A sense of equilibrium, wellbeing and overall calm in our mind-body connection is key to a rejuvenating night of sleep. Between work, family, LA fires, social, personal development, and health obligations, my day sometimes zooms by in a hectic frenzy and I’m left both wound up and drained by bedtime. At the end of each day I try to unwind and re-center in a few ways that help bring me back down to earth and into balance.
Bath Time
I find that women often avoid self care practices like long, luxurious baths and consider them selfish, a misuse of time, or overly indulgent. Have you felt that way? Well let me be the one to tell you: you totally deserve it. If I’ve had a long day filming Studio LB workouts and feel muscle soreness, an epsom salt bath and a book are exactly what I need. A bath versus a shower also means I can toss my hair on top of my head in a bun and extend a good blow out for a few days without having to put on a fugly shower cap.
Wine Down
I’ll often skip wine or a cocktail with dinner in favor of having one either during my bath or just before bed. A great glass of red - sometimes super light Pinot Noir or something spicy like a Tempranillo - helps me chill out and slow down. In moderation, polyphenol antioxidants in red wine like resveratrol have been shown to be heart healthy which is a nice bonus.
During this time, I like to stop any endless scrolling on the phone or working on my laptop and fully unplug. Some nights it means enjoying comfortable silence solo, and others it means downloading with Jordan when he’s in LA. When I look at my own family, the ones that share Italian roots definitely stress less and laugh more than most people I know. They must be doing something right. Maybe it’s the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo?
CBD
You guys know that I’m a believer. From oil to high potency CBD balms, it’s in my life (especially at night) on the regular.
Melt
I heard once that Mariah Carey demands marathon, hours-long massages while she watches movies like Mean Girls and Bruno on repeat to fall asleep. I don’t have that diva level of disposable income sadly, so instead my foam roller and I are buds.
Myofascial release is so undervalued, and if you commit to a regular foam rolling habit the results are incredible. In the AM, I recommend rolling vigorously to stimulate blood flow and wake your limbs up. Nighttime rolling should be gentler, slower and over time it starts to feel relaxing. Personally I find it most beneficial to hit my hamstrings and back before heading to sleep. I’ll admit there’s a pretty high barrier to entry, since the first few times rolling can feel very uncomfortable. I like to find the points of tension as I roll, and pause on them breathing into that spot. Breaking up the fascia feels so good and therapeutic to me before bed.
I’d definitely also recommend trying out one of my flow style workouts before bed as a supplement to your regular daily practice. Studio LB’s 15-minute core stretch and 13-minute stretch are both great to help realign posture and shake off some stress of the day before climbing into bed.