Mindful Life Changes: Weekly Affirmations For Midlife

48. Creating a Peaceful Night Routine + Relaxing Body Scan For Sleep

• Valerie Mekki • Episode 48

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The way we wind down at night can have a profound impact on our sleep quality, mood, and readiness for the next day. It’s not just about going to bed; it’s about transitioning to rest in a way that nurtures our body and mind. In this enlightening episode of the Mindful Life Changes Podcast, host Valerie Mekki introduces the transformative R.E.M method—a nightly routine designed to ensure a peaceful and restorative sleep.


R.E.M stands not only for the crucial sleep phase known as Rapid Eye Movement but also for an easy-to-remember guide to crafting your night routine: Room, Electronics, Mindfulness. Valerie will walk you through the steps to optimize your sleeping environment (Room), manage your exposure to electronics (Electronics), and engage in mindfulness practices (Mindfulness), such as a soothing body scan meditation to relax your body and ease your mind into a restful state.


Transforming your night with the R.E.M method sets the stage for a successful morning. By creating conditions conducive to deep, restful sleep, you wake up more energized, focused, and ready to embrace the day with a lighter mood and a clear mind. So, if you're looking to change the narrative of your nights from restless to restful, join Valerie as she explores how the R.E.M method and a calming body scan can redefine the end of your day, setting a peaceful tone for the night and a vibrant start for tomorrow.


Formerly known as the "Mindful Career Change Podcast," I decided to broaden our conversation to cover all life transitions, not just our careers.

Follow the show @mindfullifechanges and DM a question or comment about the life transitions you're going through too. I might answer your question in one of the episodes to help you and other midlifers navigate this everchanging and beautiful season of life.

OR

Connect with me on LinkedIn @valeriemekki

Speaker 1:

In our last episode, we explored the importance of crafting a morning routine for a more energized and focused day To ensure your day starts off right. The preparation actually begins the night before. A restful night's sleep can guarantee you a day filled with energy, a lighter mood and clarity, enabling you to concentrate on what matters the most. In today's episode, we'll delve into the steps and actions that can help relax the body and mind, paving the way for a peaceful night's sleep and, ultimately, a productive and fulfilling day ahead. Hello and welcome to the Mindful Life Changes podcast, where we dive deep into the challenges and transformations shaping our lives, from shifts in our roles at home and work to the transitions we navigate physically and mentally as we gracefully age.

Speaker 1:

I'm your host, valerie Mechie, a career change guide and mindfulness enthusiast. In today's episode, it's all about sleep. When was the last time you had a good night's sleep? Or what if I asked you to rate your sleep hygiene? Sleep hygiene refers to the habits and environment conducive to sleeping well. Personally, I'd rate myself as an okay grade, but I also know that there is much room for improvement, especially when it comes to consistency. That's why I've crafted an easy-to-remember guide named REM. This acronym serves two meanings. It's mostly known as the crucial sleep phase, known as the rapid eye movement, which is characterized by vivid dreaming and when your body and mind are deeply engaged in sleep. However, rem also stands for my sleep prep routine, if you will, which stands for room electronics and mindfulness.

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A handy checklist designed to help prepare your body and mind for a deep sleep and the REM stage. Let's go over each letter for this acronym. Let's go over each letter of REM. R is for room.

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The environment of your bedroom plays a critical role in determining the quality of your sleep. It's essential to ensure your room is cool, dark and quiet. The National Sleep Foundation suggests that the ideal temperature for sleep is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooler temperatures help facilitate the drop of the core body temperature that is necessary for sleep. Blasting the AC or keeping a window open at night may not work for you, so you may want to consider a white noise machine that doubles as a fan to both drown out the background noise and maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the night. You might also think about investing in blackout curtains to completely darken the room and maybe cooling bed linens to further encourage lower body temperature. The ultimate goal here is to transform your bedroom into a sanctuary specifically designed for restful sleep.

Speaker 1:

E is for electronics. This means silencing them or turning them off completely. In our digital age, taking the step is crucial, especially with our phones, which are often the biggest disruptors of our sleep. The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with our body's natural sleep-wake cycle. So, as part of your nightly routine, I encourage you to turn off your notifications on your phone or, better yet, use an app that blocks social media usage at night. The fewer distractions during your nightly routine, the better chances you have entering a more calm state of mind. Before going to bed, allow yourself at least one hour before bed without screens, giving your mind time to unwind and prepare for sleep. Consider journaling or reading as a screen-free alternative to help you relax.

