We know that quality sleep is imperative for our gut, digestion, and hormones, but how do we get optimal sleep?

In this blog post, we will dive into some tactical tips to create the most beneficial, nourishing sleep- something your body has been craving!

 

Why a Sleep Routine is Important

It’s interesting that so many parents live and die by their children’s bedtime routine because they see the benefits it has in keeping their child’s sleep consistent, and yet as adults, a bedtime routine is thrown out the window.

 

We know consistency with a sleep routine is helpful, so it’s just a matter of us creating one we enjoy and sticking to it.

A sleep routine is important because it gets our body ready for bed. When our body and brain do something daily, they start to anticipate it and expect it. They have time to prepare for it and then are ready when the action occurs. This concept is true with sleep.

We can’t expect our brain to be stimulated and going 100 miles an hour on an important work deadline and then suddenly shut off and be ready for bed. Our brain and body doesn’t work that way. It needs signals that things are slowing down and time to chill out.

A consistent sleep routine is how to give it that signal and time to chill.

 

How to Get Started

I want you to think of a 30 minute routine you can create that will feel enjoyable to you, is soothing, and will get you ready for some shut-eye. This activity will need to be without a screen.

I suggest starting with your beauty routine- brushing your teeth, washing your face, etc. and then moving in to one or two activities that feel soothing to you that you can do in your bedroom or bed.

Some ideas include-

• Take a bath
• Listen to a soothing podcast
• Do gentle yoga stretches- these are good options!
• Read a book (an actual, physical book) and use a soft, low lit lamp to see the words
• Journal- especially helpful if racing thoughts keep you from falling asleep!
• Meditate- A gratitude meditation may help, going through 5 things you are grateful for that day.
• Talk to your partner
• Give/receive a massage from your partner

An example of a sleep routine could look like this:

I plan on going to bed at 10:00pm every night. By 8:00pm, I will dim the lights in my home (important for circadian rhythms and hormones). By 9:00pm, I will turn off the TV and put my other screens away and head to my room to start my routine. I will wash my face, brush my teeth, and maybe do a 5 minute skin treatment. I will do my favorite yoga pose- legs up the wall- or use my infrared sauna blanket (by HigherDose), and when I’m done with that, read a book using the dim light of my essential oil diffuser to read.

 

This is an example of a sleep routine I have used consistently because I enjoy it. If it doesn’t sound enjoyable to you, that’s ok! What could your sleep routine look like?

 

Liquids Before Bed

I often see teas being touted as a miracle cure to help you sleep. I don’t buy this. I actually think drinking tea right before bed can cause you more harm than good as it will wake you up in the middle of the night to use the restroom.

I suggest that you stop drinking liquids 60 minutes before bed. I have personally felt a change in my sleep when I use this cutoff, feeling a big shift when I forget to do it. If you are someone that wakes up at night to pee, cut off your consumption of liquids and food 60 minutes before bed and see if that helps.

 

 

Creating a Sleep Oasis

In order for our brain and body to relax and get prepared to sleep, it needs to be in a space that fosters relaxation. Making your bedroom a sleep oasis can really help and be something fun to look forward to!

Your bedroom should really be for just two things- sleep and, you know, the other thing people do in bed. 😉

What it’s not for is work, entertainment, television, creativity, stress, or hyping you up. Make sure that the things you have in there and what you allow in are only things that support a sleepy or sexy vibe.

 

 

Things to Keep Out of the Bedroom

Things off of the sleep oasis list are-

 

1. Screens of any kind-

No TV, iPad, or phones allowed. As we’ve already discussed, the blue lights that are emitted from screens are meant to keep our brain stimulated and keep us alert. Having any of these in our bedroom creates the opposite of a sleep oasis. Keep the screens out of the bedroom.

If you have a TV all set up, take it out. We could all use a little less TV in our life. If you are used to reading from a tablet, grab an actual, physical book instead, or go check one out at the library! Your phone is your alarm? No problem! There are people out there that still sell actual alarm clocks. Snag one on Amazon, or better yet, grab this  sunrise alarm clock. It will support your natural circadian rhythms and wake you up!

 

2. Work-

The last place you should be working is in the bedroom. Typically, work needs to be handled on a computer if it’s being done from home. But now you aren’t using screens in the bedroom, so that can’t happen. Also, work is often one of the biggest stressors we have. Doing something stressful for work in your bedroom will keep you from feeling like you are in a peaceful, restorative space. If you need to do work from home, do that work outside of the bedroom, and finish it up at least an hour before bed.

