If you hadn’t noticed, motherhood is in. The signs are everywhere: fashion girls showing off their pregnant bellies, young employees calling their bosses “mother,” trad wives being trad wives. But let’s not forget that before all that there was Connie Britton. When Friday Night Lights premiered in 2006, Britton, as Tami Taylor, became the outspoken yet steadfast wife of a high-school football coach and mom of a teenage girl. After a few less comforting mom roles, in Dirty John and Promising Young Woman, Britton returned to good(ish) parenting in The White Lotus, Benito Skinner’s Overcompensating, and, most recently, The Family McMullen. Here, Britton, the mother of a 14-year-old son, shares her two nighttime routines: the reality and the fantasy.
When do you start getting ready for bed?
I took last fall off to be home with my son, who just started high school, and my nighttime routine often depends on his schedule. I really try to start getting ready no later than 10 when I’m home. If I’m working, it’s a whole different deal. I go to bed as soon as possible, because I have to wake up really early the next morning. I always try to get seven or eight hours of sleep.
What does your nighttime skin-care routine look like?
I like to think of myself as pretty low-maintenance. There are two versions of my routine. There’s the typical “I’m tired, and I have to wake up early” version, where I do the bare minimum, and then there’s the dream routine. And that involves a bath.
What’s one thing you have to do before bed?
No matter what, I always use my May Lindstrom products. I recently discovered May’s brand, and it turns out our kids went to school together. She makes the most gorgeous, pure, amazing products, and my skin responds to them so well because it tends to be pretty sensitive and dry. On nights when I want a quick routine, I smear her Pendulum Potion cleansing oil across my face, take a wet washcloth, and give it a good cleanse. She also has this incredible product called the Blue Cocoon, which is a cream that dissolves in your hands and becomes an oil. I combine that with an oil called the Youth Dew. It makes me feel like my face is getting worked on all night while I’m sleeping.
How do you decompress after a long day on set?
That would be my dream nighttime routine. It’s really great if I can do my dream routine at least once or twice a week while I’m working, especially if I’m traveling, because sometimes that causes little irritations and inflammations on my face. I’ll draw a bath, pour in all kinds of salts and whatever beautiful oils I have to moisturize my skin and get rid of the toxins and the aches and pains of the day. I feel like a bath changes your body chemistry. And I might mix up my May Lindstrom mask and sit in my bath with it on. After that, I do the Blue Cocoon and Youth Dew, and I feel like I’ve had a mini spa treatment.
Do you take any supplements?
I take a peptide called Tesamorelin five nights a week, and then take two days off. You inject it with a syringe. I try to be pretty religious about it. I usually won’t take anything unless I really feel and see that it’s making a difference. I’m going through menopause, which changes your body so substantially, but I’ve found that giving myself these peptide shots in the evening is very rejuvenating. This one is muscle firming, which is good because menopause and aging make our muscles less defined. It’s also helped with weight, since I’ve noticed my body change completely with menopause. You spend a good part of your adult life figuring out what you can eat and what exercise your body responds to, and then suddenly all that goes out the window. But these shots have made a huge difference.
What type of pajamas do you wear?
I’m all over the map with pajamas. I just got this really amazing pair from Eberjey called Nautico. It’s the thinnest material. In my ideal world, I’m not wearing anything at all, so I like to wear pj’s that feel like I’m naked. On the flip side of that, especially in the wintertime, I like to go old-school and wear a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt to bed. I also love that, but maybe halfway through the night I’ll take them off and end up naked anyway.
Are you particular about your sleeping conditions?
The biggest thing for me is light. I’m inclined to wake up with the sun, so if light comes into my room, forget it—it’s over, I’m up. Blackout shades are really effective.
What type of sheets do you use?
I discovered this Italian brand called Legna when I was shooting in Nashville. It’s the softest sheets you’ve ever felt. Those are my sheets for my dream night routine. They’re not always on my bed, but they’re my favorite.
How long does it take you to fall asleep?
I can usually fall asleep quickly because I’m so exhausted by the end of the day. But I’ll wake up in the middle of the night. I can be up for hours, which is such a drag. If that happens, taking some magnesium can really help.
What is your most bizarre nighttime habit?
This is a true confession. I’ll have gone through my little routine, brushed my teeth, gotten into bed, and then I want a piece of chocolate. My son always teases me about seeing chocolate by my bed, and I’m like, “Nothing for you to worry about!” I have pretty healthy chocolate around my house, that dark kind.
Where is your all-time favorite place to sleep?
My own bed. Or wherever my fiancé [the producer David Windsor] is. If he’s in bed with me, then it’s my all-time favorite place to sleep.
Jeanne Malle is an Associate Editor at AIR MAIL
