How I Calm My Nervous System Before Bed (for $0)
You can’t heal your nervous system if your nights are chaos.
I had the morning routine down. The supplements, the journaling, the herbal tea. But none of it mattered when I was still scrolling until midnight, waking up frazzled, and pretending sleep deprivation was a personality trait.
This post is for the burnt-out, high-functioning girlies who know their nervous system is fried — and want real, practical rituals to feel safe in their bodies again. Here's what I started doing before 10PM that changed everything.
Nighttime nervous system regulation — without spending money
You don’t need a $300 sleep tracker or a $60 magnesium mist. These are the $0 (or super low cost) bedtime rituals that actually helped me sleep through the night and stop waking up anxious.
1. Castor oil belly massage with heat pack
Calms bloating and tension in the gut
Supports lymphatic flow and digestion
Feels like giving your organs a little hug
If I’ve been bracing all day (hello, desk posture + internalized stress), this softens everything. I rub castor oil on my belly, wrap it in a cloth, and top it off with a heat pack — especially around my period.
2. Legs up the wall for 10 minutes
Instant parasympathetic nervous system reset
Drains lymph and reduces cortisol
Forces you to literally stop moving
This one is so simple it almost feels fake — but it works. I just lay on the floor with my legs at 90 degrees against a wall. No phone. Just breathing.
3. Gua sha before bed (yes, for more than aesthetics)
Releases jaw tension (especially for us clenchers)
Supports lymph flow through the neck and face
Helps me wake up with less puffiness and fewer spirals
I used to get Botox for jaw tension until I learned it can mess with gut and nervous system function. Gua sha’s slower, but way more holistic.
4. Cycle-synced bedtime tea
Follicular: light and refreshing blends
Menstrual: goji, red date, and ginger for blood support
Luteal: rose, goji, and aged mandarin peel to ground mood
Ever since getting off birth control, syncing my teas to my cycle has been a game changer. I DIY my blends now (but yes, Inner Code is coming 👀).
5. Magnesium + L-theanine stack
Magnesium bisglycinate: relaxes the body
Magnesium threonate: calms the mind
L-theanine: softens anxious thoughts
This trio helps me release muscle tension, stay asleep, and actually feel rested the next day.
Rewiring your sleep environment for nervous system repair
6. Lights dimmed at sunset
No overhead lighting, just warm lamps and candles
Helps my brain produce melatonin naturally
I’ve automated this with smart lights, but honestly? Even switching off harsh LEDs makes a difference. I want my home to feel like a sleepy cave, not a dentist’s office.
7. No screens 2 hours before bed (I know, it’s hard)
No scrolling, no YouTube rabbit holes
Orange screen filters if I have to be online
Blue light blocking glasses when needed
Every time I stay off screens, I fall asleep faster. Every time I scroll, I regret it. Simple math.
8. Early dinner (3–4 hours before bed)
No bloating, no heartburn
Better digestion = deeper sleep
Dinner at 5:30 used to sound like retirement home behavior. Now it’s my holy grail. My body isn’t wasting energy digesting while I’m trying to sleep.
Rituals that help me feel safe before sleep
9. Breathwork or nervous system meditations
Box breathing, 4-7-8, or just long sighs
I use an app for music and guidance (but breath is free)
Easiest way to drop into rest-and-digest mode
This brings me back into my body. Even 5 minutes changes everything.
10. No self-help content before bed
No mindset podcasts or business books
Only fiction, poetry, or dumb-but-funny shows
If I stimulate my brain with work-related content, I spiral. If I let it wind down with softness, I sleep.
Bonus: One tiny joy ritual
Brushing my dog
Plucking my eyebrows
Cleaning the counter
FaceTiming someone I love
It doesn’t have to be deep. Just something mundane and screen-free that makes you feel calm and safe.
Final thoughts: your nervous system doesn’t need perfection — it needs consistency
You don’t need to do all 10 of these every single night. Some nights I skip breathwork. Some nights I forget my tea. It’s not about the checklist — it’s about creating an environment where your body doesn’t feel like it’s under attack.
Over time, these rituals become second nature — like brushing your teeth. And the more you build these safety signals into your evenings, the less you’ll wake up feeling like a truck hit you.