20 Things Every Woman Does Before Bed

1. Good sleep is vital to your health!

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Everyone wants to sleep well and wake up feeling refreshed. With all the stressors of life and work, plus technology and a busy schedule, this is sometimes easier said than done! Experts say that the best way to get the sleep you need is to develop a good sleep routine. So let's take a look at these things every woman does before bed!

2. Remove your makeup

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More and more women are getting into better facial routines thanks to social media. But one of the biggest first steps to incorporate is removing your makeup at the end of the day. It can cause skin irritation and pimples if you sleep in it! It also dries out your skin, and if you sleep with mascara on, it can break your eyelashes!

3. Take care of those teeth!

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Similar to poor sleep, if you have bad dental health, it can affect every other aspect of your health! Gum disease can actually lead to heart disease. Make sure to floss and brush those teeth before you hit the pillow to reduce plaque and bacteria buildup.

4. Set out your clothes

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We always did this as kids, but it can really help alleviate some stress in your morning routine. Whether you're heading to coffee, the gym, or straight to the office, take a second to set out the perfect outfit. This way you won't have to spend too long in the morning making sure your outfit works, and it will save you a lot of time!

5. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb

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In order to truly wind down and get into the headspace of relaxing and recharging, every woman puts their phone on Do Not Disturb at night. Especially if you work a job that's bad at boundaries, it can be really good for your mental health to not reply to those emails rolling in at 10pm. It's also good for your eyes to have a screen time break!

6. Spend time journaling

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Hot girls journal! Because most hot girls also have anxiety! So if you really have trouble turning your brain off at night, try to journal about... WHATEVER you want! They say the best way to journal for anxiety is to free-write with no judgment. That means, don't worry too much about the grammar, it's more of a release. This can actually help boost your immune system and reduce stress!

7. Wash your face with cleanser

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Okay, now that we've removed the makeup, every woman should have a good facial cleanser. This is specifically designed for cleansing your facial skin as it's more delicate than the rest of your body. Make sure to choose one that's made for your skin type!

8. Follow it up with toner and moisturizer

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Toner can majorly improve your skin. It works to remove anything you may have missed in terms of dirt and bacteria. Once it dries, apply a good facial moisturizer. Moisturizer helps minimize fine lines and wrinkles! Whether you have oily or dry skin, you can benefit from moisturizing regularly.

9. Spend time meditating and manifesting

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Similar to journaling, spending time in reflection, focusing on your breathing, and setting your intentions for the following day are super helpful in you getting a good night's rest. Women report feeling more at peace and able to fall asleep more easily when partaking in these practices before they go to bed!

10. Make a to-do list

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A lot of women lay in bed at night unable to sleep, because they're running through a mental checklist of everything they need to do the next day. Try taking a few minutes before bed to write down all your priorities for the next day. Writing them down will help you relax knowing that you won't forget, and it will get handled.

11. Also check these things before bed

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If you're taking time to set out your clothes and make a task list, take a second to check your meeting schedule and the weather too! Studies show that successful women take time before they go to bed to plan their next day, even loosely, in order to maximize the day. It will also keep you from wearing summer clothes in the middle of a rainstorm, and you'll be less likely to forget something!

12. Get frisky with ya partner

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This one is fun for everyone! There's a study that shows having s*x once a week gives you the same happiness boost as that of getting a $50K raise! Personally, we'd like both, but s*x can boost your immune system, reduce stress, and improve sleep. S*x can also make you look younger, which is great for your mental health!

13. Secure the doors and windows

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Especially if you live alone, we promise there isn't a woman on the planet who doesn't triple check to make sure all the doors and windows are locked and secure before heading to bed. You may even add and extra layer of protection to your door like a wedge to ensure you're safe. It's part of your nightly routine.

14. Do something that makes you happy!

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Channel your inner zen after you put your phone down. Maybe watching an episode or two of your favorite guilty pleasure show really helps you relax. If you truly want to unplug, put on a podcast or pick up that book you bought but never read. If your schedule can afford you spending an hour of doing nothing before you sleep, you'll likely be more relaxed when you hit the hay!

15. Spend time in gratitude

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This is pretty cool! Studies show that if you spend a few minutes at the end of each day thinking about what you're grateful for it can transform your life! When you take time to do this, it will shift the chemicals in your brain to skew more positively than negatively. So make a list of what you're grateful for and watch your worldview change!

16. Have a glass of wine

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If drinking isn't your thing, that's totally okay! But a lot of women get super excited to have a nice glass of wine before bed. It's a little treat that's good for your soul while you scroll on Instagram or watch your favorite TV show. It helps your brain and body enter a state of relaxation!

