Anyone finding it hard to sleep? Tossing and turning at night worrying about the pandemic? Rent? Bills? Whether you will keep your job? Whether the schools will re-open soon? Mounting food costs? Toilet paper?
Well the truth is you are not alone. My sleep patterned started to veer off track. Night after night of swilling red wine and watching online documentaries, as well as keeping up to date on news bulletins and just stressing about impending death, started to keep me up till 5 or 6am in the morning.
As a means of taking my power back, I decided to start a bedtime ritual. Firstly cleansing my skin and moisturising my face and neck. Then once complete, spraying my face with Caudalie grape water to keep my skin hydrated. This helps as the constant central heating can play havoc with our skin, so adding water is a great way to balance this out.
Once the Caudalie has dried and my skin is plump and full of moisture, I spray myself with a scent that reminds me of happier times. This is more psychological but I can assure you this actually works. It’s worth buying a fragrance that’s on offer like (Anais Anais by Cacharel which is currently £15 for 30mls) which was a fragrance I used to wear as a teen. Any light smell will do and will calm you right away. I also advise lavender as this is historically great for soothing your mind before bedtime.
There are plenty of great sleep sprays on the market and I bought the, This Works deep sleep pillow spray which I spray on my pillow around 10 minutes before bed.
Lastly, I wear an eye mask to shut out any light. I made this one (inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s one in Breakfast at Tiffany’s). If you have any fabrics at home, they are really easy to make and the sewing will help take your mind off all the negative vibes around at the moment.
This ritual works for me but it’s good to do whatever works for you for your well being. The trick is to make the sleeping process enjoyable again and if you feel set to sleep and feel your best, like any other process in your day, you’re likely to wind down much easier. Sweet dreams x
Main image; Vintage Christian Dior pillow case. Copy right chic and shady.
