This blog post contains a paid advertorial with Oral B
My nighttime routine begins with an alarm that tells me it’s time to put my phone away and start winding down the evening before I go to bed. In the wellness world we talk about having a morning routine quite a lot, but less about what we do before bed, our nighttime routine, which is silly considering that sleep is possibly the most important part of living a happy and balanced life.
About 18 months ago I realised the need for a nighttime routine, so when Oral B came to me with the snazziest toothbrush I’ve ever seen (Rob got one too and didn’t stop talking about it for about an hour!) and a toothpaste that is actually doing something useful, I decided it was a good time to share my routine with you.
Those who have followed me for a while might be expecting a yoga flow or meditation and although I would love to say that I do those things in the evening as well as the morning, it just doesn’t happen very often. The things I want to tell you about today are things that hopefully a lot of you can relate to and can leave this blog post with a few tips and tricks for a healthier nights sleep… and mouth, thanks to Oral B!
FIRST THINGS FIRST
As soon as that alarm goes off, it’s time for the phone to go away and for me to pop upstairs to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Possibly not for everyone, but I prefer to brush my teeth about 60 minutes before bed as it bookmarks the end of my day in terms of eating and drinking tea and signals the start of my wind-down time.
When I was little I’m pretty sure I was one of the first kids in my school to have a filling, (to this day I’m not entirely sure why I had it), but growing up knowing that, I’ve been very aware of oral hygiene. Making sure I brush my teeth thoroughly for a good two minutes and also seeing a dentist regularly are a big priority of mine. I’ve been using an Oral B toothbrush for about 6 years, maybe even longer to be honest. Before the days of electric toothbrushes, I’m not sure I ever knew the brand I was buying! When Oral B sent me the Gum & Enamel Repair Toothpaste to try, as silly as it sounds, I was actually excited to try it, as I used to have really sensitive gums. Oral-B Gum & Enamel Repair Toothpaste tackles two key oral health issues – gum damage & enamel erosion, with it’s ActivRepair™ technology providing antibacterial action to help rejuvenate gums.
Now I’m no scientist, that’s for sure, but I can definitely say that from personal experience the Gum & Enamel repair feels like it’s really sorting stuff out up in there (‘there’ meaning my mouth!). You can read up on all the benefits over on the Oral B website. I hugely agree with them in that it’s time we started thinking more about oral hygiene as part of our overall wellness, alongside working out and eating a balanced diet. There are many factors that can play a part in having poor dental hygiene. A bad brushing technique (brushing too hard is something I used to do and am now very aware of), lifestyle, diet, physical health and age might be contributing to having irritated gums or weakened enamel, preventing your mouth from feeling healthy and fresh.
If you’ve ever been to a yoga class of mine, you’ll know that I make everyone smile with teeth on show as it brightens up the vibe in the room, so we might as well work just as hard on having a smile that feels great as well as some snazzy yoga poses!
NO PHONE ZONE
I’m grateful for phones and laptops every day, as without them my job as a blogger probably wouldn’t exist. BUT no matter how much I love them, there’s a time and a place, and in our house, post-9pm the screens are away. Not only does the light from screens have a big effect on the way our brains function, all of the emailing and scrolling is just sending a good nights sleep so much further away.
Our bedroom is a total no-phone-zone, even in the day time. Both Rob and I work from home, so it’s important that there is a space in the house that we can go to and not be distracted.
PREPARATION
If I know I’ve got an early meeting or workout, then I’ll prepare my bag the night before in this wind-down time. Maybe I’ll put some music on, or Rob and I will just potter around the room together, but either way it’ll be time without screens to both mentally and physically prepare for a fresh start in the morning.
REFLECTING
I’m a big fan of journaling , but I know it isn’t for everyone. It can be a hard habit to get into, so here’s a suggestion to get you started. Have a little notebook and pen by your bed and every night when you get under the duvet, open it up and write down just one thing that you’re grateful for that day. There’s no need to overthink it, just write down what comes to you first and if you feel like writing more, go for it. This is such a nice thing to add into your nighttime routine, a way of reflecting and getting out any stresses or worries before bed. If not, it’s time to put on the reading light and settle down.
GET LOST
Most of the time by this point I’m too sleepy to read more than one paragraph of my book, but I do try to have 20-30 minutes of reading each night where possible. Of course if I fall asleep before that, then great! If not, I just read and get lost in a story until I’m too sleepy to go on. I’m all for an educational book, but when it comes to my bedtime reading list, it’s usually a murder mystery thriller that’s got my attention!
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And then after all of this, I’m very much ready for a beautiful 8-hour sleep.
You can get your paws on the new Oral B GENIUS 9000 Toothbrush and the Oral B Gum & Enamel Repair Toothpaste right here.
What’s your nighttime routine?
Comment below and share some of your tips!
Love, Cat x