Wedding Jitters: Sleepless Night Before The Big Day

It is normal for brides and grooms to experience pre-wedding jitters that affect their sleep. The excitement and anxiety of the big day can keep you up at night. This is so common that it has given rise to the tradition of the couple spending the night before the wedding apart, each with their bridal party or family. However, this tradition is not always followed, and many couples choose to spend the night together, finding comfort and calm in each other's presence.

Create a relaxing environment

Creating a relaxing environment is essential for a good night's sleep, especially when you're anxious about the big day ahead. Here are some tips to help you create a soothing space to rest and recharge:

Lighting

The right lighting is crucial for signalling to your brain that it's time to wind down and rest. Aim for soft, warm lighting instead of bright, harsh lights. Dimmer switches can be useful for adjusting the brightness of overhead lights. Alternatively, use bedside lamps with low-wattage bulbs or amber-coloured bulbs that emit a warm, gentle glow.

Blackout curtains or shades are also a worthwhile investment. They can block out external light from streetlamps or the moon, ensuring your room stays dark and restful.

Sound

Noise can be a significant distraction when you're trying to fall asleep. If you're bothered by external noise, such as traffic or a snoring partner, consider using earplugs or a white noise machine to create a more peaceful soundscape. Sleep headphones are another option, allowing you to listen to soothing sounds or white noise while blocking out external distractions.

Scents

Aromatherapy can be a powerful tool for relaxation. Calming scents like lavender and eucalyptus have been used for centuries to promote relaxation and ease anxiety. Essential oils can be diffused using a diffuser or vaporizer, or you can opt for pillow sprays with soothing fragrances.

Temperature

A cool bedroom can enhance the quality of your sleep. Most sleep experts recommend a temperature range of 60 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 to 22.0 degrees Celsius) for optimal comfort. If you don't have a thermostat, a fan or open window can help cool the room.

Declutter

A cluttered room can lead to a cluttered mind, making it difficult to relax. Remove work documents, busy artwork, or any reminders of tasks and responsibilities that might trigger anxiety or stress. Keep your space tidy, with minimal décor, to create a sense of calm.

Bedding

Invest in comfortable bedding that invites rest. Soft, fluffy pillows and luxurious sheets can make a world of difference in the quality of your sleep. It's also essential to maintain spinal alignment while sleeping, so ensure your pillow suits your sleeping position. For example, side sleepers often prefer thicker pillows, while stomach sleepers tend to opt for thinner ones.

Symmetry

The positioning of your furniture can impact the functionality and symmetry of your bedroom. For optimal balance, place your bed against the middle of a wall, as far away from the door as possible, with room on both sides. When lying in bed, your feet should be closest to the entrance, and it's best to avoid having your head directly under the window.

Wind-Down Routine

Establishing a calming wind-down routine can signal to your body that it's time to relax and prepare for sleep. This could include activities such as reading a book, sipping herbal tea, or practising gentle relaxation exercises. Reducing screen time before bed can also help, as the blue light from electronic devices can disrupt your sleep hormones and make it harder to fall asleep.

By incorporating these tips into your pre-wedding evening, you'll create a soothing environment that will help you rest and recharge for the big day ahead.

Swap screen time for a book

It is completely normal to struggle with sleep the night before your wedding. The excitement and anxiety of the big day can keep you up for hours. One of the best ways to get a good night's sleep is to swap screen time for a book.

Endlessly scrolling on social media can confuse your body's circadian rhythm by making it think it's daytime, keeping you awake. The blue light found in tablets and phones signals daytime to our brains. By disengaging from social media, emails, and text messages, you can calm your mind and avoid thoughts that may trigger anxious wakefulness.

Swapping screen time for a book can help ease your mind and distract you from any wedding-related stress. Reading engages your imagination and allows you to disconnect from your surroundings, transporting you into another world. The act of reading can be therapeutic and help you enter a peaceful state of mind.

To make the most of this tip, create a cosy corner with a soft blanket and a captivating book. You can also try audiobooks, which allow you to multitask while engaging in other activities.

Remember, getting a good night's sleep before your wedding is important, and swapping screen time for a book can be a relaxing and enjoyable way to calm your mind and body.

Try breathwork or meditation

It's completely normal to struggle with sleep the night before your wedding. Breathwork and meditation are tried-and-true methods for calming the mind and soothing the body. They help you tap into a state of relaxation that can sometimes feel elusive the night before your wedding.

Breathwork

Breathwork is a powerful tool to help you quiet racing thoughts and release any stress, anxiety, or excitement that's keeping you up at night. Here are some breathing exercises you can try:

• 4-7-8 breathing: Also known as "relaxing breath," this technique uses a long, controlled exhale to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, signal your brain to relax, decrease heart rate and blood pressure, and increase sleep-promoting melatonin. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale slowly for 8 seconds.
• Diaphragmatic breathing: Lie on your back, place one hand on your chest, and the other on your belly. Inhale slowly and deeply into your abdomen, feeling your lower hand rise as your diaphragm expands. Exhale and feel your diaphragm lower, keeping your chest still. Repeat for 2-5 minutes.
• Alternate nostril breathing: This yogic breathing technique involves breathing through one nostril at a time. Close one nostril with your thumb, inhale through the open nostril, then close it and exhale through the other nostril.
• Progressive muscle relaxation: This technique combines breathwork with muscle tensing and relaxing. Start by inhaling and tensing a muscle group (e.g., feet, calves, thighs) for 5 seconds, then exhale and completely relax for 30 seconds. Continue through your whole body.

