I Tried a Chic French Hack to Sleep Better — And My Nighttime Routine Is Forever Changed
I’ve taken several measures to improve my nighttime routine. I kicked my TV out of my room, started limiting my screen time in the evening, and began reserving the last couple of hours for journaling or reading, all in pursuit of better sleep. Still, though, easy sleep often evades me, and lately my nighttime routine has been feeling drab. While watching the new season of Emily in Paris, I was struck by inspiration: What if there was a French ritual I could adopt into my own bedtime routine?
After a little research, I arrived at just the thing: the French tradition of wearing perfume to bed. Although not explicitly shown in the show, I can totally see Emily learning about the practice and eagerly trying it out for herself. I fell in love with the idea of embodying the French chic lifestyle, too — so, naturally, I decided to try it out for myself. Here’s how I did it and how it impacted my nighttime routine.
What Is the French Fragrance Hack?
France has been the hub of luxury fragrance development since the Renaissance, so it only makes sense that the French have been spritzing perfume before bed for generations. Here’s how you do this French sleep hack: After you finish up with your skincare, grab your fragrance of choice and spritz it a few times on your skin. You should use a fragrance you don’t wear during the day, or dedicate a fragrance as your bedtime scent.
A specific bedtime scent will help your body differentiate between night and day, or so the thinking goes, and it may help to choose a fragrance with notes that help soothe you, like lavender, bergamot, or chamomile. These scents are often used in aromatherapy, which has been shown to manage stress and promote relaxation — a must if you want to get a good night’s rest.
That’s not to say that your bedtime perfume has to have these ingredients. You might benefit from good sleep if you spray a fragrance that comforts you on a deep level. Smell is such an impactful sense — so much so, that you may have experienced a scent transport you to a near-forgotten moment in your childhood. If you can find a fragrance that soothes you and use it as part of your night routine, not only could you have better sleep, but you may create new and better associations with bedtime.
How I Tried the French Fragrance Hack
I tried the French fragrance hack for about two weeks. After I brushed my teeth and did my typical skincare routine, I reached for my Twelfth Degree perfume (an affordable scent that I get tons of compliments on, BTW), and spritzed twice, one on each side of my neck. After that, I continued on with the rest of my routine, which involves getting into bed and journaling.
I didn’t notice any physical changes to my sleep, even after a week of trying it. Wearing perfume to bed didn’t necessarily help me fall asleep faster (I have anxiety, so falling asleep can be especially difficult for me), nor was I necessarily more well-rested the next day. However, it soothed me to have a scent I love fill my studio apartment. The real changes happened beneath the surface — my relationship with my nighttime routine, and therefore my sleep, improved drastically.
It’s important to note that perfumes use a mixture of chemicals to ignite your senses, and because of that, I’ve had to wash my sheets more frequently. And, though wearing perfume to bed may seem needlessly luxurious, you don’t have to wear your most expensive fragrance to bed — just one that makes you feel good!
The elegant and simple step of spritzing perfume made me look forward to my bedtime routine, ensuring I didn’t skip any steps or neglect my rituals. Plus, the habit created a separation between day and night that’s particularly useful to me, as I often get a late start to my day or pull all-nighters writing. In all, this French hack just made me feel more put-together, chic, and sophisticated — which elevated my confidence, too.
For a tiny habit, I was surprised by how good this French practice made me feel. I’ll be giving it a permanent spot in my nighttime routine for just that reason.
Further Reading
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