17. Tidy up your space

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They say that when you have a clear space, it helps clear your mind too! So before you head to bed, they say successful women take 10-15 minutes to tidy up their living space. That might mean putting away those dishes or that pile of laundry or wiping down the bathroom sink. You'll wake up feeling fresh rather than annoyed by the clutter!

18. Take a bath

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Baths for some reason have been labeled as girly. Well, we'll take it! Women who take a good bath with essential oils will likely sleep better! Studies show that the cooling process that happens after a bath actually helps you sleep better. When you are a warm bath, it reduces inflammation and can actually burn as many calories as a 30 minute walk!

19. Do a face mask

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While we're in this mode of self-care, most women do face masks as part of their nightly routine. These are great right when you get out of the shower, and you can try different ones based on your skin's needs. They're super relaxing, and it feels like you're really treating yourself!

20. Take your hair down and brush it

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It can be SO tempting to sleep with that messy bun. We've all been there. But did you know that it's better for your hair to sleep with it down? If you sleep with it up, it's easy for the elastic band or clip to damage your hair. So before you head off to bed, take your hair down and brush it! If you want to take it to the next level, buy a satin pillowcase.

21. Whitening your teeth

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If you're a big coffee or wine drinker, then you probably have teeth whitening as part of your nightly routine. Whether it's Crest White Strips or the gel trays, it's great to add in to your down time in the evenings. You'll feel productive even while you're relaxing!

22. Dim the lights

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When it's getting near bedtime, your body naturally releases melatonin, which helps you fall asleep. However, if all the lights are on, it actually won't release properly! So when the clock hits 9pm, start dimming the lights in the room during your wind down time!

23. Eat a cute snack

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Pretty sure we're not alone in this, but virtually every woman on earth likes to have a little snack before bed. We're not talking about a full on burrito (but if that's you, then GO FOR IT!), but maybe a bite of ice cream or a little piece of fruit or some cottage cheese (social media's current obsession). You may not even be hungry, but there's just something soothing about having a little bite before bed. That said, you shouldn't go to bed with a full stomach.

24. Cut back on caffeine

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We know that second cup of coffee tastes so good. But skipping that lunchtime cup can help you sleep better. Studies show that caffeine after noon can make it more difficult to fall asleep. The same goes for nicotine in cigarettes. While the hit may feel good for your nerves, it can actually make your heart rate increase.

25. Wear socks to bed

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This is definitely a hot take, and I personally could never, but studies show that wearing socks to bed helps you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. It improves your blood flow while you're resting and helps regulate your body temperature! Would you wear socks to bed?

26. Sleep with a humidifier

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Every woman knows that if you want your skin to be at its best, a humidifier in your bedroom can work wonders. This is especially true if you live somewhere with a dry winter. The moisture will help improve your skin and can actually end up helping you sleep better!

27. Nighttime showers for the win!

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Showering at night is something every woman should do! It gives you more time to get ready in the morning, and it's kinda gross to sleep dirty in your sheets. Women have also reported that it's helped them have clearer skin, because you're washing off any residue or excess oils.

28. Set boundaries with your job

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It's so easy in this work-from-home culture where Slack is literally on our phones to feel like people should be able to access you whenever they want. But in reality, the onus is on us to make ourselves available at the appropriate time. As mentioned, if your work doesn't respect this, just put your phone on Do Not Disturb. But it's also on you to understand what's urgent and what's not before heading off to bed!

29. No more doom scrolling!

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We've talked about unplugging before bed and putting your phone on Do Not Disturb. It can be so fun to scroll social media before bed, but we strongly encourage putting a time limit to it. It's so easy - especially the later it gets - to go down a wild rabbit hole where you end up liking your ex's new girlfriend's picture from her Cabo vacation in 2013. Put the phone down!

30. Take time to unwind

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The bottom line is that our days are filled with emails, tasks, conversations and anxieties. So every woman should get into a routine that helps her unwind at the end of the day. Maybe it's reading or putting some CBD in your infuser, or drinking a nice cup of tea.

31. Things every woman does but probably won't admit... never, ever washing your bra

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Let's see how many of these you can relate to! We won't tell anyone, we promise. Whether this is something you do (or don't) do before bed, it totally counts. We do have some deep-seated knowledge that we are supposed to wash our bras at some point, especially after a particularly hot day, but how often do you actually wash your bra? Never? We feel you. There's always that one bra that fits better than any other, and the idea of putting it in the laundry basket and being without it even just for one day is too much to bear!

