Sleep is everything!
Before getting Brady, I was getting some of the best sleep I’ve ever had. While a puppy has (temporarily) put a wrench in my 8 hours a night, restful sleep, I’m convinced that these 7 tips were helping me to have the best night sleep.
1. Turn off all electronics at least an hour before bed and do something offline
I know this one is cliche, but it’s something that really changed my sleep routines. I started putting on Do Not Disturb on my phone around 9pm since I’m an early bird and am out before 10pm. During that hour before I go to sleep and fall asleep, I spend a bit of time getting ready for bed, picking up/planning for the next day and spending at least 30 minutes reading.
Personally, I love to read (mostly fiction at night) because it allows me to escape my thoughts of the day I just had and keep my mind off of what is going to happen tomorrow and to get absorbed into a story. I guess that’s why it works for children and their bedtime stories?!? Some of my most favorite books that I’ve recently read are: The One to Watch, This Time Next Year, American Royals Series, and Red, White and Royal Blue.
If I’m particularly stressed or worried about the next day, I’ll also take some time to journal and write down my worries or what I need to accomplish the next day. For some reason, the act of actually writing things down seems to limit how much I think about them.
2. Invest in some cozy, soft sheets
Not only do soft sheets feel wonderful when you are snuggled beneath them, but they also can help to protect your hair and skin from breakage. Plus, if you love your sheets, you’re more likely going to want to spend more time in bed 😉
When I moved into my new apartment last year, I knew one of the first things I wanted to replace was sheets for my queen size bed. After researching a lot of the different brands out there, I ended up going with the Brooklinen Luxe Sateen sheets because they received rave reviews and will more affordable than a lot of other brands.
After using these sheets for over a year, I cannot recommend them enough – after the first wash they were soft and have only continued to get softer after every wash. I also love that the pillow cases have an extra section of fabric to fully envelope your pillow while still have the classic look – no more pillow corner peek a boo happening anymore.
3. Use CBD oil to naturally help you unwind
I’ll be honest, I was a bit apprehensive to start taking CBD tincture (aka. oil you put under your tongue). I’ve been a huge fan of topical CBD to help with aches and pains, but never really knew enough about the tincture to fully understand it’s benefits and potential side effects to start taking it.
When my anxiety hit an all time high last year, I was looking for ways to help to naturally relieve my racing mind at night and help me to relax. I kept seeing CBD as one option that would naturally help to relieve anxiety and could promote a more restful night’s sleep.
If you’re a research buff, here’s a scientific report on how CBD impacts sleep in rats.
Since, there are SO many different CBD products and brands on the market right now and finding a brand that I trusted was crucial for me to make the decision to start taking it. After doing lots of research, I decided on Equilibria for a couple of reasons. First, they are made for women, by women and their mission is to provide quality products that can be customized for the wide variety of women’s issues. Secondly, they know where their products come from as all of their products are made from the flowers of the plants from a partner farm in Colorado.
And one of the major factors in using their oil is because of their support throughout the process. Personally, I use the Equilibria CBD Daily Drops in the evening right before crawling into bed. And if I’m feeling tight in any muscles (cough, cough…my shoulders where I hold my stress), I’ll use the Relief Cream to reduce tension. I determined this routine through the help of Equilibria’s Dosing Team who met with me 1:1 to understand what my goals were (aka. to sleep better and reduce the constant running of thoughts in my head), provide recommendations on how/when to take the products and provided me with a consultation to meet with their Pharmacist to ensure that the CBD would not interact poorly with my prescription medications (I still recommend confirming with your doctor, but this consultation gave me the 2nd opinion that made me feel even more at ease).
After using both of these Equilibria products, I can tell you that I am sleeping more soundly throughout the night and wakeup feeling a lot more rested. One of the things that I have learned throughout my journey with Equilibria is that CBD builds in your system, so the longer you take it, the more effective it will be at helping you have a better night’s sleep – so being consistent with it every night is key!
If you’re considering CBD, I’d highly recommend looking into Equilibria as their products are high-quality and their customer service is fantastic! They’ve provided SGSB readers a 20% off discount for your first purchase to try it out – just use code EMILYSGSB upon check out.
4. Establish a skincare routine
Not only does having a set skincare routine each evening help you achieve that glow-worthy no-makeup look, but having having the ritual of taking 5-10 minutes to pamper your skin before bed is a nice way to unwind and begin the relaxation process. Plus the mental image of washing away the day’s dirt, grime and
And don’t forget to add some moisturizer to your lips, so you can wake up with a plump, smooth smooch.
5. Utilize Essential Oils
You know that feeling when you smell lavender and instantly feel your shoulders relax a bit? Why not incorporate that into your nighttime routine? According to a 2005 study, participants who smelled lavender before bed promoted a deeper night’s sleep in both the women and the men participating the study.
To make my room set up for relaxation success, I use the ThisWorks Deep Sleep Spray to mist over my pillows. If I’m in need of some extra, heavy-duty essential oil relaxation, I will add some lavender oil to my diffuser.
6. Practice Mediation
One of the most common reasons that people cannot fall asleep is because of stress and a racing mind that is hard to turn off. I’ve personally suffered from this as my stress and anxiety would cause me to focus on everything that I need to do the next day or things that didn’t quite go right from earlier that day.
I’ve found that using apps like Headspace or Calm to practice a guided meditation will help to center my mind by focusing on my breath and reduce those racing, stressful thoughts. After a few months of following the guided meditation, I’ve found that it takes me less time of the meditation to drift off into sleep than it originally did.
If you’re new to meditation, don’t be hard on yourself if you find it doesn’t work or you can’t stop thinking about other things – it happens and, like most things in life, it takes practice.
7. Turn the temperature down
Lowering the temperature to 65 degrees at night has been proven to be the ideal temperature for most people to fall asleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Your body temperature naturally decreases in the evening (one of the circadian rhythm side effects) and lowering your room temperature is an indication to your body it’s time to rest.
If you have a smart thermostat, I recommend setting up the schedule mode to lower your temperature by 1-2 degrees each week until you find the temperature that works best for you. If you don’t have the ability to turn down the thermostat, consider turning on a fan to lower the temperature/circulate air while your sleeping to help cool it down a bit (plus, the white noise from the fan is an added benefit to help block out small creaks/noises throughout the night).
If both the fan and thermostat aren’t an option, they now make devices that cool your bed from the mattress pad to help keep you cool. I haven’t personally tried these out yet, but they are definitely intriguing.
Whether you have a ton of steps in your nighttime routine or stick to a more simple routine, I firmly believe that having a structured approach that you follow most nights of the week, your sleep will improve because your training your brain that these steps are your indication to wind down. Cheers to the best night’s sleep – good night, y’all!
Do you have any nighttime rituals? Let me know what they are in the comments below.