 

3. Food and Drinks-

There is no reason to have food or drinks in the bedroom. A cup of water is really the only thing that should be allowed. We shouldn’t be eating right before bed as it makes digestion much harder for our body, so as a general rule, keep food and drinks out of the bedroom.

 

Things to Include in Your Sleep Oasis-

 

1. A Comfy Bed, Pillow, and Bedding

Investing in a comfortable bed, mattress, and pillows is really important. Make sure you are taking proper care of your mattresses, replacing them when needed, and that your pillows and bedding feel comforting and cozy. If anything isn’t serving you in this area, replace it. It might be a hit to the wallet, but your sleep is worth it.

Cozy Earth is my favorite linens brand. Their brand is eco friendly and they make the softest bedding you will ever have!

 

2. Blackout Shades

My husband and I have lived in three different homes together. The second home was brand new and had no curtains or blinds. We bought some inexpensive temporary blinds to put up until we could buy real shades, which we never ended up purchasing. For the three years we lived there I would rate my sleep as decent but not great.

When we moved into the home we live in now, the home had blackout shades on all of the bedroom windows. The first night I slept in our new bedroom I slept like a baby. I was flabbergasted at how different my sleep was just because of how dark the room was. My sleep has been pretty amazing ever since. I have made other changes to my life and routine which has certainly contributed to this, but the shades made a difference for sure.

If you can afford it, invest in some high quality blackout shades for your bedroom. They are life changing!

 

3. Essential Oils

There is still so much to be studied about the affects essential oils really have on our mind and body, but I believe they are worth a try. A routine I have enjoyed is filling a diffuser with some kind of combo of lavender, copaiba, cedar wood, or frankincense and turning it on 30 minutes before bed. When I come back and snuggle into bed, the smell makes me feel cozy and ready to sleep. The association my brain and body has made with these smells is that it’s time to relax and sleep, only supporting my sleep routine.

If you don’t have a diffuser, you can simply put a few drops of an oil on a tissue or cotton swab and place it near your pillow, enjoying it all night.

 

4. Temperature

This is probably pretty obvious, but it’s important that you make your room a comfortable temperature for your sleep. This is totally individual and something you could experiment with. I find comfort in having the window open. I like it slightly chilly so that I want to snuggle up in my bedding. Some people like it warm so that the whole room feels cozy. Find the right temp for you and then set your thermostat to that an hour before bed. Or if you have a Nest or a thermostat that you can create a schedule on, set that temp to start every night at the same time.

 

 

Phones and Our Brains

I know I’ve already talked about the importance of keeping screens out of the bedroom, but I need to talk about the importance of phones specifically.

New research is coming out about how connected our brain frequency is to our phone. Our brains are so connected to our phones that, even while we sleep, our brain releases endorphins when we get a notification on our phone. Even if our phone is on airplane mode in our bedroom, our brain is still very much connected to our phone’s signal.

If you only change one thing about your sleep environment, let it be that your phone stays out of your bedroom. Not in your bedroom on airplane mode, but completely out of your bedroom. Get an actual alarm and plug your phone in somewhere else overnight.

The data is also showing that our connection to our phone is strongest to our own phone. Our brain is not nearly as interested with or connected to someone else’s phone. So if your partner is not willing to keep their phone out of your bedroom, no problem. You will still get huge benefits from keep yours out of it.

 

What About Blue Light Glasses?

I’ve had many clients, struggling with the idea of screens off an hour before bed, tell me that they invested in blue light glasses thinking that will help.

It helps a little, but the root of the issue is still there.

Blue light glasses help block out the blue light that screens emit that keeps your brain stimulated. So yes, that helps somewhat with minimizing that stimulant and disrupting your circadian rhythms.

However, your brain is still being stimulated with the content you are taking in.

If you are working on work emails or checking social media, your brain is still ingesting information. It is getting your brain going, and possibly, depending on the content, creating stress, excitement, anxiety, or anger. Be really selective about what you expose yourself to before bed if you are going to do it. You don’t want to create stress or amp yourself up, blue light glasses or not.

 

 

These are just a handful of tips you can start now to see how they affect your sleep. 

 

XO,

Kelsey