“Romanticize your life.” It’s a philosophy we can get behind. The idea of finding pleasure in life’s small moments—even the repetitive parts of the day, like our sleep routines.
Whether you’ve been struggling with falling asleep or you simply find the ritual of getting ready for bed too mundane, Sweet July’s romanticized bedtime guide might just help turn your night routine into a moment with yourself to look forward to.
Cherish the skincare routine
When you head to the bathroom for your nighttime skincare routine, don’t rush things. Make it as cinematic as you can; be the main character. While you’re giving your skin the attention it needs, throw on a soft headband, put on music (or a podcast), and light some candles (more on this below) around the sink. Pretend it’s spa day—every day and treat yourself to sleep.
The Essentials Set
Create the ultimate nightstand
Organizing a cozy but practical nightstand can make all the difference. The uninvited anxiety and overthinking that creeps in right before trying to fall asleep—the one that makes you doom scroll on social media for hours—won’t stand a chance against your bedside must-haves.
Recipe for the perfect nightstand:
- Books: Clear your head and escape to another world or engage in some self-development reads.
- Under eye masks: Bring bits of your skincare routine to your nightstand. As you’re lying in bed with a book in hand, put on some under-eye masks for even more unwinding.
- Skincare tools: When you find yourself getting that jittery feeling that keeps you awake at night, try to distract yourself from what’s stressful to what will make your skin and body feel good. Close your eyes and massage your face with a gua sha to calm your facial muscles for the ultimate relaxation before sleep.
Set the mood with candles
Out (or off) with the electronics, in with the meditative candles. For us, the soothing scent and dimmed ambiance from the Signature Sweet July Candle are a magical combination for creating a calming aura, with gentle aromas of coconut, lime, santal and mandarin.
Sweet July Signature Scent Candle
Make a sleepy drink
A pre-sleep mocktail might be exactly what you need for a full night’s rest. It’s all the fun of mixing a fancy cocktail with benefits for a good night’s rest. Consider ingredients like magnesium and tart cherry juice or already made alcohol alternatives.
Jot down your thoughts
Our minds tend to get annoyingly busy right before going to bed with inner thoughts and questions. Channeling some of these worries onto pages will help rest your mind before sleeping.
Sweet July Hard Cover Notebook
If you don’t have the mental energy to keep up with a diary or commit to journaling every night, you can jot down any scattered sleepy thoughts on sticky notes. Try committing to writing down three things you’re looking forward to when you wake up in the morning.
Sweet July X Cloth + Paper Sticky Notes
Mist the night with dreamy scents
There’s nothing better than the smell of freshly washed sheets, but realistically you can’t do laundry every single night. For a similar dreamy feel, try a room spray. End the night with fresh and zen scents and, in turn, soothing thoughts.
