A little bit of time spent on a night before you go to bed can make the next morning so much easier – here are six quick and easy things to do before you go to bed which will make the next morning easier.
Do you know that it’s an actual scientific* fact that if you spend ten minutes before you go to be on a night getting ready for the next day then the following morning will be at least ten times easier?
(*OK, it may not be scientific but it really helps me and I just read a book about science** so humour me and we’ll call it a scientific fact)
(**OK, the book was less about science and more about a female scientist who was doing some research in an isolated area during a storm when a rather nice doctor turns up on her doorstep but there’s a bit of science in it so we’ll go with that)
Make sure your sink is shiny.
I always try to make sure all pots are washed and put away on a night before we go to bed because getting up on a morning to a sink full of pots is not the best way to start your day. I guarantee that you’ll be much happier if you come downstairs to a shiny clean sink in the morning. The best thing to use to get your sink shiny is a microfiber cloth which you can pick up easily in the pound shop, your local supermarket or even on Amazon for a few pounds.
Choose your clothes for the following day.
Make sure everything you want to wear is hanging on the door of your wardrobe (or anywhere else convenient) so they’re ready to just pop on.
Make sure the kids uniforms are laid out and their school bags are packed.
There’s nothing more likely to ruin the start of your day than having to be rushing the kids around trying to make sure they have everything they need. I make sure that they have everything (they do it themselves but I have to ‘encourage’ them).
Make the next days packed lunches.
If you take packed lunches to work (and you should if the other option is to buy dinner out) or the kids take them to school then you should prepare them the night before and pop them in the fridge so you just have to grab them in the morning. If you’re running late in the morning then it’s all too easy to just not bother making your own lunch and just deciding to buy it out instead whereas if it’s already made, there’s no temptation.
Drink a glass of water.
I don’t know if it’s a scientific fact or anything but I’ve been told that there are lots of benefits to drinking a glass of water before you go to bed so I always drink a pint or so before I go up to bed.
If you’re not a fan of water then make sure you’re choosy about what you do drink before bed – here’s some ideas for the best drinks before bedtime.
Clear your head.
If you find that you go to be and can’t switch off because you’re thinking about everything you need to do the next day then you might find it helpful to write a to-do list. I find that if I do that then I can relax easier and stop thinking about things although I don’t need to do this every night, only when I have lots to think about for the next day.
Do you do any of these things before you go to bed?
If you like to be organised then don’t miss these posts:
How just 15 minutes on a Sunday night can make your whole week much easier (with free printable)
Daily Plan of Action checklist (with free printable)
Everything you need to know about meal planning in one place.
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Pin Six things to do before you go to bed which will make the next morning easier for later:
very good and true
I agree totally, walking into a clean kitchen is such a nice feeling in the mornings. Not only is it a good sight but it also puts your mind at ease knowing you dont have to clean the kitchen when you get off work. Preparing my lunch and cloths definetly helps my mornings go smoother and saves tons of time. And drinking a glass of water is a super health perk that gives your organs a boost for the day. The only problem is getting my 5 year old daughter to get moving.
Yes agreed. All washing up done the night before and put away and a clean sink otherwise you feel pants in the morning if youre faced with it.
Over the last two years ive decluttered like mad. I dont drive so every now and again i pack my trolly up with stuff i dont need anymore and take it to the charity shops. Its made such a difference to my life as i now have very few ornaments and stuff to clean and dust setting me free. Also i now have a minimal wardrobe which means its easy to choose what to wear the next day and i have finally found a simple style that suits me and makes me take care of my clothes properly as i only have a few
I would add to this – set your coffee pot! Nothing is worse than stumbling into the kitchen still groggy and tired, and having to fight through the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. I have to be able to just turn on the machine since usually in the morning that's all I have the brain capacity for!
Great list…only instead of water I have a little fat free milk. It doesn't make me have to get up during the night. I don't need to make lunches, but I remember my mom making sandwiches the night before for the whole family. Sometimes just the fillings were made ahead.
You missed off hide the wine bottles, they will just upset the kids in the morning 😉
Thank you for sharing, i do the same thing. I use to put the lunch box in the dining table, the box complete with the cover, so i don't waste my time only to find them each other xixi
Some of these buts its always lovely to get up to a clean sink in the morning.
I try to do all of these things, but I mostly fail on the dishes. I should do them every night, but I do skip it. I don't leave the kitchen looking like a food bomb exploded, but I do leave dishes behind some nights. You are right! It feels great getting up to a clean sink. I guess I don't mind getting up to the dishes because it kind of helps me get the day going..
I enjoyed the blog post! Thanks for the awesome tips!
I like the suggestion to prepare everything you will need the next day in the evening. It is much easier and healthier to start the day without morning rush.
Great tips – I do most of them. Getting the kids to sort out their clothes for the next morning is a great one – they need a bit of reminding but they are happy to do it and it saves arguments in the morning! I like to drink a cup of camomile tea an hour or two before bed…lovely and calming and I think it's supposed to help you sleep better. My OH also gets all the breakfast things out on the table, which speeds things up in the morning and I always make sure the kids bags are packed and ready, with all the appropriate notes and reading books filled in, with water bottles on the side waiting to be filled. Ooh and I make sure the dishwasher is either empty or has enough room for the breakfast things.