32. Squeezing every spot

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We just can't help it. And it's not even like we wash our hands first, which is gross, we know... it's just too hard to resist. We know it isn't going to help our hormonal spots or acne, but it's very difficult not to even accidentally touch your face and scratch against a spot or two! Half the time we might not even realize we're doing it, because it can be something you do when you're deep in thought or concentrating on something else. And once you start you just can't stop... doesn't matter if the spot is on your face or somewhere else on your body!

33. Having a plan of wedding dress/theme/flowers even though you don't have a partner

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So every single girl when they were younger had some idea of what they wanted their wedding dress to look like, just because we were so influenced by Disney princesses and the idea of one day having our big day. Now as adults, even the women who don't have a partner or don't even want to get married still find joy in making Pinterest boards of their favorite wedding dress designs and imagine themselves wearing them! As well as what flowers would look best with that dress design, of course... oh, and the bridesmaid dresses... oh, and the table settings...

34. You're supposed to wash your makeup brushes WHEN?

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It's something we use day in and day out but it's something we so easily take for granted - those little makeup brushes working their hardest to have your face looking perfect, but we so easily forget to give them a relaxing bath! Swishing your brush under the tap for a second totally doesn't count as 'washing your makeup brushes', either. You should aim to wash all your makeup brushes at least once a week if you wear makeup every day, but it all depends on when they're looking a bit beat up and in need of a good clean... of course, you might be guaranteeing more spots to pick otherwise!

35. Using spit to rectify your makeup

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We see the professionals using Q-Tips to rectify any makeup mistakes, especially when it comes to that perfectly winged eyeliner, but who has time to constantly do that? You might not even have one on you, it's not like we all carry round a huge pack of Q-Tips no matter where we go. So what's the on-the-go solution? That also doesn't cost a single penny in beauty care products? Our own spit and our own finger, of course! It works in a pinch to fix that smudge at the corner of your eye, or the mascara marks that have made their way down!

36. Never cleaning your hairbrush

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We all know how important it is to clean our makeup and beauty brushes - even though we ignore that fact and don't wash them - but if that's the case for those brushes, think how our hairbrush feels! It's a brush you definitely never, ever think of washing - or even pulling the hair out of, until it gets a little too full to handle. Think of all that dry skin, oil and hair you're pulling from your scalp every time you brush... and it's just sat there on the brush. It's just so easy to grab your hairbrush and throw it back down without a proper cleaning routine, though!

37. And while we're at it - leaving your hair stuck to the shower wall

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We get it - having long hair, or any kind of hair, as a woman is hard work, and we're not just talking about the actual washing, caring and styling of it. Having hair that comes out EVERYWHERE is such a pain, no matter what you do. It's in your bed, on your pillows, in the car, in that thing you definitely wanted to eat before now, and - of course - stuck to the shower wall after a thorough washing! The issue isn't so much that it gets stuck there - it's not our fault, after all - but it's more about the fact that we just, you know... leave it there.

38. Taking a subtle sniff of your armpit

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Hey, everybody sweats, and everybody gets pit stains. The key to being a woman is to do that famous secret, maybe-not-so-secret pit smell check when you don't think anyone else is looking. Usually the trigger for this is if you suddenly pick up on the smell of BO, especially in a contained space, and you're suddenly paranoid about whether it's you, the other woman over there, or - the more obvious choice - the guy who's just been to the gym. Either way, you just have to know for definite whether it's you causing a pong!

39. Eating food from your cleavage

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It's not like we want to drop food or crumbs down our top, but it happens, and it comes part and parcel of having boobs that the food is bound to end up there. Whether you have a bra on or not (that you probably haven't washed), it's always guaranteed you're going to eat whatever drops down there, because why waste a good source of food? It's your body so you know your own limits! As long as you do it straight away, mind... your cleavage isn't a food pantry for later! But we're not judging if that's what you use it for... we get it.

40. Plucking random hairs

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It doesn't matter if it's that stubborn chin hair that always seems to grow back, or that one ingrown hair on the stomach, we just have to get those tweezers, and we just have to pluck the moment we see it. It's not so much about just not wanting a hair to be seen there, it's also about the whole ritual we go through of finding the hair, being annoyed by the hair, constantly touching the hair, trying to pull it out between our fingers before finally giving up and going to grab the tweezers! And it's always in a place you least expect it to be.

