Your to do list is endless, the days are long and yet you feel like you can’t get it all accomplished! If you’re feeling overwhelmed and unproductive lately I’m going to show you how you can easily create a night time routine that will set you up for a successful and productive morning. When things are left undone at bedtime you are bound to wake up frazzled as well. If you’ve been wondering how you can have a productive evening then try these 15 steps that will have you waking up calm, refreshed and ready to take on the day!

How To Create A Night Time Routine for Success

Whether we realize it or not, all adults have a night time routine. It might not involve any planning! It could be as simple as eating dinner, watching tv and going to bed or it may be eating dinner, going to the gym, playing with the kids, going to kids activities and then collapsing into bed.

So you may already have a routine set, but the key is figuring out a night time routine that will help you be the most efficient with your time which will get your morning off to a good start!!

Implementing all or at least a few of these steps below will get you on your way to a more organized and productive life that you desire.

Clean up the Kitchen

After your done dinner, clean up the dishes. Don’t leave any in the sink! Now if you have to run out for kids activities, then of course it can wait. However, if you are home and don’t have anywhere to go, clean up! Don’t let the dishes sit. Load the dishwasher up, wash the pots and pans and let them sit to dry.

If the dishwasher is full, start a clean cycle.

Night-Time-Routine-Clean-Kitchen

Photo by Mark McCammon from Pexels

Next up, dry the dishes! I hate doing this because I feel like it takes so much time between cooking dinner and cleaning up, but it’s so worth it!

I love waking up to a clean kitchen. If I come downstairs to dishes in the sink or on the counter I feel stressed right away. It looks cluttered and it’s just staring at me in the face first thing. Then I feel all cluttered inside and I already feel like I’m behind on my to do list!

Coming down to a clean kitchen with nothing on the counter tops is so peaceful! I highly recommend trying to fit this step into your evening routine. Clean up as much as you can after dinner!!

Make the Coffee For Tomorrow Morning

While you’re doing the dishes, grab the coffee pot form earlier in the morning and wash it. Then get the coffee ready for the next morning.

If you’re anything like me, you need coffee the minute you wake up. I don’t want to make my coffee in the morning and wait 15 minutes for it to be ready!

I always do it the night before and it’s so nice waking up to the smell of fresh coffee. I highly recommend doing this if you have a coffe pot that you can program.

Stay away from Coffee after Dinner

Some people can handle caffeine at night, but most can’t. It does affect our sleep and the quality of it. Try to stay away from all caffeine after dinner whether it be coffee or soda. Stick with water or herbal teas so that you will be able to fall asleep easy and stay asleep!

Tidy up

At this point of the evening you’re exhausted and the last thing you feel like doing is cleaning. Yet the house is not where you want it to be and there’s stuff all over. Here’s what you do…. Try a 10 minute clean up. If you have kids this is good to do with them. Set the timer and everyone does a quick run of the house and puts away anything that is sitting out. It could even be a 5 minute clean up.

It really helps to clear away that clutter that can accumulate throughout the day and night. If your home looks organized, then you will feel less stressed and more peaceful when you start your day.

It’s amazing what can be accomplished in a quick cleanup. Especially when the kids help! I think a lot of us Mom’s think it’s easier to just do it ourselves, but the kids need to learn to pick up after themselves and it frees up our time to complete the tasks we need to. We can’t do it all alone!


Related: Overwhelmed by the Clutter and Mess and Don’t Know Where to Start?


Pack Lunches and Snacks as Part of your Evening Routine

Pack everything as part of your night time routine. Mornings are hectic so you want to make sure all the lunches are packed ahead of time. Depending on the age of your kids, have them help you pack their lunches and snacks.

This includes snacks and lunch for you as well. Make sure you are taken care of. If you plan to be out at kids activities the next night pack your bag with healthy snacks so you’re not at their games starving and tempted to hit the snack bar for unhealthy foods.

Kids Backpacks

The backpacks need to be packed and ready to go the night before. No running home from the bus stop in the morning saying you forgot your homework. Pack the backpacks and folders at night so there is no last minute stress with forgotten homework! This really makes a difference to ease your evening routine if your kids can chip in and help!

It also means you won’t have your kids saying they forget to show you their homework that is due that day that they need your help on first thing in the morning!

Also, don’t forget to clean the water bottles! My family always takes reusable water bottles to school and I use something like this.

