Do you have one? A bedtime routine, that is. I’m sure you do, one way or another 😀 It may be beauty related, or it may not. Maybe it involves you catching up on the news of the day?
I was thinking about it one evening, while getting ready for bed. I go to bed early, mostly because I suppose I have that luxury to be able to 🙂 I know some people who have kids etc have their bedtimes dictated by that, but since I don’t, I eschewed keeping late nights, and pop off to bed fairly early. I’m usually in bed by 10pm or 11pm at latest. I can’t even keep my eyes open past 10.30pm these days! (Psst! Sleeping early is also better for the skin ahem! 😉 )
Oh yes, I’m lucky and I know it 😀 However, I do suffer from bouts of insomnia now and again so keeping a fixed bedtime helps me. My body winds down on its own and when the Sandman comes a-visiting, I’m usually ready.
But I do have a routine before bed that I slavishly adhere to. It’s very simple really, but the routine tells my body that it’s time to shut down.
What you see on my bedside table is pretty much everything I need for my bedtime routine, within easy reach.
I always apply a relaxing body oil before bed. It not only acts as my body moisturiser, but the soothing scents calm and help relax me. As I’m very tardy about applying body lotions or taking care of my body as well as I do my face (I really need to remedy this!) making sure I apply body oil is one way I ensure my skin doesn’t turn dry and scaly through neglect.
I then apply a hand cream. I’m still not a big fan of hand cream, so I do not use it during the day. However, I find that applying a hand cream somehow makes my hands less oily after I’ve messed about with my body oils. It also helps my hands stay in better shape. After all, we do know that if our faces don’t show our age, our hands will! I make sure my hands are in sync with my face LOL 😀
Sometimes, I spritz a pillow spray, but I’ve stopped doing that lately because I was getting immune to the relaxing effects. Using it occasionally instead of daily seems to help it work better for me. But I try not to get too dependant on sleep aids, preferring to just train my body to go to sleep naturally.
Then, I tuck myself in bed with a nice little book. Yes, I read every night before bed, so as you can imagine, I run through books like water. Some days if I’m not too sleepy, I read a little more; other days, I doze off after 2-3 pages. I always read paperbacks because I am comforted by the feel of a paperback in hand, and it’s less taxing on my eyes to read on paper instead of on an electronic reader. One more side benefit is that when I do doze off and the book falls out of my hand, I don’t have a gadget falling flat on my face and waking me up! LOL 😀
I never got the hang of using an electronic reader or ipad and in fact, I don’t like using anything digital/electronic before bed. I find that it disrupts me, which is also why I turn off phone notifications after 10pm and don’t check my phone thereafter. I suppose you could say that getting hold of me after 10pm would be quite a challenge 😛
What about you? Do you have a set bedtime routine and if so, will you share it?
Notice I didn’t include my shower, skincare etc. I do all that a lot earlier so it’s not part of my bedtime routine, unless I’m back late when the times will naturally sync. This is just strictly what I do those 10-15 minutes, while sitting in bed, getting ready to welcome Mr. Sandman 😉
Paris B
I didn’t give this much thoughts till i read this. For me, it’s books too. Forgo the skincare but just give me my book. Sometimes, when i get too tired, just holding one and reading even just a paragraph of it is comforting after a long day. I don’t understand electronic reader as well. hmmm….
Haha I won’t forgo my skincare but I definitely need a book before bed. When I stay in hotels and forget a book, I get really antsy, like I’d forgotten something important to do before bed!
I’m a bit of a night owl, mostly because bed time is “me time” and I need a lot of time to do it… sort of.
My night routine would be to turn on my laptop and do a little writing (my fanfics or my blog) and then I’ll catch up on TV series online heh heh. On some days, I get so bad that I sleep at 3 just because I want to advance leaps and bounds through the series!
When I was much younger, I was a night owl too. Spent far too much time online back in the good ol’ days of dial up (on hindsight, it was probably because everything loaded more slowly LOL) into the wee hours of the morning. Plus, it’s easier for the young to bounce back after a late night! Try staying till 3am at my age – you feel every year 😀
I don’t do the body lotion before bed; I usually do that right after the shower. But like you, I do have a bit of a ritual. I don’t stick to it 100% but most of the time, I do. 🙂
1. Turn off the ceiling light and switch the 2 bedside lamps on. My ceiling light is really bright and I hate it so as much as possible, I’d turn the 2 bedside lamps on instead.
2. If it’s cold, I’ll turn the electric blanket on.
3. Switch my digital radio player on. I have it permanently set to ABC Jazz. If the songs are rubbish that night, I’ll put my old iPhone on the dock and listen to Pandora instead.
4. Put my current phone on mute and on the dresser so that I don’t get to it. I put it away from me because I know I’ll need to get out of the comfy bed to get to it. Phone goes on mute at around 10pm, which is why I don’t reply messages then because I wouldn’t know I’ve gotten them. Tim’s phone isn’t muted as he doesn’t have notifications turned on for social media and email (he’s only on FB anyway) so if there are any emergencies, people can reach me through him.
