My Evening Routine

Without a good night’s rest, I think we can all relate to that groggy… tired feeling throughout the day! No cup of coffee can wake me up if I didn’t get a proper rest.I previously post my morning routine, but even more important than a morning routine IMHO, is a good wind down routine. Here’s my wind down routine— it’s so good that I start looking forward to as soon as I wake up. 

Happy Scaling. 

“Night mode” Phone Timer 

Until recently, I didn’t have the luxury of starting my night time routine early. In residency, I had to stay up late to work on patient cases, study, and prepare for the week. 

NOW, I can start my wind down routine at 8:30 when, my phone is automatically timed to dim and turn off the blue light. This gives me the signal that it’s time to start wrapping up whatever I’m doing. I dim the lights a little in the apartment as well. 

Bath

I’m obsessed with baths. There is no better feeling than being squeaky clean and getting into a cool bed. I love a hot Epsom salt water bath. The water relaxes my muscles before I stretch out. I also do my skincare routine right after my bath. 

Stretch and Acupressure Mat

Much like my morning routine, I like to stretch before I get into bed. Then I steep my tea before I lay on the acupressure mat for 3-5 minutes. 

Tea and Supplements

After my bath and after stretching, I make some tea. The tea varies from turmeric tea, chamomile, Echinacea, or Kava. All of them are caffeine free of course. I like to sweeten my tea with monkfruit because it doesn’t mess with my blood sugar levels. I also throw in a splash of heavy cream and adaptogen powder. 

It took a long time to get to the point of being able to sleep without the aid of medication.  

I used to rely heavily on sleep medication. After the car accident I was unable to sleep. My rhythm was thrown off, I had no regularity and I really needed medication to get me to sleep.

Now, I’m happy to say that I only take melatonin and magnesium and that usually starts to get the ball rolling on the sleepy feeling. 

Silk Pillow and Eye Mask

Because of my lupus, my hair is super fragile and my skin gets eczema patches easily. I invested in silk pillow cases and organic bamboo pillows. I usually get eczema around my eyes and lids, and i’ve noticed that the side that I sleep on has less redness.

With city lights visible 24/7 it’s easy to disturb my sleep pattern. Wearing an eye mask to sleep helps block out any light, and helps concentrate on slowing my mind down during meditation.

I also put a silk hair net on –this is only an attempt to save my hair because it’s off my head halfway through the night.

Meditation sounds 

Right before I put on my eye mask, I put on either soundbath music on youtube, or the headspace meditation app. This puts me right to sleep! 

Good sleep hygiene is so essential to reset both mind and body. I hope reading about my own routine can help you develop or add to your own night time routine. 

Let me know if you guys want me to discuss a residency or dental school schedule. I’ve gotten a few request on IG to discuss what to expect during perio residency.