Sweet Dreams - My top Sleepy Time Tips
Did you know the average person spends approximately 26 years (or 1/3) of their life asleep?
Sleep is arguably the most important pillar of health as it is the foundation for everything else in life. I am a huge proponent of exercise and healthy eating, but if we are not getting sufficient good quality sleep, that will wreak more havoc on our health in the long run.
I listened to Matthew Walker’s MasterClass on Sleep and it changed my entire outlook on sleep!
He says, “Sleep is the elixir of life, but we are a chronically sleep-deprived society. 1/3 people don’t get enough sleep.
Sleep is Mother Nature’s best effort at immortality.”
In this blog, I will share my TOP 5 Sleep Tools and why I love them. Read on for details on:
Since listening to the masterclass, my husband and I made significant investments into our sleep hygiene and it has made a world of difference. Since the brain and the body need to drop core temp in order for us to fall into a deep / REM sleep and stay asleep, we adopted the Eight Sleep system. And since Walker claimed that “using a sleep tracker could be the ultimate secret sleep weapon” we decided to try the Oura rings and we LOVE them! The ring provides a historical record from which we can learn and make adjustments and improvements to our sleep health.
In Walker’s words, “It’s time to reclaim our right to a full night’s sleep and the opportunity for a better life!
It’s never too late to start sleeping better.”
From college age to my mid 40’s, I would pride myself on how much I could get done in a day when I rarely got more than 6 hours of sleep. I prioritized my exercise routine, my family, my work and my social calendar over sleep. Now, in my mid-40’s, it is becoming very apparent that sleep needs to be a primary consideration, not an afterthought if I want to feel my best and have energy to get through the day. I still hold my fitness, family, work and friends in high regard, but I now consider sleep to be a key player in the game of life!
And I know this will not only impact me in the present moment, but in the long term as well.
Here are my top Recommendations for ensuring a good night of zzzz’s:
Seriously a GAME CHANGER!!! I was hesitant at first to try this “cooler sleep solution” but I was waking up in the night drenched with night sweats and was feeling desperate to find a fix.
This mattress cover is temperature-controlled and is personalized to each side of the bed so you and your partner sleep better every night. Once we found the perfect temperature (-4 for me and +2 for him),we fall asleep and stay asleep every night. The Pod can cool or warm each side of the bed as low as 55°F and as high as 110°F so depending on the weather outside, you can always get into a cozy bed.
I also love the vibration and thermal alarm so I wake up gently every morning, and don’t worry about my noisy alarm waking my husband. The Eight Sleep does have an app that records your sleep quality and health trends, but I much prefer my Oura Ring (see below) for sleep tracking.
Research shows people get up to 34% More Deep Sleep, up to 32% Improved Sleep Quality, and up to 19% Increase in Recovery when they use the Eight!
I can’t say enough about this sleep system…it has literally changed our sleep for the better and it’s definitely worth the investment into your health and your marriage (it’s the perfect cuddle-inducer!)
Use this link for $250 off!
I was also very hesitant to try The Oura Ring. I had tried other sleep tracking devices before and found them uncomfortable, cumbersome and not very accurate. But I heard good things about this ring and figured it was worth a try.
The first thing I loved about it was the fact that I can’t even tell I’m wearing it to bed (unlike other wearables). The next thing I fell in love with was the data I started to learn about my own sleep patterns. I had no idea how much deep sleep and REM I got before I wore this and now I am in the know daily. Other things I love are that it holds a battery for about a week, so I don’t have to stress over charging it a lot. And, lastly, I wear it almost all the time even while lifting weights and swimming/showering, and it doesn’t bother me at all. I only take it off when I am dressing up and want to put a dressier ring on that hand.
Here are some of the cool things the ring tracks - I totally geek out over all the info!
Sleep Score
Your Sleep Score answers, "how well did you sleep last night?", based on data points including: total sleep, how much time you spent in each sleep stage, HRV, and more.
Bedtime Guidance
Personalized recommendations for when to start winding down, so that you can maximize each night's sleep.
Automatic Nap Detection
Oura automatically records your naps and adjusts your daily scores. Can I tell you how gratifying it is to get “credit” for my little naps??
Blood oxygen sensing (SpO2)
By detecting your blood oxygen levels at night, Oura can tell if you're experiencing any breathing disturbances.
I highly recommend giving this bad boy a try. Use this link for $40 off!
Arbonne SleepWell Spray
My family and I have been using this product for many years and we all love it! It’s a vegan, lemon-flavored sublingual sleep spray that delivers Melatonin and natural botanicals that help support a restful, good night’s sleep. Just a few sprays under the tongue at bed time helps to control sleep and wake cycles and promote healthy sleep patterns. It’s a must for travel and jet lag.
I love all Arbonne’s products because they are formulated without artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners; formulated without high fructose corn syrup, dairy or soy; formulated without gluten.
Use this link to shop and use Code Arbonne10 to get 10% off!
Ok, hear me out….this pillow is the bomb! This one I was not hesitant about…as soon as I heard about it, I ordered it! I had a pillow named Polly since I was 10 years old. She was my lovey- and she was basically a case of feathers near the end. She tragically died a couple summers ago when she got thrown in the washing machine with a load of sheets. I was seeking options, and when my MIL told me about this pillow, I was game to try it!
It’s got holes for each ear. It has the perfect amount of support for a side sleeper, and you have the option to raise or lower it by adding or subtracting layers of pillow. It’s got just the right amount of firmness/softness and I really miss it when I am traveling without it. I have even brought it on overnight trips when I can fit it!
Added bonus - this pillow is perfect for sleeping when your ears are healing after a new piercing. Seriously! Just give it a try!!
I discovered this gem when I was shopping for our trip to Europe last summer. I was determined to optimize sleep on the international flight. I was also not sure if the places we would be staying would have black-out shades and I tend to wake with the sun…not good when trying to overcome the time change!
I love the design of this mask as it puts no pressure on the eyes, eye space is wider and deeper than other flat eye masks. It is made of Memory Foam, so it’s soft and comfy.
It is fully adjustable with a buckle strap which does not catch hair.
It effectively blocks lights and allows your eyes to freely blink which makes it ideal for meditation, Yoga, travel, napping, and insomnia.
Do you have sleep tools you love? If so, I would love to hear about them! Email Me