Who doesn’t love sleep? Cuddling up in your duvet, closing your eyes, preparing to drift off and have sweet dreams… Except my brain never seems to shut up and I end up thinking about the 101 things I need to do the next day! That’s why I try and stick to a routine in the evening to relax and help me sleep and get some zzz’s! Here’s my list of top tips to help you get that all important beauty sleep!
Light a candle
I think lighting a candle in the evening is the perfect way to start relaxing. I like to use a candle with essential oils and a natural not to overpowering scent. My top two at the moment are This Work Ginger & Neroli candle and Bloomtown Botanicals The Woods Coconut Wax candle, which is scented with a mix of Vetiver, Cedar and Bergamot. Obviously it’s important not to leave your candle burning when you’ve gotten into bed (don’t want to go falling asleep with a lit candle in the room!) but candles are great to light an hour or so before bedtime so the calming scents linger in your room. If you’re not into candles you can check out delta 8 carts review for a range of different vape cartridges that could relax your to help you sleep
Drink some tea
Drinking a warm cup of herbal, caffeine free tea before getting into bed is a great way to relax. I’ve been especially loving peppermint tea and spiced ginger tea recently. Both these teas settle your tummy and have numbing and calming effects on the body. It’s important to take your time drinking it and take little sips to really let it work it’s sleepy, relaxing magic.
No Electronics
This is the one I struggle with the most, it’s so tempting to hop into bed and start scrolling through Twitter and Instagram or pop a show up on my iPad. Electronics have a blue based back light which keeps you awake for longer. My iPhone and iPad are automatically set to turn on ‘night shift mode’ at 8pm. This mode minimises blue light and dulls your phone. I then try my best to leave my devices on the far side of my room once it’s time to get ready for bed to prevent me from being tempted.
A Good Book
The only allowance I make is when I have a book by the bed. It isn’t always part of my bedtime routine, but if I can’t switch off, it becomes the perfect way to set myself to “away.” It becomes a little bit of the evening that’s just for me. I have even bought reading glasses and now when I put them on it’s just like getting into a cosy blanket! Sites like eyeglasses.com have plenty to choose from. If you struggle to drift off because your mind is going, a book is far better than scrolling through social media!
Skincare
In my opinion, a good skincare routine will help you get a great nights sleep and help you to wake up feeling much more refreshed. I like to take my makeup off in the evening after dinner when I’m not too tired. I have a post on my in depth skincare routine if you’d like to know what products I use before bed but I like to make sure I’ve removed all my makeup, cleansed and moisturised before getting into bed. The smell of the Neal’s Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm always relaxes me before bed!
Lighting
Bright lights are definitely not going to help you sleep. I have a cute little mood light from IKEA. It lights up in different blues and greens and there’s one that lights up pink and red. Mood lighting and dim light definitely helps me drift off to sleep. I’m really wanting to try one of those natural light lamps that can be set to start dulling gradually to help you drift off but for now I love my mood light from ikea!
Essential oils
Essential Oils are great for calming and relaxing the body and mind. My top two amazing smelling products to help you sleep are This Work’s Deep Sleep Pillow Spray and Bloomtown Botanicals The Meadow Roll on Oil. I recently purchased the This Works limited edition Super Size version of the Deep Sleep Pillow Spray as I love it so much! It seriously helps me relax and drift off to sleep. The spray is scented with Lavender, Vetiver and Camomile, not only does it help you get to sleep but it also leaves you feeling much more refreshed in the morning. I also adore Bloomtown Botanicals The Meadow Roll on Oil. The Meadow is scented with Lavendar, Rose Geranium and Camomile (I’m starting to see a pattern with the scents I like!) though they have a few other scents if you prefer different smells. I apply the oil to my wrists and the smell is so calming!
Eye Mask
My final tip is to use an eye mask, not any old one though, you could
have a look at an online guide, like this one on the best eye masks, but I was kindly sent a SpaceMask* to try out and oh my goodness, it was an amazing experience! You might have seen SpaceMask’s popping up all over Instagram. They’re single use masks that heat up and send you straight to sleep! Spacemask explain on their website that “the heating process works by a thin layer of iron filings entwining with the oxygen molecules in the air” As soon as you open the packet the mask starts to heat up so it’s important you only open it when you’re ready to use it. The mask is also faintly scented with jasmine to relax you. When you jump into bed, open your mask, pop the strings over your ears, close your eyes and you’ll drift off to sleep in a warm, jasmine haze. I honestly fell asleep within ten minutes of popping this mask on. You can buy SpaceMask’s in packs of 5 costing only £15 per box which I think is very reasonable! I’d definitely advise buying a box and seeing for yourself how amazing these masks are!
I hope you enjoyed this post and that these tips help you get a better nights sleep! Do you have anything that you think helps you drift off and get a great nights sleep?