Evening Rituals and Sleep Hygiene for Women.

By Katie B. — Airline Pilot, Wellness Enthusiast & Creator of The Wellness Glow-Up

Let’s be honest—getting great sleep as a grown woman in a busy world can feel like chasing a unicorn. And if you’re juggling family responsibilities, navigating shift work, irregular hours, or simply a buzzing brain that won't shut off, you're not alone.

As a pilot, I’m no stranger to fatigue. Early starts, overnight stays, and a schedule that changes by the week have taken a real toll on my sleep over the years. For a while, I thought dragging myself through the day half-asleep was just “part of the job.”

But then I hit a point where I decided—enough. I was done waking up groggy, struggling to fall asleep, or jolting awake at 4 a.m. no matter what time I went to bed.

So, I began experimenting with evening rituals that helped calm my nervous system, improve my sleep quality, and—maybe most importantly—help me wake up actually feeling refreshed. Here’s what I’ve found works, and how you can create your own peaceful sleep ritual starting tonight.

No time to read the full post? - Save to Pinterest to read later or jump to the tips below.

Why sleep matters!

Wind Down with a Lavender & Magnesium Bath

Ditch (or at least reduce) the Caffeine

Support Your Body with Sleep Supplements

Short Bedtime Meditation

Journaling Out the Overthinking

No Screens After 8 p.m. 

Early Evening Fasting: A Unique Approach to Restful Sleep

How to Build Your Own Wind-Down Ritual

Join a group of women thriving together with daily lifestyle, holistic wellness and self-care

Why sleep matters!

Good sleep is one of the most powerful things we can do for our overall wellbeing. Quality sleep supports everything from a healthy metabolism and balanced hormones to better moods, clearer skin, and steady energy throughout the day.

It’s during deep sleep that our bodies work their magic—repairing cells, restoring energy, and releasing important hormones like growth hormone and IGF, which both play a major role in fat burning and recovery. And yep, lack of sleep doesn’t just leave us feeling blah—it can actually speed up the aging process, showing up as tired eyes, fine lines, and sagging skin.

When we sleep well, we also support healthy cortisol levels and help balance key hormones like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid—all essential for feeling our best, especially as women.

So if you’re chasing better moods, a leaner body, glowing skin, more energy, and less stress (who isn’t?), deep, consistent sleep is where it all begins.

And yet… a third of adults are struggling to get it.

So what can we actually do to get deeper, more refreshing rest and start reversing the effects of poor sleep? Here are my tried and true strategies for getting better sleep.

1. Wind Down with a Lavender & Magnesium Bath

There's nothing quite like a warm bath to signal to your body that it's time to relax. I personally love adding a few drops of lavender essential oil and a generous scoop of magnesium flakes to my evening soak. This combination creates a calming atmosphere that helps ease tension and prepare me for a restful night's sleep. 

Bonus Hack for the time poor or “too exhausted to even run a bath” - Drop 3-5 drops of lavender essential oil in the bottom of the shower before you get in. The aroma will have you dropping into mayo relax super quick without having to faff around with a full bath.

Why Magnesium?

Magnesium plays a crucial role in over 600 biochemical reactions in the body, including those that regulate sleep and stress responses. It helps activate neurotransmitters responsible for calming the mind and can aid in reducing anxiety and promoting better sleep quality. 

Choosing the Right Magnesium

For bath soaks, magnesium chloride flakes are often recommended over Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) due to their higher elemental magnesium content and better skin absorption. Magnesium chloride is also gentler on the skin, making it suitable for regular use.

How to Prepare Your Magnesium Bath

• Fill your bathtub with warm water.

• Add 1-2 cups of magnesium chloride flakes.

• Enhance the experience with a few drops of lavender essential oil.

• Soak for 20 minutes, allowing your body to absorb the magnesium and your mind to unwind.

  
  

Incorporating this ritual 2-3 times a week will significantly improve sleep quality, reduce muscle tension, and promote overall relaxation.

