I admit I’m a little sleep obsessed, and I have been since my kids were born! Here are some of my go-to sleep aids and how to get the best night’s sleep.
How I actually look when I wake up ; )
I think I am still recovering from when my kids (now 6 and 12) were newborns. I’ve always been someone who needs a decent night’s sleep to function and those early years really drain you! Couple that with increased sensitivity to alcohol as I’ve aged, plus aging in general, and sleep is more important than ever!
I got the idea for this post with the intention of sharing some Apple Watch data. For a while I was chatting with friends about sleep, and we decided to track our sleep. I quickly realized that it was so difficult to gauge trends because I do not sleep in a laboratory! We know if you do a science experiment you can’t have too many variables, and my life is ALL variables! From a random smoke alarm going off, to Birch waking up to late soccer games and even what I ate that day, sleep varied so much I wasn’t really able to draw any conclusions. But like most things in health – what matters most is how you feel.
Generally I am a decent sleeper though, and if I have a normal healthy routine, I usually have a pretty normal night’s sleep (no alcohol, no late workouts, no kids coming up in the night). My goal is 8-9 hours, uninterrupted. I know it was a great night if I wake up at 6:30 with no alarm and the last thing I remember was reading my kindle! It’s not always this grand though, so here are some ways I optimize sleep!
How To Get The Best Night’s Sleep
The Setting: Sleep Room Favorites
Our bed
I’ve had a Tempur-pedic Cloud Supreme mattress for over a decade now. (Remember the Sleep Number saga??!) I think the model I have is closest to the newer version of Tempur-Cloud a medium firmness. I am OBSESSED with it. I can’t stand anything with coils (who wants to sleep on coils!?) and we love that the bed does not move if someone shifts (Sleeping on coils while traveling is awful). Whenever we decide to get a new mattress, I will consider a Naturepedic memory foam (like the EOS), as I really like this company, too. That’s what we got for Mazen’s bed and I have a discount code in that post.
I also love our Pottery Barn Raleigh bed. It’s solid, and the fabric has held up well (even with the random stain I made worse during our move!).
Room Temperature
This article says “heat is the enemy of sleep” and I couldn’t agree more!! It recommends 60-65 degrees, which I admit is pretty darn cold in the summer. We keep our thermostat at 68 degrees at night, and anything warmer is too hot!
Body Pillow
When I was having some shoulder muscle pain (which I’m pretty sure now was NOT related to sleep) I started to use a king sham as a body pillow. I have a Lily Silk pillowcase on it that is so cooling. I put it vertically next to the bed and in the night will use it for side sleeping. The extra support is great.
An eye mask is also great for blocking out all light!
Favorite bedding
I’ve been using these 400-thread count sheets from Target for a decade now. They’re pure cotton and a great price for the quality. While I’m sure there are plenty of super luxurious sheets out there, these are just such a good value.
White noise air purifier
We have this air purifier that serves as our white noise. It makes a nice white noise sound and also works to clean the air at night. I have it set up with an Amazon smart plug so it turns off automatically at 7am.
Sleep Dos and Donts
Consistent Bed Time
A consistent bedtime is so important for me! I have a strong body clock and tend to get tired and wake up around the same time every day, regardless of when I go to sleep. Bedtime is between 9:30 and 10 and wakeup is between 6 and 7!
Avoid alcohol
The older I’ve gotten, the more sleep is my number one reason for choosing not to drink. That said, I do still drink alcohol. Usually if I have one, my sleep is only a little impacted. But if I have 2-4 drinks (a few times a year party night occasion), boy do I pay for it! I toss and turn and never get deep sleep. One of those nights will set you back to prioritizing sleep the whole next week.
CBD / THC
The main reason that I became interested in CBD and THC was due to their connection to deep sleep. Green Compass is the company I buy most often, and they have several products designed to help with sleep.
- Unwind THC Jellies – These are Green Compass’ strongest product, containing 2.5mg of THC and 25mg of CBD. These taste SO good, kind of like a ginger mojito. Think “alcohol replacement.” You’ll want to try these on a night that you need the “ultimate chill” followed by deep sleep. If you are new to THC, take ½.
- Full Spectrum Tincture – I’ll have this before bed to support sleep which is what I do if I ever have insomnia and want faster results and no sugar on my teeth (from a Jellie). OR I’ll use it in the middle of the night if I have insomnia. Shake the bottle, draw up a dropper of oil, dispense under your tongue, hold for a minute (just count to 60) and swallow the rest. This allows maximum absorption in your sublingual glands. I really like the natural mint flavor because that’s often what I have in my mouth around bedtime teeth brushing, too.
- Sleep Better Nano-Jellies – These Blackberry flavored Jellies contain CBN, the cannabinoid known for its sedative properties, along with Ashwagandha, Lemon Balm Oil, and Passionflower to promote calm. Take 30 minutes before bed. Don’t worry, they won’t knock you out. I take them on nights when I really need good sleep. Like if I slept poorly the night prior because of a sick child or other interruption.
AGZ
New by AG1 is AGZ! I received a sample of AGZ a few weeks ago, and it’s become a part of my nightly routine a few nights a week. The ingredients are clinically studied adaptogens, herbal extracts and minerals to promote a great sleep including: Magnesium L-Threonate, Ashwagandha, Saffron, L-Theanine, and Valerian root. You mix the powder with hot or cold water or milk about 90 minutes before bedtime to encourage a wind down. It tastes like hot chocolate with only one gram of sugar since it’s sweetened with stevia and monk fruit.
Tips For Insomnia
Even with good sleep habits, insomnia hits me from time to time. Most often that’s from alcohol, but sometimes it’s because I have a late workout (like an 8pm soccer game) or didn’t eat enough dinner. I realized when I was pregnant with my boys that my insomnia is often related to what I’ve had to eat (or not) in the evening. A late workout can zap my stores, even if I don’t feel hungry, and wake me up.
Have Protein At Bedtime
My birth doula used to tell us pregnant ladies struggling with insomnia to have some almonds or protein at bedtime. This can help prevent midnight wake ups.
Lemonade in the night
Another pregnancy trick that I learned and still use is to drink lemonade in the night. This juice quickly hydrates and gets sugar to the blood stream. I swear my insomnia is often blood sugar related. Once I can convince myself to get the energy to get out of bed and go downstairs for a few swigs of juice, it almost always puts me back to sleep. If you don’t have juice in your fridge, you can try anything with quick sugar: dried or fresh fruit, honey or maple syrup, etc.
Reading fiction on my kindle
Occasionally, my insomnia is related to having too much on my mind. And the best thing for that is to turn my mind off. Reading fiction on my kindle is a great way to take my mind from my life and into a story. So after I’ve had lemonade, I’ll read my kindle in the dark and usually am drowsy again in 10 minutes or so. This is the number one reason I am team kindle – no lights necessary and you can be on your side deep in the covers with your kindle propped up to read yourself back to sleep!
Cover your ear
I learned this trick from a massage therapist I saw once. She told me she has an unusual comfort thing with covering her ears while she slept. It makes her feel extra secure. I started trying this and it works for me, too! Bonus that the comforter also mutes sounds in the night.
I hope these tips might also help you get your best sleep ever! Feel free to share more of your own in the comments below.
