With the stress of everyday life, it’s so common to have difficulty settling in to enjoy a good night’s rest. Our brains take forever to shut down (am I right?), we’re constantly thinking about our endless to-do list, or maybe our sleep environment needs some fine tuning. Look, I’m no sleep expert! There are nights where I wake up forgetting what day it is because I was in such a blissful deep sleep and then there are those 3am wake up and can’t fall back asleep type of nights too. What I do know is that with the right sleep environment, anything is possible!
Ensuring your bedroom is fit for uninterrupted sleep is so important. There are many techniques I’ve used that have helped me to harness those quality Z’s and leave me feeling well rested, energized, and ready to take on my day. Read on for my simple list and sweet dreams to you!
How To Get The Best Sleep
1. Up your pillow and blanket game
You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to purchase super luxurious sheets or pillows to get the best sleep. Shop around or test some products that you think will work best for you! I personally love a good memory foam type pillow because I feel it best supports my head and neck and also includes a cooling gel built in to the pillow for temperature control. I like a heavier (note, not weighted) blanket that feels like a big, soft hug. This helps me settle in to sleep and keeps me comfortable throughout the night.
2. Settle in to soothing sounds
My boyfriend introduced me to sleep sounds and it’s been a big game changer! You can download sleep sound apps for free that include rain noise, nature sounds, whatever your sleepy heart desires! I personally love drifting to sleep to rain noise as the soothing water makes it so much easier for me to drift off into a dreamy state of bliss. There are also wonderful meditation apps like Calm that include sleep meditations, body scans, or even sleep stories.
3. Block that bright light
Another big game changer for me – an eye mask for sleep! I’m one of those people that needs complete darkness to sleep and this helps immensely with that. Eye masks are quite inexpensive to purchase online and come in fun colors and patterns (I guess that’s not a huge factor if you’re sleeping anyways!). I use an extra padded mask that feels gentle around my eye area and can be adjusted to suit the fit that’s best for me. Be sure to look for one that includes a gap between your eye lids and the mask – the traditional, flat sleep masks can put too much pressure on your lids and potentially mess with your REM sleep.
4. Shut that TV down!
I know your bedroom is the perfect opportunity for relaxing TV watching but it can really have it’s downfalls. Your bedroom is meant to induce relaxation and having your loud, bright TV in the mix can really mess with that. Do yourself a favor and stick to TV watching in the living room where it belongs. Your body and sleep will thank you so much for this!
5. Introduce aromatherapy
I’m a big fan of essential oils (read more about that here) and I love how they can play a big, calming role in our sleep game. Try introducing a diffuser in the bedroom and include some soothing scents like lavender or chamomile. You can even try mixing your favorite essential oil in a spray bottle with water and spritz on your pillow. Sweet smells and sweet dreams await!
What are your favorite sleep rituals? Let me know in the comments section below!