41. Only shaving certain parts of your legs

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You deserve brownie points for trying to shave your legs at all, so we're never judging about doing even a small part of that arduous task! Where you shave all depends on what you're choosing to wear, but we definitely know the feeling of 'I'm wearing short pants so I'm only going to shave my ankles'. And then you have to spend the day making sure the hem of your trousers don't hitch up too far when you sit down so that nobody will see the jungle of hair that's only millimetres above the exposed skin! Oh if they only knew...

42. Finally seeing your true self in the hairdresser's mirror (and it's not good)

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We look in the mirror every single day when we're getting ready, so why is staring at ourselves in the hairdresser's mirror such an awful, out of body experience? It's definitely one of those 'god is that what I look like' moments where the whole universe collapses in on itself. Maybe it's because you're usually watching yourself answer the stylists questions, too, so you not only have to face up to your own, well... face, but you have to watch yourself awkwardly explaining what you want and pretending to smile, too!

43. Finding your stairs at home more challenging than you should

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We walk around happily in our day to day routines, even hit the gym, thinking we're in shape, we're doing our best health wise, and we're feeling good. Then that simple set of stairs when you need something from the other room suddenly makes your whole fitness world come crashing down. WHY are we so out of breath? How did that even happen? We suddenly can't catch our breath, have a stitch and are questioning everything we thought was true about ourselves. Of course, if you haven't been doing incline work at the gym, that's definitely now on the to-do list...

44. Sniffing your clothes to see if you can get away with wearing again

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It's really annoying when you have that one favorite top and that pair of trousers that looks the best around your waist, only to realize you have to do the unthinkable: wash them! What are you supposed to wear while they're in the laundry bag? While they're in the machine? While you - worse - have to wait the long wait for them to dry? The only solution is to give them the quick sniff test to see if you can get away with wearing them just one more time for work, or for social... or maybe two more times... okay, maybe three. Just don't wash them, ever.

45. Eating in bed

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Because life is hard. Sometimes you just need to stay in bed, but you also need to eat - so there's only one logical solution, and it of course results in crumbs and you feeling completely ashamed of yourself after the fact. If you work from home, this can be even worse to try and resist because it just makes complete sense to set up a whole snack kitchen as well as a full workstation right there on your mattress. Killing three birds with one stone, ready to take a nap when work gets a little too much.. or you have a sugar crash from all the snacks.

46. Thinking body spray is a good substitute for actually washing

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Body sprays, mists and perfumes are great to wear - there's nothing like smelling and feeling fresh, after all! The only trouble is that last part: feeling fresh. Using body mist or perfume doesn't always go hand in hand with having a great personal hygiene routine, now, does it? In fact, how many times have you considered spraying an entire bottle of mist or perfume over you as a substitute for having a shower that morning, and thinking that's okay? It's great in a pinch if you get up late, but you probably shouldn't make a habit out of it...

47. Having one day where you don't take your makeup off

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Or brush your teeth. We all have those days, don't we? We've been SO good for 6 days out of 7 with taking all our makeup off, cleansing our skin, moisturising and then brushing and flossing. And then there's just that one day at the end of a busy week where you think 'one day won't matter' and you've earned a free pass because of how hard you've been working with skincare up to this point. So you go to bed with a full face of makeup and no attempt to brush your teeth and wake up with foundation on your pillow, furry teeth and many, many regrets.

48. Filling your camera roll with selfies

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'This is what I look like with no makeup on', 'this is what I look like with no makeup from the side', 'this is what I look like with makeup on looking down' and so on and so on until your phone has to tell you that your storage is full and you got some issues. You then spend hours going through every single selfie and scrutinising it until you're left with one, perfect one - or so you thought, until you look too hard at that one too and now you're deleting the only one you still have, and you're left with nothing! Just an average weekday night, really.

49. Screenshotting EVERYTHING

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It doesn't matter what it is - screenshot, or it didn't happen. The worst short-term memory in the world? Screenshot. Get distracted far too easily? Screenshot. You probably even have a photo album on your phone called 'Things I'd probably forget otherwise' that's just filled with a ton of screenshots of various messages, emails, photos or passwords. The worst part is you look back on the screenshot and all you can think is, 'Why the heck did I screenshot THAT?'. Then you just have to delete it because it makes no sense.

50. Having a full pre-sleep daydream mapped out

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We all do this, don't we? You can't deny it. You have to have a full plotline and characters fully prepared in your head, ready for bed, to send you off to sleep. But then you don't end up sleeping at all, because you're more concerned with starting the whole scene in your head again and making sure the characters say something different this time. Or you have that really annoying moment when you actually DO fall asleep and wake up feeling distinctly annoyed because you fell asleep right at the moment it was just getting good!