Getting 8 hours of sleep a night just isn’t realistic when juggling a busy career and an even busier toddler. I’ve given up on trying to achieve more sleep because right now it’s just not realistic. What I am trying to do though is make the most of the zzz’s I DO get and I optimize that by going through a thorough and effective bedtime routine. This sets me up so I can wake up fresh and ready to take on another day. Here’s some of my tips for making the most out of the hours that you do get. Happy resting beauties!!!

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The Right Mattress and Damn Good Bedding

Good sleep always, ALWAYS, starts with a good mattress. Sleep can be compared to meditation – they both have very similar benefits. Think of your mattress as a meditation mat, but with 10 times the impact on your session. The best mattresses are medium firm and should help:

• Your body to be well supported with no pressure points pressing against your pressure-sensitive parts while lying horizontal—hip, shoulder, ankle, and even ribs.
• Your spine stay well aligned with the rest of your body and
• Your body weight remain well distributed across your frame and sleeping surface

And what’s on top of your mattress is just as important folks. Synthetic fabrics on crappy sheets actually trap heat and cause you to overheat when you sleep. Yah, no thank you! Quality cotton sheets are more breathable and comfortable and allow you to self-regulate your temperature, leading to a much more restful sleep experience. My personal faves are from the good folks at Endy. Their award winning, Canadian made mattresses literally reduce tossing and turning thanks to some clever engineering designed to eliminate motion transfer. It adapts to your body and has better air flow than traditional mattresses, keeping you cool at night for maximum restorative rest.

Bubble Bubble

A warm bath, or shower an hour before you hit the sack helps facilitate the body’s natural flow into sleep by lowering your body temp. I love using bath salts, bombs or cannabis bath products to help relax the muscles that may have gotten tense throughout the day.

Cool Dreaming

Your bedroom’s room temperature is critical for a good night’s sleep. For years I unknowingly had the temperature too high resulting in excessive sweating, wet sheets and frequent wake-ups. The best room temperature for sleep is approximately 18.3 degrees celsius or 65 degrees fahrenheit. Of course this is going to vary from person to person but if you stay within 15.6-19.4, you’re within the range to have the best possible sleep.

The Only Kind of Blackout

Darkness is essential for good sleep. Period. Think about your best sleeps ever. I can guarantee you, none of them happened when your room was filled with light. I, for one, seem to have my best sleeps at hotels, where the black out blinds leave the room as dark as a cave. Not something I can achieve at home, but I do my best to keep my room devoid of light as much as possible, refrain from having any screens that emit light in the room as well.

Namaste Before Bed

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Never underestimate the power of movement. We often think about the importance of moving our bodies first thing in the morning or throughout the day. We associate this movement with feeling energized and an endorphin high, but there are effective movements that can be done in the evening before bed that helps promote good sleep.

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You’ll want to stay away from invigorating flows and opt for postures designed for relaxation like Hatha yoga, which focuses on body positions or Nidra, which focuses on breathing and more restorative poses, such as lying and sitting postures.

Tea Time

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Without fail, whether I am home or traveling, I have a cup of tea at bedtime. It is the last thing I do before I shut down for the night. I boil the water while I am doing my skincare routine and slowly sip on it and read a book until I’ve finished it. Camomile based teas are always my go-to!

Screens Away!

There are no screens of any kind within an hour of bedtime. As tempting as it might be to scroll your social media timelines or watch that one last episode of your fave show on your laptop, studies have shown that these devices can interfere with sleep by suppressing your production of melatonin, which is a natural hormone that’s released in the evening to help you feel ready to go to sleep.

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THE ENDY GIVEAWAY

I want to give one of you guys the gift of sleep, so we’re giving away the ultimate Zzz’s Package for one lucky winner, which will include an Endy queen size mattress, two signature Endy pillows, plus a set of bedding because sheets are just as important as the mattress.

A winner will be chosen at random from our subscriber’s list, so if you’ve not yet subscribed to our newsletter, you may want to get on that ASAP. You must be a Canadian resident to be eligible for this giveaway. The lucky winner will be chosen at random from the list and will be announced via Instagram stories on July 1st.