As you may know we recently released our newest gift set offering - our Sleep Better Set. Sleep is one of the most important things we can give ourselves, but for some people it is not easy to achieve so I thought it would helpful to go over how to complement your Sleep Better gift set with my top 3 ways to find a better night's sleep.
Here are my tips to create a nice sleep ritual that will really help you get that much needed rest!
Bedroom Environment
Never underestimate the importance of creating a space that promotes sleep. The proper bedroom environment can make or break a good night of sleep.
Keep it dark
Dark is so important when sleeping. I mean even the light from a clock. It needs to be pitch black. I uses a sleep mask and it is awesome! I highly recommend finding a sleep mask that really blocks out all the light.
Keep it quiet.
It can’t be totally silent but managing disturbing noises is key. For me it was my snoring dogs! I had to move them out of the bedroom at night. This has probably had the biggest impact on my restful nights sleep. Now, if your partner is snoring I am not sure kicking them out of the bedroom is the best idea…..but maybe trying earplugs is!
Keep it cool.
The ideal temperature for sleeping is around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. I was surprised by this but it seems to be working for me. My husband now has like 3 blankets covering him because he thinks it is too cold. So, I say try it and find a temperature that works, but try to keep it on the cooler side.
Keep it technology free.
Get your phone out of the room. That simple. But also, don’t bring your computer in your bedroom, keep it a stress free zone. No work and no phone calls, just rest and sleep.
Keep it about sleep and rest.
Make your bedroom a restful place. Try picking a scent to use only in your bedroom. I use a linen spray on my sheets and curtains and this keeps a light scent in the bedroom. ( Tip - when traveling I bring that scent and spray my hotel room or pack a travel tin candle- it helps me sleep better when traveling!)
Bedtime Ritual
I always think about all the routines and the time spent on getting my daughter to sleep when she was young. Why don’t we make that effort for ourselves? It is crazy to think that we often go from the craziness of the day to immediately trying to go to sleep without a transition period.
I have been introducing my own bedtime routine for a few months now, and it is life changing.
Introduce a wind down time.
Adding a wind down period before you turn the lights out for sleep is my new favorite thing. It can take 30 - 60 minutes, maybe even longer! It really helps with how quickly you fall asleep once you get in bed.
My usual routine starts a few hours before bedtime. I light a candle after dinner and try to be intentional about relaxing. I reflect and journal about my day, and make a list of all of the things I need to do the next day. This helps me table any intrusive thoughts that may cause my mind to race.
Do something for yourself.
Include having a cup of tea, washing my face and doing some nice treatment for myself like a face mask or, if I have had a really crazy day, I take a bath with our magnesium rich bath salts and lather on some of our essential oil scented lotion.
Add Magnesium
Just before bed I always spray a some magnesium spray on to my wrists and feet. Magnesium is clinically proven to restful promote sleep (among other things; read about it in our Magic Magnesium blog)
Read a book
Then I always read a real book in bed, not from an electronic device!
Sleep times and wake up times
This is so important, well all of this is important but this one is REALLY important! Going to bed at the same time every night. Of course we can’t do this 100% of the time but I bet you can 95% of the time! It helps with the routine and we have sleep cycles and the more consistent we can be the more our bodies get trained to go to sleep at certain time. Just as important as when we go to sleep is when we wake up. You need to wake up at the same time every day too! The consistent sleep and wake times help our bodies quickly fall into sleep cycles and then pull us out of the cycle too. This will make for a more restful sleep and you will feel like you had a restorative night of sleep. ( Tip - NEVER hit the snooze button. It can cause sleep inertia, which is basically part of your brain still sleeping because it wasn’t able to cycle out of sleep and then you feel like you are in a brain fog all day!!)
As we spend this week focusing on getting rest I hope you try some or even just one of my tips on getting better sleep! Stay tuned for more tips on getting rest and please share some things that work for you! Follow along on social media for more!
Marcy
