In our Sleeping With… series, we ask people from different career paths, backgrounds, and stages of life how they make sleep magic happen.
In the Starz comedy Run the World, Bresha Webb plays Renee, someone who makes every situation a little more enjoyable for her friends. “Renee is so much fun,” Webb tells SELF. “She is the friend that everybody wants to have.” Webb says that her character’s unapologetic and energetic vibe isn’t a huge departure for her. But high energy comes with a few challenges in real life.
“I am go, go, go,” Webb tells SELF. “I don’t sleep enough. But I am sleeping better—I’m proud of myself. I’m getting like seven hours a night.”
Webb, who tends to take on difficulties with optimism (whether she’s freezing her eggs or navigating her career), says sleep is something she actively does. Whether she’s working or at home in Los Angeles, she has a very intentional routine that helps her wind down. So how does someone who plays “the life of the party” decompress every night? To find out, we caught up with the actor while she was filming in Harlem and asked her to break down her nighttime routine.
I have to set the tone when I’m going to bed, no matter what time it is at night. It helps me sleep.
I love showers. I don’t have time to soak in a bath every night. But when I’m working outside of L.A., I try to get at least three baths a week. It’s mandatory because I’m just so tired, I’m on my feet, I’m in heels, and it’s so cold. But when I’m in L.A.? Put me in the shower—it’s too hot for a bath.
I have eucalyptus and lilac plants that hang over my showerhead. I saw it in a magazine, and I was like, I have to do this. I go to the flower shop, and I just get a bundle of eucalyptus and lilac plants. It comes with a little ring, and you can put it on your showerhead. It just brings the spa to you every time you take a shower.
I’m really into Tracy Hudson’s skin-care line right now. Her products are awesome for discoloration and hydration.
She’s a Black woman, and she’s my esthetician. I have eczema, but I’ve wanted to do the no-makeup thing. I’m going for the Beyoncé/Kelly Rowland no-makeup look with just a little highlighter. I use Tracy Hudson’s Take It All Off Cleanser to take my makeup off. I also use the Vitamin C Brightening Complex and her Ultra Hydration Hydrochloric Acid, and I end it off with the Luxe Lite moisturizer.
I also do the Laneige Lip Sleep Mask. I’m all about the butter, and I love Maurita’s Essentials Decadent Whipped Body Butter. She’s from Baltimore, and she’s my mom’s sorority sister. I tell her to ship me stuff in bulk.
Decadent Whipped Body Butter
Vitamin C Brightening Complex
Another thing I found is oregano soap.
It helps with my eczema. I was having a really bad flare-up during the whole Run the World shoot. My eczema was like, Hey, guys, you want me to say hi in this outfit? Lisa Logan, who did our nails, has a soap shop called The Body Suite in Harlem, and oh, my goodness, her soap! You can see the herbs in the soaps. It’s all homemade.
I love to put rose oil on my hands before bed. It smells good, and it really moisturizes your cuticles when you’re getting your nails done regularly.
I’m trying to do a better job of not picking up my phone after my routine.
If I do pick up my phone? Oh, I could be up all night. I like watching people do TikTok videos, and I’m in so many group chats. I could be on my phone for hours, days, but I need to get my rest. When I have something to do, I put a timer on for 10 minutes tops, and it shuts off.
And I always have a glass of water on my bedside table.
I’m one of those people that wakes up in the middle of the night thirsty, and I try to have room temperature water when I wake up. And before I brush my teeth, I just drink a tall glass of water if I can.
I remind myself to take a deep breath all the time.
When I’m stressed and working, my brain is always going. So I’ve started using singing bowls. I have the Calm meditation app, but their recordings aren’t long enough for me. So I go on YouTube, and I just put on singing bowl videos, and they’re like three hours long.
I tell myself, Girl, it’s not that serious. Take a deep breath and relax your shoulders. When I was shooting Run the World, I was living in Harlem, and Harlem is loud. I wasn’t prepared for that, but I would have my speaker. I would put the singing bowl sounds on and light a candle, and I’d be good.
Quotes have been edited for length and clarity.