What would you say if I told you that just doing a few things before you go to bed can make mornings easier?
I’ve perfected my night time routine so I thought I’d share some of the quick and easy things I do before I go to bed which make the next morning easier.
Do you know that it’s an actual scientific* fact that if you spend ten minutes before you go to bed getting ready for the next day then the following morning will be at least ten times easier?
(OK, it may not be scientific but it really helps me and I just read a book about science* so humour me and we’ll call it a scientific fact)
(**OK, the book was less about science and more about a female scientist doing some research in an isolated place during a storm when a rather nice doctor turns up on her doorstep, but there was definitely some science involved so I feel like it still counts)
Jokes aside, I don’t always get it right, but on the nights where I do spend a bit of time getting organised before bed, the next morning is noticeably easier. Not perfect, not calm in a dreamy Pinterest way, but definitely less rushed and a lot more manageable.
These are the things I tend to do before bed that make the biggest difference.
A few small things that make mornings easier
The biggest one for me is the kitchen. I try to make sure the sink is clear and everything is put away before I go to bed because coming downstairs to a mess from the night before is not the best start to the day. There’s something about a clear kitchen in the morning that just makes everything feel a bit more under control, even if the rest of the house isn’t.
If I know what I’m wearing the next day, I’ll get it out the night before so I’m not standing there half-asleep trying to decide what to put on. It’s one of those things that takes two minutes at night but somehow feels like a massive effort in the morning.
I also make sure everything I need is ready to go. If I’m going into the office to work then my bag will be packed with everything I need and will be by the door. I use a large handbag for work so I don’t take my day to day handbag and I make sure that in my work handbag, I have exactly what I need for a day in the office – my work pass, a couple of pens, vaseline, some perfume, a hairbrush, a laptop and a phone charger and even the headphones I use for work. They stay in that handbag so all I need to do is add my laptop and a notebook. It makes my life so much easier as I have a smaller handbag for day to day so I was taking everything out when I got home from work and then having to pack it all back up on an office day which led to things being left at home.
Sorting food ahead of time is another big one for me – whether I’m working from home of going into the office. If lunches are already made and in the fridge, there’s no temptation to just not bother and buy something instead and that’s super important as a diabetic! Even just knowing what the plan is for the next day helps, especially if you’re trying to stay on top of spending.
This is a controversial one but I always try to drink a glass of water before going to bed as well. I know lots of you are probably reading this and thinking that you’d be up all night going for a wee if you drank water right before bed but I really feel like it benefits me so I’m good with it.
And on the nights where my brain won’t switch off, I’ll write a quick list of what I need to do the next day. Getting it out of my head makes it much easier to relax, rather than lying there going over everything and convincing myself I’ll definitely forget something important. I actually keep a notebook and pen in my bedside cabinet drawer in case I remember something in the the night which works for me as once it’s written down, my brain relaxes.
It’s not about doing everything
I don’t do all of these things every night – there are definitely evenings where I go to bed and just hope for the best the next day.
But even doing one or two of these things makes a difference, and that’s usually enough
Do you do any of these things before you go to bed?
If you like to be organised then don’t miss these posts:
How just 15 minutes on a Sunday night can make your whole week much easier (with free printable)
Daily Plan of Action checklist (with free printable)
Everything you need to know about meal planning in one place.
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very good and true
I agree totally, walking into a clean kitchen is such a nice feeling in the mornings. Not only is it a good sight but it also puts your mind at ease knowing you dont have to clean the kitchen when you get off work. Preparing my lunch and cloths definetly helps my mornings go smoother and saves tons of time. And drinking a glass of water is a super health perk that gives your organs a boost for the day. The only problem is getting my 5 year old daughter to get moving.
Yes agreed. All washing up done the night before and put away and a clean sink otherwise you feel pants in the morning if youre faced with it.
Over the last two years ive decluttered like mad. I dont drive so every now and again i pack my trolly up with stuff i dont need anymore and take it to the charity shops. Its made such a difference to my life as i now have very few ornaments and stuff to clean and dust setting me free. Also i now have a minimal wardrobe which means its easy to choose what to wear the next day and i have finally found a simple style that suits me and makes me take care of my clothes properly as i only have a few
I would add to this – set your coffee pot! Nothing is worse than stumbling into the kitchen still groggy and tired, and having to fight through the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. I have to be able to just turn on the machine since usually in the morning that's all I have the brain capacity for!
Great list…only instead of water I have a little fat free milk. It doesn't make me have to get up during the night. I don't need to make lunches, but I remember my mom making sandwiches the night before for the whole family. Sometimes just the fillings were made ahead.
You missed off hide the wine bottles, they will just upset the kids in the morning 😉
Thank you for sharing, i do the same thing. I use to put the lunch box in the dining table, the box complete with the cover, so i don't waste my time only to find them each other xixi
Some of these buts its always lovely to get up to a clean sink in the morning.
I try to do all of these things, but I mostly fail on the dishes. I should do them every night, but I do skip it. I don't leave the kitchen looking like a food bomb exploded, but I do leave dishes behind some nights. You are right! It feels great getting up to a clean sink. I guess I don't mind getting up to the dishes because it kind of helps me get the day going..
I enjoyed the blog post! Thanks for the awesome tips!
I like the suggestion to prepare everything you will need the next day in the evening. It is much easier and healthier to start the day without morning rush.
