Cassie DeNisco

That Girl Night Routine!

March 7, 2022

If you know me, you know I am passionate about good sleep and unwinding at night. I’ve even written posts about it like this one for tips for better sleep! I wanted to share my version of the that girl night routine because I think this concept is really interesting.

This trend has a negative connotation because people feel like they need to act or do things a certain way. I think it’s really just bettering yourself and making sure you are the best version of you. The that girl night routine vibe is just helpful to inspire you to want to take better care of your mental and physical health.

With that being said, here are 5 things to do before bed for better sleep!

Lighting Matters

This is my top tip that I always suggest. Turn off or dim your lights a few hours before you plan to go to bed. As soon as I get home from work I like to start to turn off lights after I use them so that my brain starts to process that the darkness means sleep.

I feel like too bright of lights will keep your body awake. It helps to get you in the mood to lay down when the lights are dim and cozy anyway. This will help making falling asleep easier.

No Phone

This one was seriously a tough one to get used to. It seriously has made such a difference though. I use the sleep feature on my iPhone and actually have it set to go on for 8pm. Essentially this turns on do not disturb so you’re not seeing any notifications.

When the light on your phone keeps popping up from notifications your more tempted to check it. I like to just put my phone on charge and maybe turn on a show or my next step to help me unwind.

Reading Helps

If you are someone that likes reading, try it right before bed. Unless I’m reading a really high action thriller, my eyes almost always get heavy after reading for like 30-45 minutes. Most nights I turn to reading instead of a show in order to reduce that light and screen time.

I try to just make sure that whatever I read isn’t going to be too exciting or interesting so that it doesn’t have the opposite affect on me. I’m currently sharing one book a month for my book club so be sure to check out the posts here!

Essential Oils

Essential oils are my very final step. I love falling asleep to the smell of lavender and I almost feel like I have conditioned myself to fall asleep as soon as I smell it. Sometimes I’ll even put a drop in my humidifier so that the entire room smells good.

Essential oils are really underrated and I think more people would like them if they gave them a try. I even have body wash and bath soaps that have the essentials oils infused in them so if I shower at night, I’m setting myself up for success.

Don’t Stress

One thing I hear all the time when I hear people talk about sleep is how they get stressed about it. You have to go in with an open mind and not worry if it takes a bit to fall asleep. There’s no worse feeling then watching the clock tick by because you’re stressed that you’re not asleep yet.

If you can’t sleep one night, that’s totally fine but get up and get water, or take a lap in your house. Don’t let yourself spiral into anxiety and stress which will only prevent you from sleeping.

Like I said, I am all about good sleep. I think quality sleep seriously sets you up for a great day and keeps you going. These things have seriously helped me to unwind and honestly get in the mood for sleep. I hope they help you too.

The that girl night routine is all about being your best you and honestly that’s why I love it so much. Night routine posts are always my favorite to write. Let me know if you liked this post and be sure to comment more posts you want to see from me!

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My Tips to Unwind Before Bed

January 6, 2021

There’s nothing I love more than getting into bed early and with a good book. It’s so therapeutic for me to snuggle up with a comfy blanket and seriously just helps set the mood to fall asleep. I know for many falling asleep isn’t easy, so I’ve put together my tips to unwind before bed!

1. Find a Good Book

Reading before bed is seriously so calming. There is no better feeling to me then a fuzzy through blanket and a good book. I do make sure though that I am ready something that won’t stress me out or scare me so that it is not going to keep me up. I love reading easy reads before bed not only as good stories but reading the words on paper is so relaxing.

2. Aromatherapy

Essential Oils are something that I actually just started using but can already see the benefits off. I love using a little lavender on wrists and inhaling deeply. The smell of it is so soothing and really helps me to relax. I also notice an immediate shift to sleepiness when I smell it and highly recommend trying it if you’re looking for something to help you calm down and get relaxed.

3. Lighting

Lighting is something I feel like we often don’t consider but is crucial to relaxing. I love turning off my overhead lights as I’m getting ready for bed and putting on my cozy twinkle lights. This seriously helps me set the mood and immediately switches my brain from night to day. I think dimming your lights is an absolute must when setting the scene to relax and unwind for bed.

4. All Natural Sleep Aids

I will admit, these Olly sleep gummies might be slightly addicting only because of how great they work. Often, I am up all night with anxiety or nerves but taking these pills helps me to relax and just let go. I do wake up groggy and know that it is proven that too much melatonin can mess with you. I make sure to not take these every night but do utilize them on the nights I really can’t get to sleep naturally.

5. Turn off the Screen

This might be one of my hardest tips but most effective. It is so hard to turn the screen off at night but so important. I like to put my phone on charge and then immediately open up my book so that I’m not tempted to scroll. The blue light from our devices can cause us to not sleep well and keep us up all night. Turning off the screen an hour before bed will help you relax and unwind in no time.

I hope these tips on how to unwind before bed help you in getting the best sleep ever. When you sleep well, you feel well which is just so important. Now more than ever, sleep is also helping us keep our immunity up with COVID too.

Let me know in the comments below your tips to unwind before bed!

Check out my last blog post here! And be sure to follow me on Instagram @cassiedenisco.

My Nightly Rituals for Better Sleep

June 19, 2019

After sharing my morning routine with everyone, so many people messaged me to share my night routine too! It varies depending on what time I finish teaching a dance class but for the most part everything else is the same. After such a long day, I look so forward to coming home and relaxing. Here is my night routine and rituals I can’t live without!

Regardless of whether I’m home for 5:45pm or 7pm, my first step is to always shower. I love a hot shower to help unwind and put my night in the right direction. Because I either meal prep in advance or just prepare everything before I go, dinner is always quick and almost ready for me after a shower.

After dinner, I like to make my Pukka Tea to detox after a long day. This tea is my favorite because it has ginger, lemon, and honey in it which will help with digestion. Caffeine free tea at night also has been proven to help you sleep better and just reset your body during the night.

Either while my tea is steeping or once I finish drinking it, I move on to my skincare routine. This will vary from night to night because sometimes I’ll use a face mask or sometimes I’ll actually just wash my face in the shower. What doesn’t change is my Clinque Toner and Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos serum. This combo leaves my skin looking great when I wake up.

After my skin care, I loveeee curling up in bed and watching a great TV show. Some of my favorites to watch right now are the Bachelorette on Mondays and Big Little Lies on Sundays. When I’m not watching those shows I am definitely watching either the Office or Gossip Girl.

Once I start myself getting tired, usually around 10pm because I’m a grandma, I’ll start reading whatever book I’m currently into. Right now I’m reading the first book int he Game of Thrones series and it is so great. I like to also put on my Sleep Cycle app to track my sleeping because I’ve found that using it helps me sleep so much better.

Getting into a routine is so hard but so worth it. Of course all of this looks so much different if it were a weekend or a special occasion but for the most part I stick to this format. I thrive on routines and find that it really helps me relax and get the best night’s sleep.