Meditation

Meditation is a specific, guided experience that offers a natural sleep aid. It helps you to let go of the day's thoughts and events, allowing your mind to rest while your body follows. Here are some tips for meditation:

• Lie flat on your back, take a few deep breaths, and close your eyes, allowing your body to begin powering down.
• Follow a guided meditation or practice unguided meditation at your own pace.
• Guided sleep meditations often include breathing exercises, mindful body scanning, visualization, gratitude meditation, and counting exercises.
• During the day, try a meditation course designed to change your relationship with sleep and create an environment conducive to a good night's rest.
• Incorporate meditation into your bedtime routine, and practice it consistently to improve your sleep quality over time.

Remember, it's not just about the techniques but also about creating a relaxing atmosphere and a soothing sleep environment to signal to your body and mind that it's time to wind down.

Listen to a podcast

It's completely normal to struggle with sleep the night before your wedding. If you're feeling restless, listening to a sleep podcast could be a great way to relax and unwind. Here are some popular sleep podcasts that can help you calm your mind and drift off into a peaceful slumber:

Sleep With Me

Hosted by Drew Ackerman, this podcast features imaginative yet calming bedtime stories that are designed to help you fall asleep. Ackerman combines the pain of insomnia with the relief of laughing to create unique and whimsical stories. His soothing voice and offbeat storytelling style will transport you to sleep.

Nothing Much Happens

This podcast is perfect if you're kept awake by anxious thoughts or restlessness. Hosted by yoga and meditation teacher Kathryn Nicolai, each episode features gentle and unexciting bedtime stories where not much happens. The simple and plotless stories will help quiet your mind and prepare you for a tranquil night's sleep.

Get Sleepy

Get Sleepy is a podcast designed to help you fall asleep with relaxing sleep meditations and soothing stories. Hosted by Tom Jones, each episode begins with a sleep meditation sequence, followed by a gentle story. With a background in music and audio, Jones uses his soothing British accent to guide you into a peaceful slumber.

Slow Radio

If you're looking for something without narration, Slow Radio might be the perfect choice. This podcast features a wide range of lo-fi sounds, from nature sounds to city soundscapes. The calming and immersive audio experiences will help you relax and drift off to sleep.

Sleep Whispers

Hosted by Dr. Craig Harris Richard, Sleep Whispers offers a unique combination of bedtime stories, trivia, fun facts, and Wikipedia articles, all narrated in a soothing whisper. With over 400 episodes, you're sure to find something to help you unwind and fall asleep.

Sleepy

Take a break from the wedding stress and dive into classic literature with the Sleepy podcast. This podcast features narrated works from the world's most beloved authors. The soothing voices and immersive storytelling will transport you to far-off worlds, letting your mind wander as you drift off into a blissful sleep.

Consider aromatherapy

It's completely normal to struggle with sleep the night before your wedding. Aromatherapy can be a great way to alleviate stress and anxiety, two common culprits that might be keeping you awake. Here are some ways to incorporate aromatherapy into your bedtime routine:

Use an essential oil diffuser

An essential oil diffuser is ideal for helping you sleep as it creates mist continually throughout the night. There are different types of diffusers, such as ultrasonic, passive, heat, evaporative, and nebulizer, which use different methods of releasing fragrance into the air. Choose one that suits your preference for scent strength and ease of cleaning.

Topical application

Massaging a sleep-boosting essential oil onto your forehead, wrists, and neck allows you to benefit from both inhalation and full muscle relaxation. Make sure to dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil, such as olive or coconut oil, to prevent skin irritation and allergic reactions.

Facial steaming and compresses

Facial steaming for 15 to 20 minutes before bed can help relax your mind and body. Add one to three drops of essential oil to a large pot of warm water, lean over the pot with a towel covering your head, and inhale the steam. Alternatively, you can make a hot towel compress with the water and wrap it around a sore area to encourage muscle relaxation.

Aromatic bath

Taking a bath infused with essential oils one to two hours before bedtime is another way to relax your body and mind. Add a few drops of a soothing essential oil like lavender to your bathwater and enjoy the heated water to promote better sleep.

Essential oil-infused products

If you're not a fan of mist and humidity, there are plenty of products infused with calming essential oils, such as memory foam pillows in lavender and chamomile scents.

When choosing essential oils for sleep, opt for scents like lavender, eucalyptus, chamomile, and jasmine, which have been used for centuries for their relaxing properties. These scents stimulate your brain's relaxation response and can help calm racing thoughts.

Frequently asked questions