It’s summertime, and the livin’ sure is easy. But a transition back into fall, school, and work is definitely not. With longer days and tropical vacation getaways, we tend to fall out of a healthy sleep routine (and sometimes a lot of other routines). In order to make the switch back to reality a little less dreadful and get our routines back on track, it's important to sleep well throughout the night.
We all understand the pain and suffering that lack of sleep causes the next day — but research shows us that the implications are far-reaching. No amount of coffee can fix the health complications that accompany poor sleep patterns, such as cardiovascular and memory issues, mood changes, weight gain, weaker immune systems, trouble thinking or concentrating, and more. On top of our evening skincare tips that keep you feeling clean and refreshed, try following an effective sleep-enhancing routine before hopping into bed. You should start to see a huge difference in day-to-day activities. It’s extremely beneficial to follow some imperative yet small steps all year round to get that perfect nights sleep. So in order to help you, we've compiled 9 simple tips for a better nights rest.
Bedroom Environment & Décor
Keeping your bedroom looking and feeling fresh and clean is crucial to creating a tranquil environment for healthy sleep. We love taking a few minutes out of our day to organize, put away our clothes, and make sure we’re not surrounded by useless clutter. When it comes to sleep, our five senses can play a huge role in how well we rest at night. So try nature sounds playing in the background, keep your room temperature cool and pay attention to colour scheme. We recommend choosing muted tones for bedding like these organic cotton sheets and this grey cotton duvet cover set from Simons. They’re soft, great quality, and will keep you feeling calm while you count sheep every night.
Let’s Talk Pillows
Now that you’ve got your silky smooth bedding, invest in a pillow for the sake of your neck, spine, legs, hips… a truly well-rested mind and body depends highly on physical comfort. The memory foam Layla Pillow will become your best friend, and after a night of sleeping together you'll realize that you’ve been buying the wrong pillows all this time.
Pillow Mist
Spray your pillow with a lovely Lavender & Vanilla Pillow Mist from Bath and Body Works to help put your mind at ease as you flip from your back to your stomach. Plus, you’ll need to break in that new memory foam pillow.
Invest in an Essential Oil Diffuser
While we’re on the topic of aromatherapy, some of us find it life-changing to use essential oils while snoozing. You don’t need to make a huge investment — we love this wood grain diffuser listed on Amazon for only $22. You can use it with and without colourful LED lights turned on. Its aroma will fill the room with just a few drops of your favourite essential oil. To promote better rest, we are really into the relaxation set from Saje Natural Wellness. It includes four different oils so you can try a few options and maybe you’re the type of person who gets bored of the same scent after a while. There are so many options out there so we’re totally on board with this trend. Before using essential oil diffusers, however, you may want to verify it with a professional if you experience any health or respiratory issues.
Sleepytime, Not Morning Time
You guessed it — try not to drink coffee as the day goes on and replace any evening drinks with a nice caffeine-free drink. We love the bedtime favourite Sleepytime Tea by Celestial Seasonings. Grab the classic herbal flavour or choose from several others such as vanilla, mint, or honey, depending on what your taste buds enjoy more. You can find it at most grocery stores and it’s way more calming than a cup of coffee after dinner (Gasp! You know who you are!). Who knows, after reading this and establishing an amazing sleep practice you may never even need your morning coffee again.
Babes in Pyjamas
Now breathe in the soothing lavender from your diffuser and slip into your cozy bed while rocking cute satin PJ’s. These fun stripe pyjamas by Bed to Brunch will keep you cool and comfortable while the pop of colour creates a happier environment for your mind. Don’t give up the cotton jammies just yet but we can’t promise you’ll ever want to wear them again… This set is amazing.
Blast to the Past with a Vintage Alarm Clock
Remember how we mentioned the five senses? Well, sight is fundamental in helping you rest well during the dark hours. Make sure your room is completely dark when you turn off the lights — and yes, that means the light from your alarm clock too. Instead of your digital bedside alarm, opt for this fun vintage alarm clock from Anthropologie. Do they ever sell anything that isn’t cute?
Less Evening Screen Time = Better Sleep
The last two tips we want to share are extremely important and they’re absolutely priceless. First, in order for melatonin levels in our body to function as they should, we need to get enough daylight in the day and close to none at night. We use the app f.lux on our computers so we don’t hurt our eyes and brains with that haunting blue light in the dark. Set it up to automatically change your light display according to the time of day. In the morning, blue light to resemble the sun, and in the evening a warm red tone because you shouldn’t be exposed to cool lighting past sunset. We know that most of you will use your phones in bed instead of your laptop, so make sure to use the display settings to your advantage and enable night shift!
Consistency, consistency, consistency.
Last but not least, you should be getting the exact same healthy amount of sleep every night at the exact same time. Most people need 6-8 hours, so figure out what works best for you and try to repeat it everyday until your body clock gets used to this pattern. This most certainly does not mean that you should sleep 6-8 hours starting at 2 AM. Get into the habit of sleeping early and let us know how much more positive you feel throughout the day!
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