 Relax your body one area at a time
I absolutely love doing this.
Start with one part of your body — perhaps your feet — and deliberately concentrate on relaxing it.
Then gradually move upwards.
Your feet.
Your calves.
Your thighs.
Your stomach.
Your hands.
Your shoulders.
Your jaw.
Your face.
You might suddenly realise you’re holding tension somewhere without even noticing it.
I particularly find focusing on one body part at a time helps because it gives my brain something simple to concentrate on rather than letting it wander through tomorrow’s to-do list.
Sleep Meditation
🎧 Try a sleep meditation or hypnosis
This is probably my favourite.
I regularly listen to sleep hypnosis and guided meditation because having a voice to concentrate on gives my brain something else to focus on while my body relaxes.
The person I personally love listening to is Jason Stephenson.
I’ve listened to him for years and find his sleep meditations really calming, particularly when my brain doesn’t want to switch off.
Jason Stephenson – Sleep Meditation Music on YouTube
There are lots of different recordings on his channel, so it’s worth trying a few and finding the style that works for you.
And if meditation isn’t your thing, that’s absolutely fine too. Some people prefer an audiobook, calming music, nature sounds or simply silence.
It’s about finding what helps your brain slow down.
Try & Test
🌿 Find what helps YOU switch off
There’s no perfect evening routine that will work for everyone.
For me, some of the things that work best are sleep hypnosis, deep breathing and deliberately relaxing one part of my body at a time.
For you, it might be completely different.
The important thing is finding a few things that help create that transition between:
Busy day → slowing down → rest.
You also don’t have to completely overhaul your evenings overnight.
Pick one thing from this list and try it consistently for a week.
Sometimes the smallest changes are the easiest ones to actually stick to.
And ultimately, self-care isn’t only about booking a massage or facial.
It’s also the little things you do at home to look after yourself — including giving your mind and body the opportunity to properly rest. 💚