Sweet dreams are made of these… and by these, I mean a meticulously planned bedtime ritual.
These days, I’m trying to really maximize the time in my day. To be at my best, I need at least eight hours of sleep. Since I get up at around 5AM each morning, I’ve switched things up to be in bed by 9PM! To get the best zzz’s, I start at 8:30…
- Power down at 8:30. TV? Off. Youtube? Done. Only exception? Cozy, comforting music from Spotify. I’ve expressed time and time again that scrolling is one of my worst habits! By plugging my phone into the charger and immediately putting on Spotify, I’m less likely to turn off the music and go back to Instagram or TikTok when I slide under the covers.
- Set the mood. The music is on by now, and I’m in my bathroom for bedtime prep. What comes next? A candle, to make this wind-down time truly soothing! I’m flipping back and forth between my Pink Sands and Roseberry Sorbet Yankee candle, and I have a generic Christmas themed scent in the mix as well! Because the cats have litter boxes in my bathroom, I’ll usually take care of their business before I start on my own. Smelly cat. It’s not your fault.
- Skincare. I’m really in a groove with my skin these days. I’m not wearing much makeup, but when I do, I take it off at the end of the day using cotton pads and Micellar water. After that, I use Cerave cleanser and their PM Moisturizer!
- Brush my teeth. Minty freshness and scrubbing the day off my teeth! I used to not care about brushing at the end of the day, and now I just feel lazy if I don’t. Is it gross that at one point I didn’t? I have an electric toothbrush now, courtesy of a stocking stuffer from Christmas last year! Depending on the day, I’ll also brush with activated charcoal toothpaste or apply Crest whitening strips to give my teeth that extra bit of sparkle. Because my whitening strips are for thirty minute use, I tend to get started on my evening routine a little bit earlier on the nights I use them.
- Show my lips some love. I bite my lips a lot. They are chapped on any given day! I try to remedy the consequences of my actions by applying Vaseline or lip balm of some sort before I leave my bathroom for the night. If I’m REALLY feeling ambitious, I’ll do a lip scrub first, to give my dry lips some desperately needed exfoliation.
- Jammies! I think I would place taking my clothes off at the end of the day in my list of top ten favorite things, ever. I have multiple adorable pajama sets and it always feels so good sliding into something dainty and feminine. Of course, I tend to add a pair of cozy socks (I call them feet sweaters) in the cold winter nights! My toes get cold, okay?
- Clothing prep. I save so much time taking out my clothes for the gym and the day the night before I go to bed. Because I know I’ll wake up early to work out, I don’t dilly dally picking the right pair of pants in the morning, when I’m burning daylight between wakeup and work! As well, if my clothes for the day are out in the morning, I don’t have to waste time between my workout and my workday picking out the right thing. Granted, in quarantine there isn’t really a wrong thing, but at 7:57, when my workday starts at 8, shower-fresh me will be picky as anything with what she puts on to sit at her desk at home all day.
There you have it! Simple, sweet, and gets the job done. I find having a quick routine makes the actual concept of having a routine less arduous. Sometimes I see people with fifty steps to their routine and I get quickly overwhelmed. With a clean face, clean teeth, and a head start on my morning, I can hit the pillow and turn out the light knowing I’ve ended my day on a good note.
And now, I am sleepy. Don’t let the bed bugs bite!