2. Ditch (or at least reduce) the Caffeine

This one was tough to accept, but honestly it has a huge positive effect on sleep. I’ve always been super sensitive to caffeine, and once I cut back, I noticed a huge shift in how deeply I slept and how rested I felt in the morning. No more lying in bed with that wired-but-exhausted feeling. Even if your not as sensitive to caffeine as I am, Quitting caffeine can significantly enhance sleep quality, and this is supported by various scientific studies and expert recommendations. Here's how reducing or eliminating caffeine intake can lead to better sleep:

How Caffeine Disrupts Sleep

1. Delayed Sleep Onset: Caffeine blocks adenosine, a neurotransmitter that promotes sleepiness, thereby delaying the onset of sleep. (ScienceAlert)

2. Reduced Deep Sleep: Consumption of caffeine, especially in the evening, can decrease the amount of deep sleep (N3 stage), which is vital for physical and mental restoration. (Oxford Academic)

3. Extended Half-Life: Caffeine has a half-life ranging from 4 to 6 hours, meaning it can remain in your system and affect sleep even when consumed in the afternoon.

Benefits of Quitting Caffeine for Sleep

1. Improved Sleep Quality: Eliminating caffeine can lead to better sleep quality, including increased deep sleep and reduced nighttime awakenings. 

2. Easier Sleep Initiation: Without the stimulating effects of caffeine, falling asleep becomes more straightforward, reducing the time it takes to drift off. (ChoosingTherapy.com)

3. Enhanced Daytime Alertness: Better sleep quality translates to improved alertness and cognitive function during the day. 

   
   

   Honestly, quitting caffeine is one of the changes that’s helped me feel more like myself again.

3. Support Your Body with Sleep Supplements

I’m all for natural, gentle support, and these two supps work beautifully:

• 🌙 Dream Serene™ – A calming blend of melatonin, L-theanine, and passionflower to help me unwind and fall asleep faster.

  
  

• 💤 Rest & Rewind – This is my go-to when I know my sleep is going to be disrupted by early starts or travel. It’s designed to support the body’s overnight repair process with antioxidants and plant extracts.

  
  

Together, they’ll help you switch off and relax, body and mind for a deeper more restorative sleep. (These are currently only available in the US and Canada)

4. Short Bedtime Meditation

Even just five minutes of deep breathing or a guided meditation before bed can quiet mental chatter and signal to your body that it's time to sleep. I often use a meditation app or simply lie still, focusing on my breath. This consistent practice has trained my body to recognise this as a cue for sleep.

Top Free Meditation Apps to Try:

• Insight Timer: Boasting the world's largest free library of over 260,000 guided meditations, Insight Timer offers a vast selection of sleep-focused content, including bedtime stories, ambient music, and nature sounds. It's a favourite among wellness communities for its variety and quality. 

  
  

• Headspace: Known for its user-friendly interface, Headspace provides a dedicated "Sleep" section featuring guided meditations, wind-down exercises, and sleepcasts designed to help you drift off peacefully. Headspace

  
  

• Calm: This beautifully designed app offers a range of sleep meditations, breathing exercises, and bedtime stories narrated by soothing voices, including celebrities like Matthew McConaughey. 

  
  

• Listen To Sleep: A free podcast delivering new original bedtime stories or guided meditations each week, perfect for those who prefer audio content without needing to navigate an app. listentosleep.com

  
  

How to Incorporate Meditation into Your Routine:

• Set a Consistent Time: Choose a specific time each night to practice meditation, helping to establish a routine.

• Create a Relaxing Environment: Dim the lights, eliminate distractions, and find a comfortable position to enhance the experience.

• Start Small: Begin with short sessions, gradually increasing the duration as you become more comfortable with the practice.

  
  

Incorporating these meditation practices into your nightly routine can significantly improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being.

5. Journaling Out the Overthinking

This one’s a total lifesaver—especially after a big day of work or juggling life’s endless to-dos. If my brain feels like a browser with 27 tabs open, I grab my notebook and do a good old-fashioned brain dump. I write down everything swirling around in my head—worries, reminders, random thoughts. Once it’s on the page, it feels like I’ve emptied the mental clutter and made space for calm.

And the science backs it up. Studies show that expressive writing can reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, and help regulate emotions. One study from The Journal of Experimental Psychology found that people who spent just five minutes writing down upcoming tasks before bed fell asleep faster than those who didn’t. It’s like giving your brain permission to let go for the night.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a “writer,” this practice isn’t about being poetic—it’s about presence. And peace. 

Don’t know where to start?

Grab my 12 Evening Journal Prompts to promote A more peaceful sleep.

