6 Easy Ways to Make a Bedtime Routine for Weight Loss

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When we think about weight loss, we typically think of ways we can transform our eating and exercise habits. While these habits are always a great place for improvement, we also need to look at our sleep habits. Sleep plays an important role in weight loss. We need to get the best quality of sleep we can get. By establishing a bedtime routine for weight loss, you can set yourself up for success with bariatric surgery. This routine will help you prepare for tomorrow, appreciate your blessings today and develop habits to wind down after a long day. Establishing a bedtime routine for weight loss will help you sleep better and be better prepared for the next day.

Tips for Establishing a Bedtime Routine for Weight Loss

Let’s first explore why a bedtime routine for weight loss will help in your bariatric journey. In a Harvard Medical School special health report titled Lose Weight and Keep it Off, it describes the connection between sleep and weight loss. The report states that not getting enough sleep slows metabolism, so you burn fewer calories. Also, being tired the next day will make you less motivated to stick to your healthy diet and exercise routines. Finally, not allowing your body to get the rest it needs disrupts the hormones that control hunger and appetite. Therefore, when you don’t get enough high-quality sleep, your weight loss suffers.

To establish your bedtime routine for weight loss, review the tips I describe below. Add anything additional you’d like to do at night. Then decide on the order that you want to do this routine and create a checklist. Making checklists ensures that you don’t skip a step, helps establish the habit and gives you satisfaction as you check off each item. It’s often best to do the least fun thing first so that you have the motivation to keep going on your routine and get to the most fun task. The tips I provide below will help you clear your mind and sleep better. Then, you can tackle the day tomorrow.

Prepare for Tomorrow

Being prepared for the next day will help you sleep better at night because you won’t have to worry about what you’ll wear, eat or do. You can incorporate this preparation into your bedtime routine for weight loss by picking out your clothes for the next day. Also, pack your gym bag, so you have no excuse for avoiding the gym. If you haven’t meal prepped or automated your meals for the week, prepare those now. You should pack your lunch, protein shake and snacks for work the next day. Set out your coffee mug and water bottle. Set aside the foods in the refrigerator that you’re going to eat for breakfast and lunch, so it’s all in one central location and easy to grab in the morning before work.

Not only will doing these tasks kick off your bedtime routine for weight loss, but they’ll also save you time in the morning. With that extra time, you can sleep a little longer. We saw the important role sleep plays in weight loss. It affects your mood, energy levels and your body’s ability to recover from the day. We should be doing whatever we can to get a little more sleep at night. By preparing for the next day, you’ll save yourself time and stress in the morning. Less stress means you sleep better and longer.

Clean Up Your House

So you might roll your eyes at my next tip, but bear with me. The next step in your bedtime routine for weight loss should be to tidy up your space. Pick up the kid’s toys, put away the dishes, make your bed if you haven’t already, throw away empty water bottles or put away a load of laundry. Making your space tidy makes you feel less hectic and more centered. Also, if everything is in its place, you’ll always know where it is the next morning, so there’s no stress trying to find something.

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Knowing where everything is and cleaning up your space will help you sleep better. I know it sounds crazy, but outer peace equals inner peace. Tidy on the outside means tidy on the inside. The more at peace and less chaotic your environment is, the more at peace your mind will be. If your mind is at peace, you’ll sleep better. You won’t be stressed over the laundry you have to put away, whether there’s a clean bowl for cereal in the morning or finding that always-missing shoe. Also, having a clean floor means you won’t accidentally trip over something as you’re rushing out the door in the morning to get to work on time. It just lessens your stress overall and helps you feel better mentally.

Do a Bedtime Yoga Routine

While I don’t suggest exercising or eating two hours before bed, doing some gentle stretching, like yoga, can help relax the body and signal that it’s time for bed. Your body and mind need to wind down after a long, hard day. Work, taking care of the kids, cleaning up the house and preparing for bariatric surgery can take its toll. Use this time to center your mind and stretch your body. I know my body feels so good after I do a few, gentle stretches. It allows me to release the tension in my body, and I spend a few moments of meditation to release the tension in my mind.

Bonbon Break has a great list of bedtime yoga routines on YouTube. If you aren’t sure where to start but would like to add the benefits of gently stretching and calming down to your bedtime routine for weight loss, check out these videos. You can even do some of them in your bed! These stretches will help you sleep better. Better sleep allows you to be better ready to tackle the next day with energy and motivation towards your weight loss goals.

