Notes on my sleep routine
Someone commented on my beauty routine post about how important good sleep is to them, and I realized I wholeheartedly agree.
If I’m nutty about my beauty routines, I’m even more insane about getting eight hours of sleep.
I always aim to be asleep around 11pm and awake at 7am–even on the weekends. I don’t normally use an alarm (unless I have to be up super early), so I try to keep my internal clock super regular and I don’t like to mess that up too much. If I know I have to be up much earlier, I’ll try to get to bed earlier by the same amount. That said, my wind-down process is extensive: around 10pm, I usually start “getting into bed” mode.
First step is usually making a cup of tea (or hot water with lemon, honey and ginger) and reading my book in bed. I light a candle (this and this are my go-to favorites–nice candles are one of my favorite splurges slash things to ask for as gifts) and turn on my bedside light (which gives off a super lovely and warm light), and sometimes put my legs up the wall while I read—a yoga pose that helps with insomnia. This used to be the time that I wrote something in my gratitude journal—although I’ve fallen out of habit with that a bit, I do jot something down in my Q&A a Day journal. I also dab a little bit of lavender essential oil on my wrists and temples, and take a few deep breaths to relax.
Next up: unsurprisingly, taking off my makeup is a major part of my getting ready for bed routine. Most nights, I take off my makeup using cotton balls and micellar water, wash my face and moisturize. If it’s later than usual or I’m particularly exhausted or I’ve had an extra glass of wine, I keep a pack of makeup-removing wipes on hand (they’re also my go-to to travel with). I floss (at least three times a week), brush my teeth while standing on an acupressure mat, and rinse out with anti-cavity mouthwash. If I washed my hair that morning, I’ll put in an overnight hair protector to extend the style another day.
Once I get into bed, I turn my phone on airplane mode (of course!) and then turn on a white noise machine (something that David got me hooked on) and music. One of the most Pavlovian things that I do to fall asleep: I’ve listened to the same CD of classical music for basically my entire life at bedtime. My mom played “sleep music” for me during naptime in preschool, and I still turn it on as soon as I get into bed. I’m usually asleep within three songs! I actually think this is what makes it so easy for me to sleep really well in hotel rooms and on planes.
In very unsexy things: I wear an eye mask (since I refuse to get blinds so that I can wake up with natural sunlight, but we do have a lot of street lights outside our window) and a custom-fitted mouthguard (which is a lifesaver for anxiety-induced teeth grinding that becomes intense jaw pain). I also sometimes put Bag Balm on my feet and wear thick wool socks to help with cracked heels. Other random things that I keep on my nightstand: a full glass of water (if I ever wake up in the middle of the night, it’s usually because I’m thirsty), hand cream and lip balm. And about once a week, I spritz some bergamot linen spray on my pillow cases and duvet before I go to sleep as well!
Even though it takes time and discipline, I do think that having such an intense sleep routine is what enables me to be such a morning person and be so productive during the day. Without a good night’s sleep, I have such a hard time functioning, let alone thriving!
What’s your sleep routine? Any quirky things that help you fall asleep?
