Sleep is essential, yet responsibilities, stress, and anxiety often cut in when a good night’s rest is most needed. Factor in a global pandemic, and attempts to get a solid eight hours, seven days a week, are feeble at best, for many. Whether you struggle with sleeplessness or are just downright exhausted from life — cue the insomnia memes — a consistent bedtime routine is one way to foster a sound slumber. Integrating soothing nighttime products — like calming essential oils, dreamy sheets sets and pajamas, a comforting sound device, and regenerative beauty elixirs — might help you drift off even quicker. If anything, they’re a luxe way to nurture your bedtime ritual when sound sleep is a non-negotiable.
“The world is so unpredictable, and I find having a bedtime routine that is as consistent as possible and ends the day with a feeling of comfort and familiarity is important,” says Sara Panton, co-founder of the diffuser and essential oil brand, Vitruvi. Adding, “Right now, I’m relying on the consistency of a bedtime routine that helps my nervous system unwind, and my busy brain get ready to sleep.”
For Panton, aroma is a powerful way to cue the brain and body for rest — one hour before going to sleep, she adds 30 drops of an essential oil blend to her room diffuser, turns it on, and shuts the door to her bedroom. “I finish my evening routine, have some calming tea, and then, when I enter the room, the aroma reminds me that it’s time for bed,” she shares. “Done consistently, this can become a little spa moment and a nice way to set the stage for a good night’s rest.”
Tamar and Geraldine Gottesman — the mother-daughter duo behind The Sleep Code, a retail concept dedicated to nurturing sleep — were both suffering from bouts of insomnia. After sharing and testing sleep-related products, they set out to create a business and community that encourages self-care and a serene sleep ritual.
“We were inspired by this open space and wanted to curate the best of what we had discovered and become that positive resource for others,” Tamar tells TZR. “Sleep products help us have a sense of control over our comfort and nightly routines [and] we want to encourage people to get excited about discovering products to make bedtime more joyful.” Geraldine adds, “It’s such an anxious time, and for many people, sleep has become problematic for the first time. We think discovering the sleep products and bedtime rituals that bring you joy is the ultimate act of self-care.”
With an edit including pajamas and loungewear, bedding, body care products, and nightstand essentials, The Sleep Code is a one-stop-shop for creating a luxurious bedtime routine, from the products you put on your skin to the fabrics your dress in and lay on while drifting off. Cozy footwear and attire are among the best-sellers so far. “We’ve noticed that slippers are the shoe of the year,” says Geraldine. “Customers are embracing and having fun with slippers, socks, and, of course, loungewear. They’re investing in clothing that’s comfortable but still suits their personal style.”
Beauty products and face tools for a pre-sleep wind-down are another customer favorite, like Gua Sha massagers, dry brushes, and microcurrent devices like the ZIIP. “People are finding it’s time well-spent for some extra self-care and relaxation,” Tamar explains. Nightly baths are gaining popularity, too. “Americans have tended to favor the quick shower, which has fit their pace of life, but as we’ve all slowed down, the bathing ritual fits into our schedules,” Geraldine adds, noting bath soaks as another top-seller.
Similarly, Jenna Levine, the founder of LINNÉ Botanicals — she’s studied nutrition, alternative medicine, and botany and is certified in California native plant botany and herbal medicine — formulated an aromatherapeutic fragrance duo to promote tranquility, relieve tension, and improve sleep. “Though Rise & Rest was formulated early in my pregnancy, I had no idea how much they would come to serve me towards the end of term, during labor, and now postpartum,” she explains. Applying it to her temples, neck, inner wrists, and arches of her feet, Levine says the oils help calm her racing mind and lull her to sleep. She also uses them in the morning to kick off her day in place of coffee and, during her pregnancy and when giving birth, they worked as a localized pain reliever.
Through customer feedback, Levine has learned how LINNÉ’s sleep oil helps parents calm and prepare their children for bed. “[It’s] become a symbol in some households that it’s time to switch gears from wild play to restful sleep,” she explains. “One customer reported that her little girl feels very special using it nightly and that the act of applying it to her daughter is just as soothing as the chemical activity.” She adds, “Exhausted parents and other individuals may not need coaxing into bed, but they are turning to Rise & Rest to help them release anxiety, tension, and fears that have become all the more present with the pandemic. They know these vials are no magic wand, but in the moments they are being applied and inhaled, they can take a moment to release, look inward and remember that for which they are grateful.”
Ahead, keep scrolling to discover an edit of night-time products, from sleepwear to sound devices, beauty products to bedding, and aromatic enhancers like essential oils and diffusers. They’re not the end-all, be-all of a solid night’s rest. But at the very least, they’ll make bedtime a little more luxe.
