To ask what excites you about going to bed?

[Nancylancy]

I'm an extremely tired mum of 2 and I must hate going to bed as I'm always up late! I'm sabotaging my mornings and it needs to stop, so I want to replace Netflix and doom scrolling with something equally as enticing and enjoyable that I can do, but to help wind me down before bed - ideally in bed or in the bedroom to encourage me to go to sleep earlier.

Wise mumsnetters please help me!
What is your very enjoyable bedtime routine?
Do you do any wind down activities you love?

And also... What is a great bedtime purchase?
I'm thinking along the lines of:
-Fancy aromatherapy stuff
-A cool bedtime app (not meditation or "calm") that isn't so addictive I can't turn it off
-Mood lighting
-Low effort hobbies (I do like crosswords and codewords etc)
-Any tech I can get excited about like some kind of smart thing that tells me my bedtime routine or something?
-podcast or audiobook recommendations
-Sleep headband / headphones recommendations

I don't read books (I have loads of half-started attempts, I'm an audiobook convert now) and I just can't get on board with mindfulness type stuff - my attention span is way too short and I get bored and fidgety!
I enjoy crochet, colouring and crafts, but often it's just too much effort for the evenings.

I know, I'm so easy to please 😂
Posted here for traffic, it's not really an AIBU but clearly it's urgent because it's nearly midnight and I am reliant upon the wonderful Mumsnet to tell me how to settle down now 😂

Gorgeous sheets and bedding and pyjamas

Just buy a silk pillowcase and you’re sorted.

Nothing excites me about going to bed. That's why it's so relaxing. Excitement is the exact opposite of what I want/need.

What makes me feel comfortable is fluffy bed clothes, clean pyjamas and a calm atmosphere.

Sex. It excites me but unfortunately doesn't make me sleepy, I'm definitely not a post sex cuddle fan.

Listening to an interesting youtube video in my earphones until I’m sleepy. Then having dreams!

I love going to bed. Fresh clean sheets are always inviting. Then I have a plush pillow and duvet cover that’s really like being enveloped by a cloud. I do read - tonight it’s raining and I’m looking forward to snuggling in and reading my book. I’m a widow so I’m used to having the whole bed to myself (my canine bedfellow passed away recently).
But I remember those days of toddlers and having to get up sooo early. Perhaps learn some self relaxing exercises to get you to sleep.

You don’t need to buy all that stuff just let your head sink into the pillow and hug it!!!

I saw a short video by Prof Hannah Fry saying that you can immediately relax yourself by stroking any part of your body at the speed of 3cm per second. I do my nose (!). It’s the speed mothers calm their babies or small children stroke their comfort blankets.
Off to do that now…

My furry hot water bottle.

Clean sheets are the main reason I can go to sleep with a comfortable topper and decent pillow plus JRT to keep me warm .1

My hack is a couple of hours into the evening, pull back the bed cover by a quarter and put on a side lamp in the bedroom.

Makes it feel soo inviting for later.

I take a Benadryl and watch ASMR videos on YouTube

As somebody else has said, nothing. I go up to bed, get in the bed, and go to sleep.

The closest I get to excitement is when I have remembered to turn the electric blanket on before I go up and get I get into a lovely warm bed. Like getting into a hot bath,

I sleep alone it is fab i love going to bed , i put on a podcast set it to finish switch off the light. I usually fall asleep before it finishes.

My bedroom is uncluttered and has calm colours.
I make my bed every morning so it's nice to come back to.
I don't have screens in my bedroom. Phone gets charged elsewhere.
A warm shower and clean sheets.
I read in bed.
My bedroom is restful - it's just for sleeping and reading. Bliss.

Japanese style hot hot bath where it's like an endurance event just being in it. Then a quick icy cold rinse with the shower head and immediately to bed. Bliss!

I love my bed, its taken time to get it just right with new feather duvets (4.5 tog and a 9 tog) that can be clipped together depending on the season. Got it from Dusk, love it. We stayed in the Four Seasons in Vegas last year the bedding/bed was amazing and I priced it while I stayed there, eyewatering. The dusk option was way more reasonable 😂 Feather pillows, one medium and one firm, so comfy.

I don't make my bed in the morning. Instead I leave it open all day, everything is pulled back into shape, shaken, pulled neatly.

Windows are opened for at least an hour. Houses need to breathe.

Bedding is washed weekly (more in the summer) on wash day my duvet is aired by putting it over the door by my opened window. On a nice day I put it on my washing line for a good blow. My bedding is always ironed and 100% cotton.

Despite having a big duvet I also have a thin bedspread to pull on top of the duvet. I like the extra weight on me.

Sometimes I read but mostly my head hits the pillow and I'm outers 😂

Ahh the old tug of war between decent sleep and feeling like you have enough evening alone time. I felt that mostly when I was at my most tired and could have done with more sleep ironically, with small kids. My motivation is seeing what a huge difference even one good nights sleep does to my energy, mood, skin, eyes etc. Regular good sleep has transformed my appearance. I just make my bed as comfy as possible, earplugs, total darkness, my bedroom is a relaxing cave.

I do not take my phone to the bedroom (as otherwise I will doomscroll) and as there is nothing else to do I read. I didn’t used to be able to read but without my phone there it’s much easier!

Also a nice cup of tea (herbal sleep teas are great) Clean bedding and nice pyjamas.

The Pokemon Sleep app might be worth using if you like games at all.

You put your phone next to you while you sleep and it tracks when you fall asleep/wake up and how long you sleep. You get rewards in the game based off your sleep scores.

My bed is a nest, I don’t think of anything around it, zero tech in bedroom.
I also look forward to my before sleep cuddle with DH.

This is going to sound mean but the best part about going to bed is that there’s no kids there. We co slept with DD1 and never again. Now whenever I get into a bed without a child in it I’m happy.

I put my phone on red light mode at 8, no screens at all after 10. I don’t eat anything 4 hours before bed. I have a sleepy tea or sometimes have some milk with sleepy time honey in it if I’m feeling wild. These are kind of boring and not really luxurious but they work for me. I am a cuddly sleeper so if DH is away I have one of those long hot water bottles that I wrap up in a blanket and cuddle (absolute sap behaviour I know).

I look forward to going to bed, because I have an absolutely gorgeous sherpa blanket that is so cosy and warm - fuzzy socks also help as I always find if my feet are warm, I sleep really well

I love reading, I only read a chapter or 2, but it sends me right off

You could also try a mug of hot chocolate, and maybe some "sleep sounds", like a thunder storm, or "brown" noise (Alexa is good as you can set her going and she can auto turn off after an hour or so)

I have a Gromit warmie which my teenage DC mercilessly mock but I fucking love Gromit and love cuddling something warm in winter. I also enjoy reading so will always do that for 20 mins or so before I switch the lights out. I don’t use overhead lights at all if I can avoid it, always have lamps on and candles lit downstairs in the evening. I use a nice lavender pillow spray and have a Pukka night time tea before bed too.

I love bedtime!

I always have really vivid, and usually quite entertaining dreams, so I enjoy it! Last night I had a dream about being on holiday with a friend, and watching GIANT llama-like creatures, with long wobbly necks, running around.

I've had the same bedtime routine for years, and it works for me.
Teeth and final wee.
My nightly eyedrops and an acid reflux tablet.
Lipbalm and eyemask on.
Classic FM on the radio.
Read a few pages on my Kindle.
Find a boring documentary on YouTube (usually something historical), and fall asleep half-listening to that.

I'm usually asleep within 5-10 minutes.