when did bedtime become another thing to optimise?

I used to think going to bed was a fairly straightforward activity. Get into bed, close your eyes and then fall asleep. Easy! I WISH! These days, I appear to be running my own science sleep lab, with myself as both the highly untrained professor and the helpless patient.

Each night, I eat two kiwifruit for their supposed melatonin benefits, put in my earplugs, pull on an expensive eye mask and painstakingly cover any rogue light sources with tape. Then I monitor for the slight hum of any electronics I forgot to turn off and switch on the fan. By the time I've completed my preparations, the sun is basically up.

It feels like bedtime can always be – and should be – optimised further. There's always a new habit to try, a setting to adjust, a supplement to consider. My algorithm is full of them all! Even rest has become something we're expected to get right. And while I enjoy a good routine, the idea that I need to become a sleep-optimisation expert just to feel well-rested is kinda exhausting.

That's why I like the idea behind Melbourne-based fragrance brand EMBUED Studio. They create pillow mists inspired by places (rather than the usual idea of what sleep is supposed to smell like). Think less lavender-scented sleep prescription, more a little somewhere-else feeling at the end of a long day! 

There are three ‘places’ to choose from. ‘Still Dawn’ smells like stepping out of a tent onto dew-covered grass in the early morning – so it’s fresh and airy. ‘Open Shade’ takes you to a hammock beside a forest lake, smelling like sun-warmed leaves, citrus peel, fresh herbs and pale woods. And ‘Hearth’ is for anyone who'd rather be tucked up in a cute cabin at night, surrounded by warm, comforting woody notes. Personally, I wouldn't mind being in any of these places instead of lying awake wondering whether my eye mask is blocking enough light.

All three mists are water-based, ethanol-free and lavender-free, offering a gentler alternative to the usual bedtime fragrances. They can be misted over pillows and bedding or sprayed into the air around you. No complicated ceremony, no new sleep score to chase. Just a small sensory cue that says the day can be done, even if your inbox strongly disagrees.

Will I be giving up my eye mask and earplugs? Absolutely not. The fan isn't going anywhere, either. But it's nice to have something in my bedtime routine that feels like a treat, not another task to tick off. Sometimes, the loveliest thing you can do for yourself is stop trying so hard.