Calming Bedtime Rituals to Help You Sleep

Sleep is essential, but sometimes it can be elusive – and few things are more frustrating than a restless night. But what if your bedtime became a pampering treat, an opportunity for your very own moments of nightly self-care? Establishing a bedtime routine is thought to be one of the most effective ways of ensuring deep sleep. Try these nightly rituals to help ease into slumber.

Sip Herbal Tea

Begin your ritual by sipping on a warm, comforting herbal tea from a favourite mug or cup. Many herbs are known to help create a sense of restfulness when taken in a tea. Classic examples include valerian, chamomile, passionflower and lavender. Look for specialist bedtime blends that include a combination of calming plant ingredients.  

Take a Warm Bath or Shower

Sinking into a warm bath or taking a warm shower before bed can help you well on your way to a good night’s sleep. That’s because as part of our in-built circadian clock, our body temperature naturally drops at nighttime. But if we’re supposed to be getting cooler, how does warm water help? When you leave the bath or shower and return to room temperature, your body cools down quickly, helping to kick-start those sleepy signals.

Enjoy The Wonder of Lavender

Dial up the relaxation in your bath or shower with our Lavender & Geranium Body Wash. The soothing aroma of lavender essential oil has long been associated with tranquillity and sleep. It is thought that some of the main components of the oil: linalool, camphor and linalyl acetate, can have a sedative effect. And studies have shown that lavender can increase deep sleep and improve sleep quality.  

While your skin’s still damp, massage in our Lavender & Geranium Hand & Body Lotion. And use an oil diffuser or pillow spray to bring the calming scent of lavender into your sleeping space.

Say Goodnight to Your Phone

Most of us look at screens for large parts of the day – and this can affect our ability to sleep once night-time comes. The blue light that screens emit can disturb our circadian rhythms, so turn on the blue light filter in your phone’s settings, and consider wearing glasses that filter it out.

It’s not just light that’s the problem with phones, though. Looking at social media, playing games and messaging all keep our brain busy when it’s time for rest. Stop looking at your mobile phone at least an hour before you go to bed, sending any last messages while you’re sipping your herbal tea.

While some people find apps like Calm useful to aid sleep, others prefer to be super-strict and sleep with their phone in another room. If you know you’ll be tempted to peek at your phone once in bed, consider leaving it out of your bedroom and using an alarm clock to wake.

Turn Out the Lights

For a truly deep sleep, there should be no lights at all in your room. Switch off the main light and see if this is the case. Street lamps outside, alarm clocks and flashing chargers can all add unnecessary light to your space. Cover any offending items to ensure your room is as dark as it can possibly be, and use blackout curtains or blinds if necessary. For ultimate darkness (and comfort), slip on a sleep mask.

Do a Temperature Check

The optimum room temperature for a good night’s sleep is said to be around 18 degrees Celsius, so turn the heating off at the beginning of your bedtime ritual. If you can, sleep with your window open a touch, to let in fresh air. Choose nightwear and bedding in natural, breathable materials like cotton. Keep a thinner duvet or blanket on hand to use if your regular duvet’s too much. If you have a fan, put it beside your bed for those hot nights. And if you often find yourself tossing and turning, consider trying a weighted blanket.

Savour the Quiet

If noise is interfering with your sleep, use ear plugs to keep it out. Some people like to fall asleep to the sounds of Nature, like a babbling brook or birdsong, others white noise.

Guided meditation can be an effective way to fall sleep. One particularly popular form of these is ‘yoga nidra’, which encourages you to deeply relax every part of your body, one by one, until you’re ready to float away. Bluetooth speakers, earphones or headphones (if comfortable) mean you can still listen to your favourite sleep playlist if your phone is in another room.

Whether or not you choose to listen to something to help you fall asleep, enjoy your moment of calm. Your room is cool, dark and quiet, you’re as comfortable as can be, and the air is filled with the calming aroma of lavender. You don’t need to do anything, now, but rest.