Creating a Sleep Ritual

Reasons for Adopting
Due to working Night Shifts I find it extremely hard to adjust on my days off and have found myself unable to fall asleep before 6am which renders my time off almost completely useless. Therefore I’ve decided to try adopt a sleeping ritual in the hopes that by practicing this daily it will help my mind and body to find that balance necessary for slumber and thereby rendering my time off my own and not my pillows.

I will outline my plan below please keep in mind that it currently takes me between 2 and 3 hours to fall asleep.

Preparing the Space
I always make sure my bed is made before leaving the house and that my nightwear is in the bathroom ready to go. Once I arrive home the first thing after dropping my bag I do is to light candles in the bedroom and the bathroom . And then take the evenings skincare and body care to the bathroom.

Bathing
As I enter the bathroom the scent of my current favourite candle greets me and I begin a double cleanse, occasionally I pop on a quick mask to protect my face in the shower If I’m feeling particularly stressed I will indulge in a scented bath which is a great time to use a sheet mask as who cares if it slides around then.

Beverage
This is also a time when I find a hot drink helpful at the moment its coffee which I will be attempting to switch out for a hot chocolate as the warmth soothes me. Also pop a fresh glass and jug of water by the bed , I wake up thirsty often.

Body
Now that Ive washed the day away i can start my body care. At least 3 times a week i like to do an acid exfoliation on those days I follow with a moisturiser . When not using acid I start with an oil applying with slow firm strokes and then apply moisturiser in a faster more circular motion. Its so relaxing inhaling the scents whilst the rhythm of massaging my products in is the right kind of repetition to start dulling my mind.

Hair
I really like brushing my hair before bed as its so soothing on my scalp and it loves a bit of stimulation , occasionally I’ll apply a mask on the ends and leave it on overnight.

Skincare
Once my hair is up and out of the way I start on my skincare for the evening . I always find this the most relaxing part of the night making sure to really massage and tap the products into oblivion. Whilst waiting for various products to absorb I usually post my routine and catch up on social media.

Stretching
At this point i want to release any physical tension I’m still holding onto by gently stretching and moving my body in a slow manner , I’ve found that I often feel physically tight at the end of work. Really hoping this helps.

Inhalation/Crystals
Now that I’m in bed all moisturised and loose I will be placing the crystals that represent my needs the most under my pillow and do some breathing exercises to relax my mind and body further.

Rest
The most elusive of all.

By committing to this ritual for 28 days I hope to make it a habit therefore my mind and body will start knowing that sleep is imminent and hopefully I will fall asleep by the time my head hits the pillow whether that is at 6am or 11pm . What I know for certain is that I have everything to gain and nothing to lose. And what a wonderful way to add self care to what has previously been one of the hardest things for me to do fall asleep.

Please know that I do not have diagnosed Insomnia therefore this is not a solution for a medical condition .

I merely have an erratic work schedule which has impacted on my sleep quality and therefore my quality of life. I do hope you find this helpful and will report back in 28 days with my progress.

Thank you very much for reading, I do hope you subscribe if you haven’t already.

Genaya xxx