Sleep, glorious, sleep. It is something I’ve flipped the switch at prioritizing over the past few years, and the benefits are tried and true. However, good, deep sleep isn’t the easiest thing for some of us, and at times it’s a constant battle. Also, some nights it just isn’t part of the plan. Just ask my dog who had to go out not once but three times last night, and also made me sleep with her on the couch for a while. She’s 10.5… it’s worth it and I’m just here to make her senior years as happy and cuddle-filled as possible.
Anyway, back to sleep. We all want it and want to get the most bang for our buck in terms of the hours we’re allotted. So whether you can get 4, 7, 8, or 10. Here’s what helps my sleep to be that juicy, cushiony deep kind that feels oh so divine.
Note: Everyone’s different, this is just what helps me.
1: I use a weighted blanket. Maybe it’s like a grown-up’s version of a swaddle but it’s like I’m being hugged to sleep. I don’t know what the good or bad ones are, as long as it’s soft and weighted it seems to work it’s magic. My mom got me this one for my birthday last year and I love it.
2: I wear one of those soft wrap-around silk sleep masks. Not the regular masks with the thin elastic sides. It’s like a puffy silk bandana you wrap around your eyes that’s loose and comfy, blocks out the light, and also doesn’t soak up all the skincare products I slather on at night ( yay silk). I also might try out this Nodpod eye mask I stumbled on – because it’s like a mini weighted blanket for your eyes and I can only imagine how heavenly that must feel. Their body pods/weighted blankets look sweet, too.)
3: Magnesium Glycinate. It’s my friend. A loving, calms me to sleep and keeps the 3 pm crashes I used to have daily far far away. The more research I do on different types of magnesium, the more fascinating it is. My husband basically told me I needed to start taking it, and I am so glad I actually listened to him for once.
4: I go to bed at the same time every night. Yes, this time is around midnight and my alarm is set for 6:40, so that’s barely under 7 hours. (I need the 9pm-midnight hours to work or have time with zero needs or responsibilities) But I swear I am exhausted and have crammed so much in my day that by the time my head hits the pillow, I’m out.
5: Being active and filling up your days helps SO much with sleep. When Paul McCartney was on Smartless (my favorite podcast) he said something simple, like..”if you’re tired/exhausted at the end of the day? That’s a good thing. It helps you sleep.” It’s simple but working out, being active, having hobbies, and working hard help you sleep.
6: Stretch and read before bed. I started doing this recently where I read a book and change my stretch position every other page until I’ve thoroughly stretched my hamstrings, hips, quads, and low back. It feels freaking fantastic and I also feel smarter knowing I read before bed. (This worked great with All The Light We Cannot See because each chapter = a different stretch) What a stunning book too.
7: Wine gets all the love and hype after a long day, but tea is your friend. Brew it, drink it, it’s a lovely and soothing ritual you never regret the next morning. Even when you have a few extra glasses.
8: It’s easier to say than do, but keep nighttime scrolling to a minimum. The struggle is real, and I admit to always going on Pinterest and pinning a few items every single night before I set my alarm. But yeah, phones suck the life out of sleep. And many other things. But there are books written about that already.
9: If you have a spouse/partner/significant other, there’s no shame and it’s totally ok to have different blanket situations. Right now I sleep in the sexiest setup imaginable: Wearing old sweats, fuzzy socks, underneath a weighted blanket, a down comforter on top of that, and with a puffy sleep mask (and sometimes a pillow on top of that) on my head. It’s my cocoon of coziness. My husband sleeps under a loose sheet and thin quilt with a fan blasting in the room. Our dog sleeps between us (when she’s not making me sleep on the couch or take her outside). It’s hilarious, but after 16 years of marriage the sleep is better than ever.
10: When your head finally hits the pillow, focus on your breathing. Sometimes I’ll put one hand on my chest and the other on my dog’s butt and I’ll try and think of nothing but how slow and deep I can breathe…
and then before I know it, it’s the next morning.
Hope something in here helps a little. Yay sleep.