I’ve said it before but it bears repeating: I’m a Taurus four times over (Venus, Mars, Sun, and Ascendant), which means a large chunk of my life is devoted to the pursuit of coziness. Rituals are very, very much my thing—and my nightly pre-sleep routine is ironclad. Since we’re deep into winter’s dark days, I thought it’d be useful for this Romanticize to cover some of my tried and true evening wind-down techniques.
The Romanticize
Create a bedtime ritual.
The Advice
I’m going to state the obvious here, but I often have to remind myself of this: don’t eat anything heavy a few hours before bed. For me, that also includes nightshades (especially tomatoes—hi, heartburn!) and chocolate (y’all, the wacko dreams I have when I eat it right before I sleep!)
Focus on swathing your bed in soft sheets, heavy blankets, and comfortable pillows. If your mattress is stiff, get a topper (even an inexpensive one will make a huge difference).
Pre-game with your favorite relaxing tea (Sleepytime is a perennial favorite, but even just straight chamomile does the trick), golden milk (or just warm milk), or hot water with lemon and honey.
I’m all about setting a scene. Light a bedside candle, play relaxing music, dim the lights (and then turn them off completely once you’re in bed—unless you’re reading a physical book, in which case: a side table lamp or book light is your best friend!)
Try to devote at least 15 minutes to focusing on something aspirational or calming while you’re sitting in bed before you turn the lights out and snuggle in. Reading a book, scrolling through beautiful images on Pinterest or Tumblr, meditating, listening to a soothing podcast. If you’re using a screen, activate the device’s blue light blocker so your shut-eye isn’t inhibited.
The Inspiration
My personal routine has been perfected over many years, and at this point, there’s almost zero deviation, even when I’m traveling. I’m rigid when it comes to self-care, but I’ve also found that I get super excited for my unwinding ritual (it doesn’t hurt that I consider sleep sacred; it’s one of my very favorite things to do).
I always must have an excellent-smelling candle lit. My favorite brand is Tatine (Spirit House is my signature). I use a wick trimmer from Terrain and a rechargeable electric USB lighter. I also cue up a Spotify playlist of classical or piano music—I’m currently cycling through Peaceful Piano, Winter Instrumentals, and Autumn Piano. I always keep a glass of water and a journal next to my bed. I don’t often dream, but if I recall something I write it down the second I wake up before I can forget it. Then I use my dream dictionary to parse the meaning.
My mattress isn’t terribly comfortable, so I have two toppers on it. My super heavy blanket is a zillion years old from Lazybones. I’m a side sleeper and had a really tough time finding a pillow that suited me until I landed on this pillow cube, which I love. For pre-sleep sips and herbals, I adore my local herb farm’s Relaxing Herbal Tea blend (I have no idea what’s in it but it turns my limbs to spaghetti). I’m also obsessed with these homeopathic sleep aid pills—they’re non-habit-forming and don’t give me any sort of hangover. I combine them with my nightly magnesium.
Once I’m tucked in, I turn off my side table lamp and scroll Tumblr for 30 minutes or so (I started doing this way before the site became prehistoric…I’ve curated my follows too thoroughly to switch to something else!) Not only is looking at beautiful imagery deeply meditative, but it gives the universe a sort of mental mood board when it comes to delivering your dreams. Case in point: much of my Tumblr feed looks like the home and countryside where I now live!
Then I blow out my candle and speak with spirit for a few minutes. I send gratitude for all my blessings, ask for guidance on anything sticky in my life, and then finish by saying that I’m closed for the evening and only me and my energy may remain in the room.
I’d love to know the results of your Romanticize—feel free to share your experience in the comments, or tag me on Instagram. Until next Wednesday, fellow romantics!