It’s officially the start of a new year, and if one of your goals this year is to get your family in a better sleep routine, you’re in the right place. While bedtime in our household is nothing short of chaotic, I’ve carefully curated a relaxing nighttime routine for our family over the years, and it has made SUCH a difference in our evenings.
Evenings used to feel rushed and stressful. Dinner, baths, meltdowns, devices everywhere and relaxation… no where to be found. It felt like we were all running on different clocks. Once we finally committed to creating a cozy routine for our nights, everything started to shift. Our kids started falling asleep faster, the house felt calmer, and honestly, I started looking forward to the evenings again.
Here is what our nights look like now, and if you’re looking to create a new routine this year, take a look at my 5 small shifts that made a BIG difference.
1. The Foundation: Turndown Service
I joke that I feel like I run my own little hotel because every night starts with what I call my turndown service. This is the signal to the whole house that it is time to slow down.
I start by dimming all the lights, closing all the curtains, fluffing the pillows, pulling back everyone’s covers, and make every bedroom feel warm and ready for sleep. The energy in the house changes instantly. The kids know exactly what that means: it’s time to wind down.
We all change into cozy pajamas. If I’m putting Annie to bed, we both wear our pink Another Day pajamas (here are the kids pink ones). If I’m putting Leo to bed, we wear the navy ones together (here is the kids link and here is the link to the adult set). It’s such a small thing but it has become one of those rituals the kids really get excited about.
At this point in the evening, all devices go away. Phones, tablets, everything. No exceptions. It makes a massive difference in how easily everyone settles.
2. Setting the Mood
Next, I refill everyone’s Vitruvi humidifiers. We have one in each bedroom and I swear by them. The air feels better, it instantly makes everything feel more peaceful and I find my quality of sleep has improved so much!
If I have time, I LOVE having a bath before bed to relax after a big day. Before I get in the bath, I dry brush and it is honestly my favourite part of my routine. It exfoliates my skin, promotes lymphatic drainage and gets the blood flowing.
Then I take a bath using my favourite products from The Market by The Jilly Box. Some of my faves include: the Barefoot Venus Mustard Bath, Midnight Paloma Peppermint Body Scrub and the Glow Jar Beauty Body Oil. This is my moment of quiet, it’s the perfect way to unwind.
3. My Nighttime Skincare and Supplements
After a bath, I do my nighttime skincare. I’ve really found a great routine of products that make my skin feel glowy and fresh. Here are some of the ones I swear by:
- Caudalie Foaming Cleanser (comes in a great bundle!)
- Avène Dermabsolu Night Cream
- Caudalie Beauty Elixir (*affiliate link)
- Luna Bronze Illume Tanning Spray and Tanning Moisturizer
- A really good hand cream or serum like this one!
After my skincare, then I take my nighttime supplements, which include:
- Nutrafol Women’s Balance Formula
- Magnesium
- Omega
- Progesterone
- And a big cup of icy Within Us mixed into my water
I know this sounds like a lot, but this whole routine feels grounding and calm, not overwhelming. It really sets me up for a great sleep and I wake up feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the day!
4. Helping Everyone Settle
Up until now, it’s been smooth sailing… but this is where we usually hit a few bumps in the road LOL. Our kids are definitely night owls, so it can be VERY tricky to get everyone settled and ready to go to bed. We read lots of books before bed, and if anyone in the house is having trouble winding down, we use the Saje Stress Release Roll-On, which makes a big difference.
And once it is time for the actual sleeping part of the nighttime routine, we put on a Jessica Sky meditation from Apple Fitness. I am not exaggerating when I say it puts everyone in our family to bed… including me!
5. The Final Step: SLEEP!
We’ve gotten to the most important component of a good sleep routine… the mattress! We swear by our Haven mattresses and have them on every bed in our house, the farmhouse and our rental property. They are truly the comfiest mattresses we have ever tried.
We changed the game a few years ago when we added this cooling mattress topper (*affiliate link) and I have never slept better in my life.
Creating this nighttime routine has been one of the most impactful changes we have made as a family. I’ll be honest, some nights are still messy. Some nights someone has trouble settling, or needs one more hug, or one more story. But having this routine gives us all something to come back to after a busy, chaotic day.
If your evenings feel stressful or exhausting or just not very enjoyable right now… I promise even adding one or two of these steps can completely change the tone of your nights.
Sweet dreams,
xo
Jilly
