When you were a child and your mother read you a bedtime story every night, this comforting ritual helped you fall asleep.

Even in adulthood, a specific bedtime routine can have a similar effect, signaling to the body and mind that it’s time to let go of Morpheus.

It’s a common secret among French girls. When it comes to the prospects for better sleep, French women choose their favorite perfume to relax with sweet dreams. Which perfume, must be different from what they wear during the day.

They usually spray a combination of chamomile, basil, lavender or peppermint on their pillow or between their sheets – a habit that helps decompress from the day before.

Let’s not forget that smell is the only sense that directly affects the emotional part of the brain. This is why we wear different perfumes depending on the emotions we want to experience.

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Perfume, however, has an unsuspected power over not only what we will feel, but also our mood. Our brain associates each smell with an experience, a memory. Certain scents are able to induce a state of calm, which is necessary to fall asleep.

Of course, a beautiful smell is not enough. Busy French women try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. It’s not the quantity that matters, but the quality. Our body craves balance, and if we train it to sleep and wake up at a certain time (even if we’re still sleepy), it will eventually listen to our request.

Lights signal to our brain that it’s daytime and can affect our body’s ability to relax for sleep. So turn off the light earlier, give your space the necessary aromatic touch and sleep.