I always straighten up the living room as well. Putting things away, straighteninga tidy s
cushions etc. Makes a difference getting up to a tidy room.
Yes, You are right. I freely agree with You. These six things is really essential. I want to add one more thing, That is coffee. After dinner, I always preferred coffee. It is one of my medicine also.
Hi, Your 6 thing/ advice is helpful for every man and woman. I read your article and I think It's a so informative post for everybody. I'm happy and I will visit your site for another new one.
Great list! This is exactly what I have been needing.
I have French Press coffee every day – a real luxury, a relaxation step prior to rush hour commute, and a nice thing before a tough day. However you need to boil water and grind beans – so I have the coffee pre ground and water ready to boil.
Also I never drink water before going to bed – who needs to wake up at 3 or 4 am to pee – would rather save the 3am wakeup for a national emergency!
I like getting up to a clean and tidy kitchen and sink, coffeepot ready to be switched on and coffee mug sitting on the counter waiting for that first luscious brew to warm up with. I'd love to be so organized as to have the lunches packed ahead, clothes set out and my keys and purse by the front door.
I just don't know that I could keep it up though, as wonderful as it sounds:(
Sounds like you're normal to me! I'd love to be so organised but probably never going to achieve it! Lol
Most of these are great; however, drinking a glass of water right before you go to bed is actually not a very good idea—it can give you acid reflux to lie down with undigested food or liquids in your stomach. Better not to drink or eat in the hour before bedtime.
Only if you are prone to acid reflux and do this directly before lying down. Most people will be fine drinking a small glass of water before they go to bed, or even sipping during the night (for those of us who don't sleep for long periods of time and/or get up during the night). I always have a bottle of water on the beside table, not only does this mean I don't have to get up if i'm thirsty, but means i can have a drink before i get up to help clear my head.
Great ideas! I am a Mary Kay Sales Director and Mary Kay has always taught us to make your most important 6 things list the night before. My problem is that I do it for a few nights, and then I forget and stop doing it. Any ideas on how to make it a part of the nightly routine? I know it works when I do it, I just forget!!! Help…
I do 2 things before i go to bed,
1. Choose my outfit for tomorrow (i love this activity for sure)
2. Play some game before i go to sleep (my bad habit)
Btw, thankyou for tips & trick! 🙂
Ah yes! Some 'downtime' for you! Not such a guilty pleasure!
I agree and yes I do make sure my kitchen sink is empty of all dishes, pots and pans and I do drink at least 16-20 oz. of water before going to bed. I also find it makes me happier in the morning when I sweep and clean my kitchen floor. I am one of your US followers and enjoy reading your blog very much!
I definitely do two, clean sink as well as whole kitchen and drink the water before bed. It's a must do!
I always write in my journal the at night, pack my bag, pack my lunch, and lay out my clothes. Also, I thought it wasn't good to drink water before bed because you would be more liable to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
Exactly what I thought – if I drank a pint of water before bed, I'd be rushing to the loo half the night!
Right on
I like to pre-fill the coffee machine so I can just hit the button.
Also I set out what's for breakfast if it's cold – ie: cereal and fruit or pancake mix just to be sure I have enough and I have a plastic box in the fridge where I put items that have to be cold like eggs and bacon. That way I'm not offering something for breakfast that I can't deliver on.
Dishes washed dried put away. Kitchen cleaned up floor mopped Laundry washed dried put away. Bathrooms wiped down. Floors mopped. Living room picked up and vacuumed. Making the next days lunch would be so helpful. My mornings are so stress free nowadays.
It sounds as if your evenings are jam-packed and stressful, though! It may be easier on you, just now and again, to chill in the evening? And it might help, if you have kids, for them to do some of the chores? That'll help them fend for themselves when they eventually fly the nest / go to uni or whatever. Or, horror of horrors(!), to get your partner/other half to help you out? It can't be very restful for the rest of the family seeing you hurtling round like a tornado before bed? Just a thought…….
I do all of these except the kids scool uniform they are responsible for their own uniform as they are 14 & 16 and Donna's 'air dry the washing' but the one thing I never remember to do is get the meat out tue freezer the night before.
Ooooh, fab ideas Cass, I need to do all of these, we are always rushing around in the morning.
good tips Cass! I'm a bit hit and miss
I also do sort kinds & my clothes and also clean my kitchen before going to bed.
I sort the kids clothes but not mine, and no I don't drink before going to bed. Interesting list.
I do some of these…I need to do a few more then I may have the perfect morning 😀 x
Yes, apart from the water I do them all, go me! lmao Mich x
See, I know all of this and every day I plan to do it but then every night I collapse on the sofa in front of eastenders and 'forget' 😉
I do 4 of these things religiously ….. although I have to admit that I leave the washing up to "air dry" over night 🙂
I need to work on clearing my head!!