Practice Gratitude

Another bedtime routine for weight loss that helps you relax your mind is taking a few minutes to be thankful and connect with God. We all get so busy in our lives, and often, it can be hard just to remember all that we have been given. By taking some time each night to connect with God, I’m beginning to appreciate life more and sleep better at night. This practice can be beneficial for you too. Even if you have a day from hell, there’s always something to appreciate. It can be as basic as soft carpeting after a long day or more complex like finding out you’re getting a promotion and raise. Whatever it is, take a few moments to write it down, smile at the gratitude and thank God for blessing you with it.

It’s amazing how much easier it is to sleep when you go to bed with something positive on your mind. Ending your day on a positive note starts your morning on a positive note. When you start your day positively, you’re more likely to stick to your lifestyle changes. You’ll view each day as an opportunity to get closer to your goal. Ultimately, this commitment is what we are aiming to get. When we get enough good quality sleep, we feel empowered to do anything, including sticking to our lifestyle changes. It’s a slippery slope back to obesity, so anything we can do to cement these changes into our lives, the better.

Keep a Consistent Bedtime

How many times during the week do you go to bed earlier than you do on weekends? Experts say this fluctuating schedule isn’t good for our circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle of sleep and awake. Rather, we should be going to bed around the same time and waking up around the same time. Set an alarm on your phone to start your bedtime routine for weight loss at the same time every night. Do your routine in the same order every day, and it will soon become a habit. You won’t have to think twice about it. Consistency is key in any of the changes we make, including our bedtime routine. By setting reminders on your phone to start your routine, you are setting yourself up for success.

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When you start going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time, your body will adjust to the amount of sleep you’re giving it. Aim for seven to eight hours each night for optimum rest. You know how cranky and unmotivated you get when you’re tired. It’s way easier to give in to the breakroom donuts when you don’t have any energy. Instead, fuel your body with the rest it needs, and you won’t need those donuts! Keeping the same schedule will help your body get into a routine and function at an optimum level. You’ll sleep better because your body will know it’s time to sleep and will automatically start getting tired at that time.

Basic Tips for Sleeping Better

If you are still struggling to sleep even after practicing a bedtime routine for weight loss, there are a few things you can do to help you sleep better. I used to do these items just when I couldn’t sleep. I found that if I started doing these tasks every night, I had no issues falling asleep when it was time. These tips include:

• Write down any to-dos for tomorrow or anything weighing on your mind. Getting the information down on a piece of paper will ensure you don’t forget it.
• Journaling is a great way to wind down. It can be a way for you to express yourself, especially if you are trying to avoid emotional eating.
• Turn off electronics. Switch off your phone (or at least lower the brightness), switch off the TV and laptops.
• Turn down the temperature. Room temperature of 67 degrees Fahrenheit and lower encourage deep REM Sleep
• Don’t do anything else in bed except sleep. If you consistently eat, read or watch TV in bed, it signals to your body that bed is a place for activity and not rest. Instead, use it exclusively for sleep.
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Establish a Bedtime Routine for Weight Loss

If sleep is hard for you, it’s time to establish a bedtime routine for weight loss. Preparing for the next day is going to put your mind at ease and get you a head start on tomorrow. Learning to be grateful and reflect will bring you the joy you didn’t even know was possible. Practice a calming yoga routine before bed will help relax your body and mind. Turning off electronics and going to bed around the same time helps your body get into a rhythm. Doing all these tasks gets you ready for a peaceful night and a productive tomorrow. Establish a bedtime routine for weight loss now, so that you’ll sleep better. You’ll also be better prepared, highly motivated and energetic tomorrow. Sleep plays an essential role in weight loss, so establishing a bedtime routine for weight loss ensures you’re setting yourself up for bariatric success.

If this article gave you some great ideas to incorporate into your life, just imagine what other amazing strategies I have for you! Share this post on social media by clicking one of the sharing buttons, and don’t forget to join my email list! You’ll be the first to get updates, access to my new products and lots of tips, inspiration and motivation to help in your bariatric surgery journey. Just for joining, I’ll send you a free Bariatric Beginner’s Guide to get you started, as well as some other pretty awesome goodies to keep you motivated. Join today!

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