Night-Time-Routine-Swell-Bottle

So nothing irks me more than having no clean water bottles in the chaos of the morning!! The kids love to hoard them. Make sure the kids find them and that they are clean and set to go for the next day!

Check To See What’s On The Schedule For The Next Day

Evening-Routine-Planner

Do your kids have after school games or activities? Do they need jerseys washed, mouth guards and sports bags packed as well? Depending on how old your kids are this may be something you can have them do at night as part of their routine.

Meal Plan for Tomorrow

This could also be part of your morning routine depending on what you prefer. I always think about what’s for dinner the night before and then make sure the meat is defrosted. That way it should be ready to go by the time I need to cook it the next day. I plan my meals in advance and look on my planner to see what’s on the menu for the next day.

**************************************************************

Related:15 SHEET PAN DINNERS YOU NEED TO MEAL PREP THIS WEEK

**************************************************************

Lay Out Your Clothes


Photo by Mica Asato from Pexels

Set out your clothes out for the next day. That way if something needs ironed you can do it then instead of rushing in the morning. This is good for your kids as well. Have them pick out their clothes the night before so they are all set for school.

Put a Load Of Laundry Away

Evening-Routine-Laundry

Photo by Andy Fitzsimon on Unsplash

When you’re going upstairs to put the kids to bed or to get in your pajamas, bring one load of laundry up with you to put away. I like to wash in the morning and then put the laundry away at night. You’ll feel so much better emptying that laundry basket!!

Eat Something Before Bed

A small light snack that will keep you full all night is ideal. Not a sugary snack or heavy meal before bed, because that can backfire and keep you up. You don’t want to starve yourself by not eating after dinner if you’re hungry. Eat something to fill you up. Otherwise, you will have trouble falling asleep with a growling stomach!

Wash Your Face

No matter how tired you are, wash your face. Get all the dirt, makeup, and impurities off your skin. If you want healthy glowing skin , don’t skip this step!

**************************************************************

Related: WANT HEALTHY GLOWING SKIN? TRY THESE 10 FOODS FOR SKIN HEALTH THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE RESULTS YOU WANT!

**************************************************************

Write Down What’s On Your Mind

If you have a lot on your mind and feel like you can’t get settled for bed, write a few things down. Keep a notebook by your bedside and write down that to do list for tomorrow that is looming over you.

If you do that, you’re clearing your mind from having to think about it and you can tackle your list in the morning.

Turn Off Your Phone and Don’t Bring It To Bed

Night-Time-Routine-Phone

Another essential part of a healthy night time routine is turning your phone off at least a half hour before bed. Your mind needs time to wind down and staring at the screen is keeping you alert. Step away from all electronics to start calming yourself down.

After you turn it off, plug it in to be charged somewhere other then your room.

If it’s right next to your bed you may be tempted to look at it when you wake up in the night. You might check an email or social media and it’s going to instantly wake you up. Your mind will start to think about work or something someone said and it won’t be able to get back into sleep mode.

Get an alarm clock and keep the phone out of your room!!

Go To Bed At A Set Time

Go to sleep at the same time every night. We need a minimum of 7 hours of sleep every night. Most moms and adults are not getting that much sleep so it’s important to force yourself to get to bed every night at a reasonable time. If you don’t, you’re not going to be functioning your best the next day. I know everything changes when I’ve had a good night’s sleep. The world just seems so much brighter and I feel like I can accomplish so much more.

When I haven’t had enough sleep I’m way less productive, I never feel like exercising and I’m much more likely to not eat right!

Get some sleep!

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

self-care-sunday

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

An Effective Night Time Routine Begin With You

Let’s face it, stuff needs to get done. The kids need to be fed, laundry done, dishes cleaned, floors mopped, lunches packed, phone calls made etc. The list is endless!

The only way to get it done and not feel frazzled all the time is to manage our time the best way we can. The to do list will never go away so we need to make the most of our evening to get stuff done! If you can will yourself to get in some sort of routine at night and be proactive about what’s ahead then you are definitely setting yourself up for a more productive life.

Remember, you may not be able to do all these steps as part of your night time routine, but if you add one or two of these you are going to see a difference.

You can do this!

Now that you have your night time routine set you need to have an effective morning routine! If you need ideas in that area then head on over here to create a successful morning.

A Night Time Routine for Busy Moms

RECENT POSTS:

1 Comment on A Night Time Routine That Will Set You Up For A Better Morning

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *