Sleep is central to human survival and governs the most important of all bodily functions, from memory formation to immune defence. Yet the demands of modern life have rendered uninterrupted rest a luxury.
For TikTok content creator Emily (@gildedwhim), it remains the single most important thing in her life and has become the focus of her recent series.
"Sleep is the most important thing in my life, it's more important than any job, dream, or hobby," she declared in a recent clip.
The creator says she manages to clock between ten and 11 hours of shut-eye each night and even fits in daytime naps on top of that.
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Emily has shared her elaborate bedtime routine online
|GETTY
The routine starts after her shower, when Emily hops onto an acupressure mat; a practice rooted in traditional Chinese medicine that's become hugely popular on the platform, with over 100,000 posts using the hashtag.
"Right out of my shower, I'm getting on my acupressure mat. If you haven't experienced this yourself, it's probably going to be weird," she said.
"It's a bunch of tiny little spikes that you lie on on your back [to] with circulation. It releases endorphins, it promotes a state of relaxation, you just can't understand until you try it."
The technique works by targeting specific pressure points across the body to ease tension and encourage a calm state.
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From there, Emily heads to the kitchen to prepare either water or tea and warms up her heated eye mask.
"This was recommended to me by my eye doctor," she revealed.
Using a warm compress on the eyelids can boost tear production and improve moisture on the eye's surface, making it brilliant for overall eye health. Emily says she loves it because it's also soothing.
She then climbs back into bed with her drink, puts on the mask, and listens to a short meditation lasting five to ten minutes, noting: "I usually use Waking Up, but recently I've been trying Open."
Once the meditation wraps up, she applies a mix of products to her skin, including standard lotion and a magnesium roll-on, finishing with a quick spritz of perfume.
Emily swears by using an acupressure mat after the shower
|GETTY
Her favourite trick is one she's relied on for years.
"I put on the same song every night, and it kind of primes me for bedtime," she shared.
The tune plays on a thirty-minute timer while she reads on her Kindle in the darkness, with just a gentle sunset light setting.
"As soon as the 30 minutes are up, it goes straight into my white noise," Emily added.
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