Great tips – I do most of them. Getting the kids to sort out their clothes for the next morning is a great one – they need a bit of reminding but they are happy to do it and it saves arguments in the morning! I like to drink a cup of camomile tea an hour or two before bed…lovely and calming and I think it's supposed to help you sleep better. My OH also gets all the breakfast things out on the table, which speeds things up in the morning and I always make sure the kids bags are packed and ready, with all the appropriate notes and reading books filled in, with water bottles on the side waiting to be filled. Ooh and I make sure the dishwasher is either empty or has enough room for the breakfast things.
I always straighten up the living room as well. Putting things away, straighteninga tidy s
cushions etc. Makes a difference getting up to a tidy room.
Yes, You are right. I freely agree with You. These six things is really essential. I want to add one more thing, That is coffee. After dinner, I always preferred coffee. It is one of my medicine also.
Hi, Your 6 thing/ advice is helpful for every man and woman. I read your article and I think It's a so informative post for everybody. I'm happy and I will visit your site for another new one.
Great list! This is exactly what I have been needing.
I have French Press coffee every day – a real luxury, a relaxation step prior to rush hour commute, and a nice thing before a tough day. However you need to boil water and grind beans – so I have the coffee pre ground and water ready to boil.
Also I never drink water before going to bed – who needs to wake up at 3 or 4 am to pee – would rather save the 3am wakeup for a national emergency!
I like getting up to a clean and tidy kitchen and sink, coffeepot ready to be switched on and coffee mug sitting on the counter waiting for that first luscious brew to warm up with. I'd love to be so organized as to have the lunches packed ahead, clothes set out and my keys and purse by the front door.
I just don't know that I could keep it up though, as wonderful as it sounds:(
Sounds like you're normal to me! I'd love to be so organised but probably never going to achieve it! Lol
Most of these are great; however, drinking a glass of water right before you go to bed is actually not a very good idea—it can give you acid reflux to lie down with undigested food or liquids in your stomach. Better not to drink or eat in the hour before bedtime.
Only if you are prone to acid reflux and do this directly before lying down. Most people will be fine drinking a small glass of water before they go to bed, or even sipping during the night (for those of us who don't sleep for long periods of time and/or get up during the night). I always have a bottle of water on the beside table, not only does this mean I don't have to get up if i'm thirsty, but means i can have a drink before i get up to help clear my head.
Great ideas! I am a Mary Kay Sales Director and Mary Kay has always taught us to make your most important 6 things list the night before. My problem is that I do it for a few nights, and then I forget and stop doing it. Any ideas on how to make it a part of the nightly routine? I know it works when I do it, I just forget!!! Help…
I do 2 things before i go to bed,
1. Choose my outfit for tomorrow (i love this activity for sure)
2. Play some game before i go to sleep (my bad habit)
Btw, thankyou for tips & trick! 🙂
Ah yes! Some 'downtime' for you! Not such a guilty pleasure!
I agree and yes I do make sure my kitchen sink is empty of all dishes, pots and pans and I do drink at least 16-20 oz. of water before going to bed. I also find it makes me happier in the morning when I sweep and clean my kitchen floor. I am one of your US followers and enjoy reading your blog very much!
I definitely do two, clean sink as well as whole kitchen and drink the water before bed. It's a must do!
I always write in my journal the at night, pack my bag, pack my lunch, and lay out my clothes. Also, I thought it wasn't good to drink water before bed because you would be more liable to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
Exactly what I thought – if I drank a pint of water before bed, I'd be rushing to the loo half the night!
Right on
I like to pre-fill the coffee machine so I can just hit the button.
Also I set out what's for breakfast if it's cold – ie: cereal and fruit or pancake mix just to be sure I have enough and I have a plastic box in the fridge where I put items that have to be cold like eggs and bacon. That way I'm not offering something for breakfast that I can't deliver on.
Dishes washed dried put away. Kitchen cleaned up floor mopped Laundry washed dried put away. Bathrooms wiped down. Floors mopped. Living room picked up and vacuumed. Making the next days lunch would be so helpful. My mornings are so stress free nowadays.
It sounds as if your evenings are jam-packed and stressful, though! It may be easier on you, just now and again, to chill in the evening? And it might help, if you have kids, for them to do some of the chores? That'll help them fend for themselves when they eventually fly the nest / go to uni or whatever. Or, horror of horrors(!), to get your partner/other half to help you out? It can't be very restful for the rest of the family seeing you hurtling round like a tornado before bed? Just a thought…….
I do all of these except the kids scool uniform they are responsible for their own uniform as they are 14 & 16 and Donna's 'air dry the washing' but the one thing I never remember to do is get the meat out tue freezer the night before.
Ooooh, fab ideas Cass, I need to do all of these, we are always rushing around in the morning.
good tips Cass! I'm a bit hit and miss
I also do sort kinds & my clothes and also clean my kitchen before going to bed.
I sort the kids clothes but not mine, and no I don't drink before going to bed. Interesting list.
I do some of these…I need to do a few more then I may have the perfect morning 😀 x
Yes, apart from the water I do them all, go me! lmao Mich x
See, I know all of this and every day I plan to do it but then every night I collapse on the sofa in front of eastenders and 'forget' 😉
I do 4 of these things religiously ….. although I have to admit that I leave the washing up to "air dry" over night 🙂
I need to work on clearing my head!!