Courtney Halverson of Pretty Little Fawn is looking for tips and tricks. “I used to be a really good sleeper up until I hit age 30,” the L.A.-based actress/blogger tells Hill House Home. “I don't know what happened in the last year and a half. It's been a little bit more of a struggle. I've had to be more intentional with it.”
While she once could fall asleep without any sort of routine, now she’s finding solace in following the same steps every single night. “For me, that's a CBD capsule before I go to bed and setting the tone for sleep before I actually climb into bed.”
Here, she share what setting that tone entails.
What side of the bed do you sleep on?
I sleep on the left side of the bed—my left—always. It doesn't matter where we are staying. I'm always on that side of the bed. I've been trying to train myself to sleep on my back because it's supposed to be better for you—for wrinkles and all that stuff. I think that may be why I'm struggling with sleep, because I'm so used to just curling in a ball on my side. I'm trying to come up with a whole pillow system, like a fortress, to keep me upright and on my back.
What can you not sleep without?
I have some random old earbuds that I fall asleep with, which is probably not the best thing. I listen to really quiet podcasts—a lot of true crime— to go to sleep. I'm sure I've had some really horrible dreams, but I listen at such a quiet volume that it just kind of sounds like voices in another room. I don't know why that's soothing to me. I sleep with an eye mask on, so my head is just completely covered in devices and masks. I also have CBD before I go to bed. I use Equilibria capsules at night and drops, which I take in the morning.
What is currently next to your bed?
I have a little bedside table—a cube with a little door on the front. The top of it is as nicely curated as I can do, but sometimes it becomes a catch-all. I have a giant Mason Jar that I use for my cup of water, and a metal straw. I have my CBD over there, and my nighttime skin care, which I do in bed right before I fall asleep. I wash my face in the bathroom, climb into bed, and then do my nighttime skin routine while I'm sitting there. It's a nice way for me to wind down.
What’s the strangest thing next to your bed?
I have a framed drawing that my friend did of my dog that's kind of silly looking. I don't know if it's strange or crazy, but it is very cute.
What would you not be able to sleep without being next to your bed?
I need to have an outlet next to me and I think that is because I listen to the podcast for a couple hours. It really drains my phone battery.
So, you keep electronics next to your bed?
I'm trying to not reach for my phone in the middle of the night. It is hard because I am using it to listen to quiet sounds [to fall asleep]. I used to just sit there and scroll. In the last year, a lot of doom scrolling was happening at three in the morning. I'm trying not to have my phone within reaching distance, but it does need to be somewhat nearby. I would like to break the habit of having any electronics in the bedroom because I think it's just not great for anyone.
What is your nighttime routine in five steps or less?
I use a retinol oil - Mara Algae Retinol - every single night.
I'm using a soon-to-be-lauched eye cream from Furtuna Skin. I used to just use eye cream in the morning, but I’ve started to do it at night and I put the silk mask on afterwards. I feel like it makes such a difference. It just really absorbs in there.
I have my Byredo Rose Handcream hand cream because I feel like my hands are so neglected, especially with the amount of hand washing and hand sanitizing. I'm really trying to bring the moisture back to them and keep them youthful looking.
I try to keep it simple. There's another cream that I use for my neck and my chest area, Caudalie Reservatrol Lift, because, again, I'm trying to reduce the wrinkles that I have from my side sleeping. So, I'm really focusing in on the décolletage area.