Can’t Fall Asleep? Create a Nightly Beauty Sleep Routine

Slow down and make your nighttime beauty sleep routine as relaxing as possible—you’ll even start to look forward to it! Essential oils, stress-busting body spray, and a relaxing face mask are all surefire ways to settle in for the night.

Need more tricks for falling asleep? Start here:

1. Incorporate aromatherapy.

The power of smell should not be underestimated! You can use it to create an atmosphere conducive to sleep, one that your brain will recognize and respond to. 

Aromatherapy has been shown in many studies to improve sleep, particularly when used in people with sleep disorders [source]. The most widely used essential oil for this purpose is lavender. It has a beneficial effect on anxiety and stress [source], which sure do interfere with falling asleep and maintaining uninterrupted sleep.  

So break out your essential oils, and try some of these relaxing diffuser blends for sleep. Or make an aromatherapy roll-on with chamomile and lavender to promote pleasant dreams.

DIY It: Beauty sleep body spray

Spritz the soles of the feet, back of the neck, and your pillow with the Beauty Sleep spray (recipe below), again thinking about relaxing the body or your favorite peaceful place. Make sure the room is completely dark, and sleep well!

2. Take a hot bath.

What better way to wind down before bed than to light some candles, turn on your most calming music, and linger in a hot bath until the water gets cold? Baths have been shown to positively affect health and the sense of well-being [source]. Their soothing warmth lends to relaxation and a lowering of stress and tension from the body. 

The insomnia-beating dynamic duo of lavender and chamomile strikes again—mix up a scented bath with these herbs to wind yourself down before bedtime, or try an Epsom salt bath.

DIY It: Beauty sleep bath blend

Run a bath (or foot bath if you don’t have a tub) and inhale the Beauty Sleep bath blend (recipe below) by taking a few deep breaths with your nose above the bottle opening. 

Lavender and chamomile essential oils are the big guns for help to get back on the sleep wagon. Valerian and vetiver essential oils are optional extra-heavy artillery, but I should warn you they both have unusual fragrances that can be a bit weird for some people.

Add 7 drops of the bath blend to a bath or foot bath. Dab 1 drop of the bath blend on the back of the neck and base of the big toes. Relax in the bath for 20 minutes, imagining the body relaxing muscle by muscle. Or think of your favorite place and how you felt while you were there.

Once a week, apply the Beauty Sleep face mask while in the bath. Rinse off and hold on to the relaxed thoughts while you get ready for bed.

3. Sip on calming herbal tea.

Instead of an over-the-counter sleep aid, turn to essential oils, tinctures, or teas made from herbs like lavender, passionflower, and California poppy. Lavender essential oil is the titan for treating sleep issues, often used in aromatherapy to improve the quality of sleep [source].

Long used in many cultures as a bedtime tea, chamomile has calming effects, almost like sedative medications [source]. Valerian has been shown to have sedative properties [source] and promotes falling asleep faster [source]. Passionflower is also known as a sedative that contributes to better sleep [source].

DIY It: Caffeine-Free Latte

Try this chamomile lavender latte to de-stress before bed.

4. Give yourself a massage.

Use homemade massage oil for a hand or foot massage. Or give yourself a scalp massage; the rubbing stimulates nerve endings that activate the body’s parasympathetic system, helping you relax and fall asleep faster.

DIY It: Sleepy Time Massage Oil

Combine 10 drops of lavender essential oil with 1 ounce of a carrier oil like sweet almond or grapeseed (or use the Bath oil blend below) and massage into your hands and feet. Apply a small amount to your hands and massage into the scalp with the pads of your fingers.

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Gina Jansheski, a licensed, board-certified physician who has been practicing for more than 20 years. Learn more about Hello Glow’s medical reviewers here. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.

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