Yup, 2017 was a doozy. No matter what was happening in your life, you've thought to yourself, "Good god, I need to get more sleep." With the New Year and self-reflection is in full swing, we're recapping some of our favorite sleep tips and how you can apply them tonight.
*Just a side note: Sure, you might roll your eyes and not be the biggest advocate of resolutions but we believe there's nothing wrong with trying to better yourself - even a few months or weeks. Especially in the name of sleep 🙌
1. Get Your Internal Clock Set: Want to get to bed AND wake up at a reasonable hour? Start that wind-down process about 90 minutes before you actually get into bed. Want to sleep at 11 PM? Schedule your phone's 'Do Not Disturb' mode for 9:30 PM.
This is when you tuck your cellphone away, brush your teeth, brew chamomile tea, apply a face mask, write in your spankin' new 2018 journal, and then crack open a rad fiction book.
*Sleep hack tip: Avoid non-fiction as it makes the gears in your brain turn. We're currently loving Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple 📚
Quick tips to help set that internal clock:
The exposure to the morning sun sets the tone for the day as the body clock gets reset (the later your eye catches the rays of the sun, the more difficult it is to fall asleep at night) ☀️
Recognize that nighttime is YOU time. For cryin' out loud- you deserve these moments to yourself. At 10:30 PM, your cousin Josie's latest Facebook post of her ice cream cone does not.
Avoid caffeine after 1 PM. Be strict with this. If you're really having a bout of sleep troubles, go cold turkey with the coffee and reach for the green tea. The boost from coffee is partly psychological so having a warm cuppa tea might still do the trick 🍵. Decaf is also a great option.
Keep cell phones out of your bedroom. That IG blackhole is no joke. Who needs to be on the 'betches' page at 2:15 AM? It's not good for your retinas, sanity, or circadian rhythm. As life guru Tony Robbins says, "Don't major over minor" and we promise, nothing major is on the 'gram 🙋.
This isn't just to kill time before sleep- it's actually an incredibly important ritual for your body. At this point, it must be conditioned to recognize that the no-phone/tea/journaling/reading means that it is time for bed. Eventually, you will get to a point where this routine will trigger your body to say "Awesome- it's time to sleep. Thank you." 🙏
The light emitting from electronic devices sends your body the absolute wrong message when it's trying so desperately wind down at night.
The light can also stall the Human Growth Hormone process. Up to 70% of your HgH production is released overnight so when you miss out on this essential hormone, it causes skin cells to halt production, leading to collagen breakdown.
Here's the biggie: Scientists are saying that blue light (aka HEV Light / High Energy Visible Light) is more damaging than UVA and UVB light. Read more studies here.
3. Lavender is the answer. It’s been proven to not only ease anxiety, but also insomnia.
This sleep-holy-grail scent decreases heart rate and blood pressure, and is perfect for transitioning into slumberland.
In one study, researchers monitored the brain waves of participants and concluded that the subjects who sniffed lavender before bed experienced more deep sleep and felt more refreshed in the morning than those who did not smell lavender.
Moonlit Skincare's Midnight Shift Facial Oil has gorgeous lavender to relieve tension and help you sleep.
Happy sleeping and sweet dreams 😴! xx Moonlit