Better Sleep! The Ideal Night-Time Routine

Sleep – one of those things that if it all goes well we take for granted and when it doesn’t, well, we are miserable. I don’t have to tell you all the benefits of sleep – we know it’s essential and we know we don’t function properly without it. It’s the time when our bodies go into rest and repair mode and essentially we reset for the next day. Hence we need an ideal night-time routine to help aid better sleep.

There are ways to sleep better and you can absolutely set yourself up with an amazing pre-bed routine that helps set you up for the perfect night of sleep. I’ve noticed a HUGE difference in my sleep patterns when I’ve got the ideal night-time routine vs. when I’ve skipped it. The key is to create a relaxing bedroom environment which I’m going to tell you exactly how to do!

The first part of my ideal night-time routine is to take a shower or bath. I love crawling into bed feeling clean and fresh and this definitely helps me to get to sleep better. Using the right kind of body care products with aromatherapy oils that help you get to sleep is also key! I love applying the Feather & Down Sweet Dreams Sleep Butter to skin at night, just after towelling off and whilst my skin is still damp.

This body butter is perfect for your ideal night-time routine because it’s specifically formulated to help you relax and prepare for sleep. The key ingredients to help you relax and de-stress are lavender and chamomile essential oil. The texture of this body butter is so lovely as well and sinks into the skin like an actual dream.

Once I’ve moisturised my body, I like to go straight in for my skincare routine. I absolutely love to use sleeping masks at night because they are specifically formulated to help your skin go into super repair mode while you are dreaming away. The My Clarins RE-CHARGE Relaxing Sleep Mask is the perfect skincare pick for the ideal night-time routine – you just apply it before bed (no need to rinse off) and wake up to softer skin by morning with a more well-rested appearance. Isn’t that what we all want? It’s got hydrating coconut water (smells amazing too) and detoxifying Alpenrose extract to help recharge skin overnight.

Once I’ve done my body care and also my skincare routine it’s time to get into the pre-sleep relax mode! I love to light a candle when it’s time to wind down and the AromaWorks Petitgrain & Lavender Candle is an absolute winner at setting the right mood.

This candle is hand-poured using the best soy wax and is 100% natural. The amazing aroma (lavender always sends me into sleep mode) comes from 100% pure essential oils so not only does the candlelight soothe but the fragrance is also a lovely aromatherapy experience in itself with the lovely herbaceous scent of Lavender (grown in Provence), blended with soothing Italian Bergamot – the perfect combo to promote a better night’s sleep right? Please don’t forget to extinguish the flame pre-sleep and never leave a burning candle unattended!

I’m a huge fan of ‘sleep teas’ before bed as well and I find that they really do help me to get to sleep faster. One tea I love is the Twinings Superblends Sleep Tea. It’s a lovely spiced apple and vanilla flavoured herbal infusion with both chamomile and passion flower. The simple act of having a hot cup of herbal tea at night as well is relaxing in and of itself. I like to read a magazine or a book whilst drinking tea and it’s not long before my eyes start to get heavy!

The last step in my idea night-time routine for the perfect sleep is a good pillow mist. Honestly these really do help! I absolutely love the Aroma Active Laboratories Sleep Mist as the final step to dreamland. The blend can help aid you in falling asleep with both lavandin and valerian which are both known for their calming effect. Combined with the scents of ylang ylang and buddhawood, you will be off to dreamland hopefully in no time at all!

Tell me if you have an ideal night-time routine for the perfect sleep or any tips for better sleep! You can also check out these amazing expert-approved guides for tips on how to sleep better.

*This post is in collaboration with Boots but all product reviews and opinions are my own as always!