The 10-Minute Bedtime Routine That Transformed How I Sleep

By nature, I’m not a great sleeper. The littlest things have the power to derail my rest — overthinking about work, a cocktail at dinner, too much doom scrolling — leaving me wide awake and tossing and turning ‘til the wee hours.

To top it off, I’m not one of those people who can thrive on little sleep: You can easily tell when I’ve had a fitful night thanks to my lackluster skin and mood. So out of necessity, I’ve picked up little habits over the years that make getting a full 8 hours that much easier, making shuteye less stressful and more restful.

These habits have since turned into a non-negotiable nighttime ritual for me, and it goes without saying that I’ll be keeping them in rotation once the new year comes, especially since I’ve resolved to make wellness even more of a priority in my day-to-day life. Here are five quick moves that help me sink into serenity and set the stage for the sweetest, restorative sleep all night long.

1. Take A Sleep-Centric Supplement

Clocking in at #1 is my ultimate night cap, OLLY’s Immunity Sleep gummies, which taste just like berry gumdrops. With 3 milligrams of sleep-regulating melatonin and calming L-Theanine, they help me drift off and stay asleep. They also provide a dose of immunity-supporting elderberry, echinacea, vitamin C, and zinc, since compromised sleep can wreak havoc on your immune system, especially during the long winter months.

2. Indulge In A Mini Pressure Point Massage

No need for fancy tools here: I just grab my favorite cleansing balm or face oil and use my fingers to glide the formula along facial pressure points to relieve tension. This speedy massage works wonders at melting away sleep-disrupting stress and nourishing my skin for the ultimate beauty sleep. Here’s my step-by-step process:

Jaw: Bend your fingers and use the knuckles of your index and middle digits to sweep over your jawline, working it from your chin out toward your ears.

Cheeks: Start at the bottom of your cheekbones and lightly slide your fingers toward your temples.

Brow Bones: Using light-to-medium pressure, smooth your fingers upwards and outwards along brow bones, toward the hairline.

Neck: Stroke outward along your collarbones, then gently move up and out on your neck, stopping just below your jawline.

3. Work In A Moment Of Mindful Movement

I know, I know, any sort of movement hardly seems appealing at the end of a long day, but hear me out: A few curated stretches paired with intentional deep breathing can help relax your muscles, calm your mind, and release all the day’s stresses. This 7-minute bedtime yoga is really effective at helping me wind down. To speak to its effectiveness, before establishing said bedtime ritual, I would do these moves on nights I couldn’t sleep, no matter how late it was. By the time I was back in bed, I was out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow, without fail.

4. Practice A Little Mind Dumping

When my mind is racing or my to-do list for the next day is rattling around my head, I jot down my thoughts in a notebook I keep in my bedside table (a notes app on your phone works too, although I try to limit screen time once I’m in between the sheets). Flip through the pages of my notebook and you’ll find random musings, tasks I forgot to do the day before, and reminders to look for that sweater I wore to that work dinner five years ago. Taking a few seconds to document what I’m thinking — whatever that may be — helps my mind slip out of overdrive so tranquility can take over.

5. Give My Skin Health A Boost

Remember what I said about my skin looking lackluster after a night of no sleep? OLLY Collagen Gummy Rings help counteract that effect thanks to bioactive collagen peptides that restore skin’s glow and smooth fine lines and wrinkles. With their juicy peach flavor and candy texture, I like to combine them with the OLLY Immunity Sleep for the ultimate wellness snack so come morning, I wake up feeling and looking noticeably refreshed.