5. I read a book. I love my old Kindle because the pages are very similar to an actual book so I can read for hours on end without hurting my eyes. Can’t do it for the iPad. Five mins of reading the iPad will give me a headache.
6. As I’m reading, I’d prop the Kindle on a pillow while I apply my handcream and lipbalm.
7. Sometimes if I’m not reading, I’ll listen to a podcast. This is when my bedside lamp will be switched off. When I know I’m about to fall asleep, I turn the Sleep function of the bedside radio on and then off to dreamland I go. I must, must have music on when I sleep. I cannot sleep without any sound.
That’s it! 😀
Rituals are interesting aren’t they? I find they help put me into the right frame of mind 🙂 I too use a bedside lamp because I only use it to read, and because it’s easier to switch off from the bed. Unlike you however, I can’t sleep with any noise so I need quiet. When I travel, I always have a set of ear plugs just so I get some shut eye! My phone mutes from 10pm-8am but calls can come through so I’m still reachable, but at least I don’t hear the beeping of inconsequential notifications 😀
Love this topic because I love sleeping 🙂
I felt like my bedtime routine is getting longer and stretching longer from 30 mins to sometimes more than an hour.
I’ll usually do some exercises like leg lifts and crunches while watching YouTube videos. Followed by acuppressure points massage.
Skincare is an arsenal of sleeping mask, pimple treatment, lip balm, body oils, etc.
All the above subject to level of tiredness. On days when I’m totally burnt, it’s hit the pillow and straight to dreamland 🙂
Hurrah for sleeping! A good sleep really makes you feel so much better. Wow you exercise before bed! Good on ya 🙂 I used to try to keep to an exercise regime but I’m so bad at it I keep falling off the bandwagon 😛 I’ll turn into Jabba the Hutt one day 😛
i’m your total opposite when it comes to sleep time. i’m a night owl. i average 2am but it’s not unusual to find me awake at 4am either. all my friends know that if they call at 9am, it had better be a life or death emergency or be ready to grovel for a week! (that is pre- apple’s do not disturb).
my ritual starts in the bathroom with brushing of teeth and face washing/skincare stuff. i like to do it right before bed so i can see how my makeup lasts at around the 12hr mark. then i’ll hop into bed and scroll through facebook. if i’m still not feeling sleepy (usually the case), i’ll use read an ebook on my ipad in night mode (currently Rick Riordan’s House of Hades). the old ipads were a bit tiring on the eyes but i never had a problem since i switched to the retina versions.
how do you prevent your body oil/lotion from being absorbed by the bed sheets if you apply it right before bed? i find that a hand lotion after oil helps it absorb faster too. i’m assuming it’s hydrating part of the lotions helping the oils penetrate.
Opposites are what makes the world interesting, Joy 🙂 The times when I end up wide awake after 2am sees me looking and feeling like death the next morning. Insomnia does it to me as well as a bad night when I keep waking up. Ah, for a night of pure uninterrupted sleep! >.< Oh and golly, you do test your makeup! 😀 I'm always so glad to scrub it all off the moment I'm home, before I prep my dinner 😀 I find that my body oils don't stain/get absorbed by my sheets. Maybe I don't use too much? I do rub it in so my skin is touch-dry before I slip between the sheets so maybe that's why?
Haha mine is pretty much doing everything in the bathroom and then watch a tv show while it sinks in. Once I hit the pillow, I quickly apply some handcream if I can be bothered and the same with lipbalm.
That’s about it 🙂
So TV right before bed? Sounds like a nice treat! I sometimes watch some telly before heading to bed, and often find that I’ve dozed off, and missed half of it – the crucial bits! 😛
I think I’m on my phone too much before I go to bed! I need a digital detox so I can properly unwind.
The problem with the phone is that one thing leads to another and before you know it, 2 hours have gone by haha! It’s a good idea to go on a digital detox. I found that it helped me fall asleep more quickly
I wish I did lol. The only thing barely routine-ish for me is that I cleanse before bed, that too if I am not dead-tired from work and exec-MBA classes. I know… I am embarrassed for myself too.
I use a deep-cleanser twice a day because I have the most oily (think: slick) skin you can imagine. I have to do what I can to keep it breathing through out the day, and obviously night.
It gets humid in here at night; that is to say my oily-skin and humidity don’t do well together. Come to think of it, I should move to a super cold, dry country. I am not cut out for this place 😉
So you now know I am pressured into having a night-routine; I wouldn’t if I had some what normal to dry skin or was not prone to breakouts and cystic acne due to clogged pores.
Still in my 20’s so I use minimal makeup to work and limit moisturizer use (skin knows how to keep the engines well oiled lol). Weekends is when I unwind with a mud mask or tea tree oil mask. Besides that, nothing extraordinary 🙂
Think of it this way, Rage, at least you’re cleansing your skin properly and that it’s forcing you to have a routine! 😀 But gosh, I can’t imagine work + classes. I’d be dead too when I get back so I take my hats off to you!!