Speaker 1:

M is for mindfulness. A relaxing body scan or meditation can be the perfect way to prime your mind and body for sleep. A body scan is a mindfulness exercise where you lay down or sit still and gently bring awareness to each part of your body, releasing any tension as you go. This practice not only calms the mind but also deeply relaxes the body, setting the stage for a restful night ahead. So there you have it an easy to remember and incredibly useful checklist to prepare you for a good night's sleep. Now there's one more critical step in practicing your nighttime routine, which is setting a start time. Whether it's 9 pm, 9.25, or 10.08 pm, assigning your REM time will be critical to ensure you allocate enough time to go down the list, checking your room, turning off your electronics and engaging in mindfulness exercises like a body scan. So, with that in mind, let's embrace this present moment with a relaxing body scan, meditation to prime your body for sleep. You may lie down or sit cross-legged on a cushion. Consider turning off the lights or lighting a candle to create a soothing ambience as we ease your body into rest. As we ease your body into rest, when you're ready, gently close your eyes or, if it feels more comfortable, softly lower your gaze. Take a deep, cleansing breath in and out, releasing any energy that doesn't serve you in your mind and body. Take one more cleansing breath in and out.

Speaker 1:

I like to imagine a body scan, as if it's a soft ray of light that is scanning the body. We'll begin with your toes, releasing any tension with a gentle wiggle, slowly bringing awareness to your feet and the ability to move and walk. Now let's acknowledge your ankles and now your calves. Bring awareness to your knees, releasing any sensations or tension in this area. We're moving up the leg, bringing awareness to your thighs, acknowledging the inner and outer parts of the slag muscle. Take a cleansing breath in and out, letting go of any tension from today. Now let's bring attention to your hips, making sure they are completely relaxed, letting go of any tension or sensations. Now, slowly imagine you're scanning upward towards your arms, slowly bringing awareness to your hands. Relax your fingers, gently, wiggle them, relax your wrists. Now we are going to have the body scan slowly go up the arms, taking cleansing breath in and out.

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If your mind has wandered off, no worries. Bring your attention back to your body scan as we acknowledge your midsection, slowly scanning your shoulder blades. Let go of any tension around this area. Imagine the body scan gently scanning around your shoulders. Take a cleansing breath in and out, releasing any heavy energy around this area. If you feel any tension or a sensation around your shoulders, you can acknowledge it, but let it quickly disappear. Now slowly bring awareness to your neck as you scan the back of your head. Now soften the jawline, release any tension in this part and imagine the skin slowly moving up towards your cheeks, around the temples of your head, and allow the skin to move forward to the front of your forehead. Take a cleansing breath in and out. Now imagine a body scan slowly circling around your forehead to the back of your head as it travels to the top of your head. Visualize warm energy, soft rays beaming from the top of your head like a beautiful crown, and now it's slowly dimming like a fainting star in the sky, ready to welcome the night sky. This concludes your night body scan meditation. You can keep your eyes closed or you can slowly open them If it feels comfortable to you, place your hand over your heart to help seal in this meditation of self-love and care.

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If you want to continue your sleep journey with another mindfulness practice, I encourage you to listen to a calming affirmation. Next, consider listening to episode number six. When I focus my energy and my potential, it will expand and grow. An affirmation to help prepare you for the following day or episode 33. I visualize my success and feel its reality taking shape. An affirmation designed for visualization to help you see and believe your future goals are within reach.

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I'll add the link of these episodes in the show notes. Please make sure to subscribe and bookmark this episode so you'll have it handy whenever you need a quick guide of this night routine and body scan. If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a family member or a friend who may need a nightly routine to help them, prepare for a good night's sleep, or show your appreciation by giving us a rating of this podcast wherever you're listening. Your support will help others discover this podcast so it can grow and blossom. Thank you for sharing this time and space with me. Every moment you dedicate to being mindful is a step towards a more fulfilled and vibrant life. Keep embracing your midlife journey with an open heart and remember you're not alone in this. I look forward to our next mindful gathering. I'll talk to you soon.