Top Bathroom Wellness Tips for Improved Sleep Hygiene

In honor of Global Wellness Day, we present the latest addition to our Guest Blog Series focusing on Bathroom Wellness Tips for Better Sleep Hygiene.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with wellness guru and certified sleep science coach, Anne Marie Boyhan, to explore how you can transform your bathroom and bedroom into sanctuaries of wellness.

Anne Marie shares invaluable insights and practical tips to help you create spaces that enhance relaxation and improve sleep quality.

Creating Spaces of Wellness: The Connection between Bed and Bath

The bathroom and bedroom are two of the most personal and frequently used spaces in any home. When optimised for balance and tranquility, they can profoundly impact your mental and physical wellness.

Your sleep or bedtime ritual is crucial for teaching your brain to recognise sleep and wake times, essentially programming your internal body clock. By creating consistent routines in these spaces, you can significantly enhance your overall wellbeing.

What are Relaxation Techniques to Practice in your Bathroom before Bed?

Anne Marie emphasises that a consistent evening routine in the bathroom can enhance your sleep quality.

This routine could include activities such as removing makeup, following a skincare regimen, showering, and brushing your teeth. Finding enjoyable self care rituals and products you look forward to using is key to maintaining this routine.

Sticking to a routine at roughly the same time every night and morning is key according to Anne Marie. Setting a sleep schedule, with a regular bedtime and wake time, helps your brain and body thrive on consistency.

Interestingly, recent studies suggest that your wake time is even more important than your bedtime. Starting your day with self-care activities like exercise, meditation, or journaling can provide the energy and focus needed for a productive day.

What are some Sleep-Promoting Routines and Products to Enhance your Bathroom?

Transforming your bathroom into a sleep-enhancing sanctuary involves integrating products and routines that promote relaxation and prepare you for a restful night. Anne Marie shares several practices and products that she loves:

Gua Sha: Incorporating 'face yoga' into your evening routine can relax facial muscles and promote skin health, setting the stage for a peaceful sleep.

Dry Body Brushing: Stimulating lymphatic drainage with dry body brushing before a shower can be incredibly rejuvenating. It helps release tension and promotes relaxation before bedtime.

Affirmations and Meditations: Start your day on a positive note by listening to quick affirmations or meditations in the morning. You can use the Superhuman app or free resources on the Insight Timer app. You could listen to these through your SANSA Bluetooth Mirror while you get ready in the morning.

Consider creating your own home spa with the luxury of a whirlpool bath to your bathroom. Studies have shown that indulging in a warm bath before bedtime can promote relaxation and improve sleep quality.

By incorporating these sleep-promoting products and routines into your bathroom environment, you can create a tranquil space that supports relaxation and enhances your overall sleep hygiene.

Does Lighting Play a Part in your Sleep Health?

Bathroom lighting plays a crucial role in sleep health. In the evening, it's essential to block out light to aid melatonin production, which is necessary for good sleep. Anne Marie advises avoiding blue light sources in the bathroom as blue tones can interfere with melatonin production. Instead, opt for warm, pale light sources that are gentle on the eyes.

The SONAS ASTRID Mirror is a great tool for this purpose, as it features colour temperature-changing LED lights. The warm light setting is suitable for the evening, creating a calming environment before bed. In the morning, using the brighter white light setting helps maximise light exposure within an hour of waking, which aids in setting your circadian rhythm.

By adjusting your light exposure throughout the day with the ASTRID mirror, you can better align your sleep-wake cycle for improved sleep health.

Can your Bathroom Cleanliness affect your Sleep?

A clean and well-organised bathroom contributes to a sense of relaxation and reduces stress. Ensuring your bathroom is tidy and has ample storage can create a calming environment, promoting a better pre-sleep routine.

Clutter and mess can subconsciously increase stress levels and make it harder to unwind, which is why maintaining a neat space is crucial.

To enhance your bathroom's cleanliness and organisation:

• Purify your air with houseplants like English Ivy and Mother-in-Law's Tongue or use an air purifier. Diffusing essential oils can also enhance the atmosphere, promoting calmness or energy as needed.
• A clutter-free space, especially in the bathroom and bedroom, reduces subconscious stress. Furniture units with ample storage ensure a relaxing environment.
• Rimless Toilets and Slate Shower Trays with anti-bacterial features contribute to a healthier bathroom environment therefore improving your Sleep Hygiene.

Ensuring a clean and well-organised bathroom through the above practices can significantly contribute to your sleep hygiene.

Why Spaces of Wellness are Crucial in Your Home

Creating spaces of wellness in your home is essential for overall mental and physical health. Neglecting your sleep cycle and personal wellness can lead to various health issues, including increased stress and reduced productivity.

By integrating these tips and products into your bathroom and bedroom design, you can create spaces that support better sleep and overall wellness. Happy Global Wellness Day!

Want to learn more about Anne Marie Boyhan?

Anne Marie Boyhan is a sleep expert and founder of The Sleep Care Company.

She’s the author of The Sleep Journal, a wellness journal for sleep and believes that the best days are built on great sleep. Anne Marie is a certified sleep science coach and functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner and uses the Easy Sleep Method to help her clients overcome insomnia.

She is passionate about sleep and interiors and her expertise has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, The Sunday Times, Your Home Magazine, House and Home Magazine, Home and Garden and My Weekly.

If you're looking to find out more about Wellness in your home or to find out how you can better improve your sleep cycle you can find out more Anne Marie and Sleep Wellness on thesleepcarecompany.ie or on Instagram @thesleepcarecompany @annemarieboyhanco

*Picture Credit for images featuring Anne Marie Boyhan. Credit @Tony Gavin Photography