this post is in partnership with this works

while i’m for sure not an expert on sleep rituals, this year i have been trying to focus more on simple nighttime habits to create a more zen like bedtime. stuff as simple as putting hand lotion and lighting a candle, all of those little things add up to create a calming environment for me and i’ve been enjoying it a lot! i don’t always have a ton of time to myself to actually unwind, so those quiet few minutes after arlo goes down are a really nice way to relax before actually getting in bed.

i’m always looking to enhance my routine and i’m so happy to have discovered This Works. besides skincare products, they make pillow sprays that help reduce sleep anxiety and improve sleep quality. their deep sleep pillow spray is designed for people who struggle to fall asleep– it releases an immediate burst of fragrance that is proven to calm a racing mind. 

the problem is i’m actually not a great sleeper, i usually have a dozen things going through my head, so i don’t have a hard time falling asleep most nights– but if i get woken up, i might be up for hours before i fall back asleep. and my body will wake me up early naturally, i can’t remember the last time i slept past 8am. meanwhile, the boys in my house can do it every day. This Works sleep plus pillow spray is designed for those of us who struggle to stay asleep, it’s fragrance is captured in tiny spheres that break on the pillow while you toss and turn, continuously releasing aroma throughout the night.

the sprays are both designed to help you fall asleep faster, naturally, and wake up more refreshed.

ok here is my current bedtime routine!

i brush my teeth, wash my face if i’m feeling extra ambitious. doing a skincare routine is something else i really want to get into the older i get, it’s on my bucket list lol. it’s very unlikely i’ll need to change into pajamas because if i’m home, chances are i’m wearing pajamas since the moment i stepped foot inside.

i write down my tasks for the following day or the full week, if i jot them all down, they’re much less likely to cloud my brain when i’m trying to chill/sleep. the tasks vary from small like defrost the chicken to shoot a post to pay the gardener bill. anything looming in my mind goes on the list.

i grab a big glass of sodey (what we call sparkling water), even though most nights i don’t end up finishing it, i sleep better knowing i have a full glass there. (in the morning arlo comes in and we pour the rest into our crazy tree next to my nightstand)

we keep our lights dim at night (most relatives complain they’re too dim), so our bedroom sconces will be on but if it’s on, the overhead gets turned off immediately.

i light a candle, sometimes i’ll spray the room or linens if it’s musty — i relax a looot easier if the room smells nice. i use hand lotion and put lip balm on.

and now i spray my pillow with my This Works deep sleep pillow spray. i really love the calming scent of it.

i put my phone onto nighttime mode, but around this time i’ll finish up on it and plug it in for the night (i keep it on do not disturb from 9pm-7am). honestly this one little break from my phone really helps me unwind.

the last thing i do before bed is probably the least peaceful… but we watch our tv. this is pretty much the only time we get to watch (what we want), so it’s nice to do it in horizontally. my parents let me have a TV in my room when i was like 5, so i have the worst habit of falling asleep to TV. i very rarely fall asleep in silence, i would love to, but i’m damaged hahah. and gid too had a tv in his bedroom as a kid!

we keep our room really cozy (in my opinion), we have a ceiling fan always running which i couldn’t sleep without, our shades and curtains are blackout, i always get linen sheets because i run hot while i sleep, so i do think our setup is really sleep friendly. but i’ll still struggle on random nights to fall asleep or stay asleep so i’m really happy to have been introduced to This Works’ pillow sprays.

and well, in an effort to be authentic, we decided you definitely needed a photo of me asleep lol. i’m definitely actually asleep and not posing like a faker!