No bedtime routine here. I can’t afford to at the moment. But when I did, when I was not a mother yet, I liked to take a long hot shower or bath right before bed. It helped wind down my body from a stressful day and I slept like a baby. Now, to make sure my baby sleeps through the night, I’m awake most of the time. I’ll be happy if I can get at least 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep 🙂 I’m hoping things will get better in a few more months. Then after a few more years, I’ll be able to get my sleep back!
Ah long hot showers, I love them! They’re so relaxing and definitely help me sleep better too 🙂 I know that with kids around, it means your sleep routine will revolve around theirs so I know I’m very lucky to have my own 🙂
Loved reading this post! Unlike you, I am a huge fan of hand creams. And, although I have been resisting Kindle for a very long time – I have been a die-hard fan for about three years now.
Thanks Marina and I’m probably the only person I know who doesn’t use hand creams religiously! But I do so just before bed – a last ditch attempt to keep the hands moisturised I guess LOL 😀 I still haven’t gone the way of the Kindle but as they say, never say never!
This is a nice write up!
I didnt know pre bedtime rituals can be so interesting 🙂
Mine is similar to yours, except i use body lotion with a spritz of argan oil. – I have an oily face, but dry arms and legs!
Some days I apply foot cream and socks too (hoping it will retain the moisture better overnight!).
And before switching off the lights, I will spritz Loccitane’s Lavande room spray..this is a new routine, switching from scented candles.
Thanks Sasha – I know right? People have such different ways of getting ready for bed 😀 Ooh you’re so good to your feet! My poor feet are very sorely neglected and although I keep meaning to care for them, I don’t 😛 I’m terrible aren’t I? 😛 In fact, I’ve only just recently started applying oil/lotion to my legs after realising they’re scaly from neglect! Oh wait, you didn’t need to know that LOL! 😀
Interesting post and sharing! I don’t have a bedtime routine though having one would be lovely before I tuck in. I’m extremely bad with body lotion and hand cream yet I like to buy them. I agree with you that the hands are quick to give the age away lol. My gripe is because I hug my soft toy to sleep hence I am paranoid that my hand cream laden hands will wipe onto my soft toy. Haha if only that gives away my true age instead of my hands. As for body lotion, maybe I’m not used to it. I love your routine of reading and settling down with body oil before bedtime.
Erm can I ask a dumb dumb question please? If you apply the hand cream before reading, just curious, will it stain the book? I’m trying to pick up reading before bedtime but I am concerned if it’ll activate my mind instead lol. Maybe I’ll try it on weekend instead.
Glad you enjoyed it Jennifer 🙂 Haha I know of many people who love their soft toys so no embarrassment there! And no, your question isn’t a dumb one at all! Yes, the product can transfer onto the pages which is why I only ever use hand creams that are not greasy/sticky and which absorb quickly. That’s why I rarely use many, preferring to stick to brands I already am familiar with. Caudalie is quite nice, L’Occitane is a bit oily for me, Clarins is absolutely lovely. I apply it on, smooth it into the skin, wait a bit for it to absorb and usually by then I’m good to go 😀 Oh and yes, reading before bed can be a bad idea too – when I was going through the Game of Thrones series, it activated my overactive imagination so much that I had trouble sleeping and weird dreams! So I had to stop and I haven’t gone back to finish it haha!
I don’t really have a bedtime ritual. Usually, after shower, I’d sit in front of the computer and watch some shows. During that, I’d apply cuticle oil, heel cream and lotion on my hands and legs. After that, I’d play some online games or check FB, then go to bed.
Hey, Angelina that’s a ritual right there! 😉 I’m amazed at how diligent some of you are to care for your feet and cuticles. Every day that I remember to put on hand cream before bed is a bonus for my poor neglected hands LOL 😀
Heel cream is a must. I can’t stand the sight of my own cracked heels. It’s really ugly, IMO. Cuticle oil is a must too since it helps to strengthen my nails and keep yellow stains at bay (especially when my nails are painted).
First, great article! I think having a ritual before bed is helpful in relaxing and unwinding. After all, our beds / bedrooms should be our haven of rest and relaxation. My particular ritual is to burn a candle (make sure to blow out of course) before sleep, read, and meditate.
Good advice to blow out the candle before going to bed! I don’t burn a candle before bed for this reason – I’m afraid I’d fall asleep and forget to blow it out 😛
What a lovely ritual.
I usually slap on my skincare then read fanfiction on my old iPad. But reading a Jane Austen novel is usually the best way for me to fall asleep – I know them by heart so it’s very relaxing and comforting. I should mimic your ritual and start reading mellow books before sleeping. I just moved the bedroom lamp so that I can use it to read by.
One of the first things I got for my bedroom was a reading lamp! I used to have a bed with a wooden frame from which I could clamp a lamp but my new bed doesn’t have that so I had to buy a stand lamp and my criteria was simple – it just had to be bright enough, and adjustable enough to allow me to read in bed by 😀 I read light stuff before bed and I’ve been re-reading my favourite books recently. I do that a lot, probably the way you re-read your Austen 😀
Nice! Yeah, any familiar favorite works for me. I should retrieve them from my parents’ place. The danger is that when it’s been a long time since I’ve reread a book, I read the whole thing through rather than falling asleep…