Detailed Evening Routine (With a Checklist) For a Restful Night

Who wouldn’t like to wake up feeling energized, happy, and ready to tackle all the tasks and challenges the day would offer?

But that good stuff comes with one condition – having a restful night’s sleep, which requires a proper evening routine with a checklist, if possible, pretty please! And I’ve got you covered on all that!

I’ve been waking up at 5 a.m. for years already, and it is the best thing I’ve done for my body, mind, and business. But my main rule isn’t to wake up at 5 a.m. It’s to go to bed following a specific evening ritual and ensure I get my sleep hours.

Therefore, today, I’ve created an evening routine checklist for you to use and follow so you can reap all those benefits a good restful evening would offer.

Evening Routine Checklist

A printable will be available to get at the end of the post. The most important thing right now is to give you the goodies, so here they are.

1. Tidy-Up

I have one main rule: my sink must be shiny. I adopted that rule while experimenting with the FlyLady cleaning routine a year ago. I thank myself every morning when I enter the kitchen and see that the sink is empty and all dishes are clean and ready to use.

Your “tidy-up” ritual could be anything of your choice, but here are a few ideas:

• Put dishes in the dishwasher and start it;
• Pick up stuff from the floor;
• Put clothes away (dirty clothes go to the laundry basket, clean ones get folded and put away);
• Clean up the kitchen table;
• Tidy up your bedroom (nothing worse than trying to get a peaceful evening in the middle of chaos);
•  .. anything else that comes to mind.

2. Prepare Clothes For Tomorrow

I work from home, and I still need to prepare my walk-the-dog clothes, so even if you also spend your mornings at home, you want to choose your sweatshirts the evening before. Fewer choices in the morning equals a happy brain.

3. Unplug/Plug-In Devices

It takes a minute to look at all sockets and see if something needs to be unplugged or plugged (to charge).

4. Set Your Devices Aside

It’s time you put the phone and/or tablet away for the evening and switch the TV off. There are many more pleasant and self-prioritizing things you can do.

5. Set Goals For Tomorrow

Grab your planner and jot down all the ideas and to-dos swimming around your head. That’s called brain dump and helps you clean your mind in the evening. It might be the single most important evening ritual that would guarantee you get those restful hours of sleep.

6. Bath or Shower

Obviously, that’s a matter of personal choice and how much time you’ve got. If you have to cut on sleep to have a calming bath, I would suggest a longer shower using shower bombs that would give you the same scents and save you time.

7. Change Into PJs

Don’t roll your eyes! Instead, be sure your sleepwear is comfy, and you love wearing it. A worn-out t-shirt sounds okay, but a cozy fluffy PJ for the winter and a breeze satin nightgown for the summer are much better choices.

8. Skin Care

I am no expert in skincare, but even I know that cleansing and moisturizing are essential steps you never want to miss. Learn to do the same thing every evening so it doesn’t feel bothersome.

9. Brush Teeth

You know the drill – brushing, flossing, mouthwash… whatever your routine is, do it.

10. Herbal Tea Time

Some would do that step before brushing their teeth; it is a personal choice. Here are the top three relaxing evening teas:

• Camomile;
• Valerian root;
• Lavender tea.

Alternately, experiment with ready-made mixes like this gorgeous luxury tea selection and see which one works best for you. Your goal is to fall asleep, so it’s pretty easy to find out which tea does the job fastest.

11. Say Your Gratitudes

Listing a few things you’re grateful for that happened today might seem like an insignificant evening habit. Still, it will greatly improve your mood, boost positivity, and increase your overall happiness.

12. Very Gentle Stretches

You can do them while in bed, so you really have no excuses. This video gives you 10-minute evening bed stretches that would do the job perfectly.

13. Light up some candles

Calming scents such as lavender, white sage, or sweet orange would do wonders for your brain.

14. Read or Journal

Nothing speaks “sleep” to me more than resting my tired back on my reading pillow in bed and opening a fiction book. It’s one of the small, sacred luxuries I wouldn’t give up on.

15. Go To Sleep

If you follow this evening routine checklist, you should fall asleep in less than 10 minutes after opening that book or journaling. When the urge to sleep arises – switch off the light (and put the candle out) and go to sleep. Make sure it is early enough to give you 7-8 hours of sleep, if possible.

Evening Routine Checklist Printable

Of course, you can jot down all those ideas from above. They give you all the information needed to have the perfect evening routine.

But I’ve gone the extra mile and have created a printable Evening Routine Planner with a mood tracker, a habit tracker, pretty illustrations, and a few more extra bits and pieces to ensure your happiness.

It is located in my Etsy shop right here. You can also get it with 75% off its original price if you are a subscriber (click here if you wish to become one)