6.  No Screens After 8 p.m. 

   
   

I make a concerted effort to disconnect from screens by 8 p.m. because the blue light emitted by devices like phones, tablets, and TVs can interfere with our natural sleep processes. Blue light has been shown to suppress melatonin production—the hormone responsible for regulating our sleep-wake cycle—making it harder to fall asleep and reducing sleep quality. Tap Health

Why Blue Light Matters

Exposure to blue light in the evening can disrupt our circadian rhythm, the internal clock that signals when it's time to sleep and wake. Studies have found that blue light can suppress melatonin for about twice as long as green light and shift circadian rhythms by twice as much (3 hours vs. 1.5 hours). Harvard Health

Practical Tips to Reduce Blue Light Exposure:

• Use Night Mode Features: Most devices have settings like "Night Shift" (iOS) or "Night Light" (Windows) that reduce blue light emission by adjusting the screen to warmer tones.

• Wear Blue Light-Blocking Glasses: If you need to use screens in the evening, consider wearing blue light-blocking glasses. These glasses can filter out a significant portion of blue light, potentially minimising its impact on melatonin production. 

• Establish a Screen-Free Wind-Down Routine: Aim to avoid screens for at least an hour before bedtime. Instead, engage in relaxing activities such as reading a physical book, journaling, or practicing meditation. Grab my 12 Evening Journal Prompts to promote A more peaceful sleep.

• Dim the Lights: Reducing ambient lighting in the evening can also help signal to your body that it's time to wind down.

• 
  

While it's challenging to eliminate screen time entirely in the evenings, implementing these strategies can help mitigate the effects of blue light and promote better sleep.

7. Early Evening Fasting: A Unique Approach to Restful Sleep

One unconventional yet effective practice I've adopted is to stop eating after lunchtime. This approach, often referred to as early time-restricted feeding, aligns with our body's natural circadian rhythms and has been associated with improved sleep quality.

The Science Behind Early Evening Fasting

Research indicates that consuming meals earlier in the day can enhance sleep by:

• Enhancing Melatonin Production: Fasting in the evening may increase melatonin levels, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep-wake cycles, facilitating easier sleep onset and maintenance. 

• Reducing Nighttime Wakefulness: By stabilising blood sugar levels, early evening fasting can decrease the likelihood of nocturnal awakenings, leading to more uninterrupted sleep. sleepiverse.com

• Promoting Deep and REM Sleep: Aligning eating patterns with circadian rhythms through early evening fasting has been linked to increased durations of restorative deep and REM sleep stages. sleepiverse.com

  
  

Implementing Early Evening Fasting

To incorporate this practice:

• Set a Consistent Eating Window: Aim to consume all meals within an 8-10 hour window, concluding by around mid-afternoon.

• Stay Hydrated: Ensure adequate water intake throughout the fasting period to support metabolic processes. Be sure to ad high quality electrolytes to replenish minerals when your fasting.

• Monitor Your Body's Response: Pay attention to how your body adapts, and adjust the fasting window as needed to maintain energy levels and overall well-being. Some days are just not great for women to fast. You can read more about best practices for fasting as a women here

  
  

While this approach may not suit everyone, especially those with specific medical conditions or nutritional needs, it has significantly improved my sleep quality and daytime energy.

Your Turn: Build Your Own Wind-Down Ritual

Here’s the good news: you don’t need to overhaul your whole life to sleep better. Just start with one or two small changes tonight.

Here are a few ideas you can try:

✅ Swap your evening screen time for a good book

✅ Try a lavender and magnesium bath or lavender shower

✅ Do a 5-minute body scan meditation

✅ Journal out your to-do list or worries

✅ Add a natural sleep supplement like Dream Serene™ or Rest & Rewind

The Result? Waking Up with Energy (Instead of Regret)

Now that I’ve got a routine that supports my sleep, I don’t dread my alarm clock. I feel clearer, more focused, and honestly—happier. And isn’t that what we all want?

If your sleep’s been a struggle, know this: there are things you can do to change it. Your body wants to heal, rest, and feel good again. Sometimes it just needs the right conditions—and a few rituals to help it along.

I’d love to hear from you…

What’s one thing you’re going to try tonight to improve your sleep?

Drop it in the comments—or come share in my Facebook group The Wellness Glow-Up. We’re all about supporting each other on the journey to feeling our best.

Sleep sweet,

Katie x

Want to join a group of women thriving together with daily lifestyle, holistic wellness and self-care?

Join the Wellness Glow-Up Facebook community. Your daily Self-care pit stop to Elevate your Holistic Wellness journey. Find inner peace and everything you need to Glow from the Inside Out. This is Your personal sanctuary for nourishing Body, Mind, and Soul.

This blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making lifestyle changes.