Can bedtime rituals really help you sleep better?

What do you do before bed? 

Ask me five years ago and it probably would have been, hastily remove my makeup with a wipe, bung some cream on and collapse in bed (likely after a few beers). Sure this worked fine for me in my 20s, I never had any problems sleeping, and amazingly I seemed to wake refreshed (ish).

Fast forward five years and my life is very different. As stresses in my life started to pile up, I noticed that my sleep quality took a steep downward spiral. I managed to be perpetually exhausted, yet stubbornly unable to sleep. A winning combo I’m sure you’ll agree!

What historically came very easily to me… now required a bit more effort. And so began my love of evening rituals. And before you ask… they are more of the chamomile tea and a candle variety than the dancing naked round a fire calling to the norse gods. So if you’re looking for a bit of calm before bed, then read on…. If you’re one of those people who blink and you’re asleep, maybe there’s even something to interest you too.

The Art of the Ritual

Rituals are a part of all civilisations, past and present. To celebrate, commemorate or mourn — we’ve all grown up bearing witness to “rituals.” 

But it’s not the big rights of passage I’m interested in today. Instead, it’s the small moments, the every day, the mundane, the getting ready for bed. 

Now this feels a bit like sleep 101, but let’s go there anyway…. Bedtime routines play a huge role in reducing stress and anxiety. Why? Because the more anxious your thoughts, the more likely you are to be unable to deactivate your busy brain and you’re more likely to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. Leading to frustration, stress and insomnia.  Sounds like a no-brainer. But then why is it so hard to make the time to do a proper unwind. I blame Netflix and the “just one more episode” culture we’ve all become indoctrinated by. (Hoping this isn’t just me?!)

The shift change for me was re-positioning my bedtime routine to be a ritual in itself. Instead of a rushed affair, collapsing in bed, it became an integral part of my day and something to look forward to. My time for self-care. 
I’m not the only one to enjoy a pamper. Many societies across the world from the ancient world to the modern would maintain beauty rituals. It’s said wealthy Egyptians languished in long milk baths infused with saffron oil, in fact they were also pioneers of aromatherapy and the distillation of essential oils (good for a pub quiz). 

In Northern Africa women enjoyed the nourishing effects of Argan Oil long before it made it’s way to Boots. Across the Pacific Ocean in Polynesia, Monoi oil is said to date back over 2000 years, it’s a unique ritual where the petals of Tahitian gardenias are soaked in coconut oil, it was highly prized for it skin and hair softening qualities. In other cultures, Green Tea with its extensive anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties was used to treat blemishes in the skin. And so on and so on. 

But now back to me.

When I’m getting into my sleep groove, first things first, I set the mood of the room. I love to light some sleepy smelling candles and get my dim lights on. 

Next begins the beauty segment.

I absolutely love to cleanse my face with an oily balm, removing sunscreen, any makeup and giving my skin a good clean. I follow this with some not very exciting but very essential Tretinoin (medical grade Vitamin A that increases cell turnover and will ensure I age like the love child of JLO and Pharrell). This is where it gets fun. Just like my ancestors before me, I love an oil ! My current favourite is raw shea butter which I lather on to great effect. For my chest and arms I like to use a lavender infused oil. Hands and feet get a strong layer of vaseline. By this stage I’m resembling a David Attenborough expose on the life of seals in the Arctic, I am pretty shiny for a good 30 minutes. 

If you’re an oily or congested skin type, you’re probably cringing in horror right now. This is your worst nightmare. My point isn’t to oil you up, it doesn’t matter what you want to use. If it’s one gorgeous face cream that you love, that’s lovely. If it’s a bar of Dove soap and a flannel (as a dry soul this makes me cringe), that’s cool too! The important thing is to define your own ritual. 

So that’s part one. I’m glowing brighter than the sun. The next part of the ritual is to read my book for at least 20 minutes. I could pretend it’s something highbrow and accomplished…. But that would be a lie. I like easy reading. Something with a good enough story to keep me interested but not so good I’m up till 2am. I need to shift my focus to one activity. If I’m watching a programme my mind will be wandering and I'll likely be on social media at the same time. Like an airplane beginning its descent, I need to start to prepare for the unwind. It takes me a while!

A Space Odyssey

Now comes the actual sleep part. And haven’t I discovered a love for sleep stories! That wasn’t a question, I really have! To further the image of myself that I’m a far cry from the northern party girl of my 20s, wait till you hear that I’ve listened to the same two stories on loop for the past year. Space and dinosaurs. That’s what I like. There is nothing I don’t know about the first 5 planets of the solar system (I usually fall asleep around Saturn’s icy rings). 

So that’s it. It’s not rocket science but it’s really turned the end of my days into something to cherish rather than dread. I feel calmer, less anxious and more relaxed. 

A 7-step skincare routine might be a bit overkill, but how about experimenting with adding one small step into your bedtime build-up, you might be surprise just how much you enjoy it!

I am a-wash with recommendations, feel free to email me if you want any inspiration for candles, skincare, crap books or sleep stories!