Daylight Savings is just around the corner, and who’s worried about not getting a good night’s sleep? This week has been another firecracker with a busy work schedule and St. Patty’s day festivities off to an early start. My office calendar is exploding with color-coded tabs, and while I should be getting some extra zzzz’s to stay on top of my A-game, sometimes the after-party is too good to resist. I’ll sleep when I’m dead. Or at least, maximize my time when I am awake. They key to functioning at the speed of my digestive system after devouring corned beef, cabbage and a few pints of beer?… a great night’s sleep. Contrary to popular belief, it really is possible to squeeze in a great night of re-charging between even the most overlapping plans. How to manage?
Here are some of my tricks to get a great night’s sleep, even with a schedule as lawless as mine.
1. Pencil it in. A fashion blogger’s best friend: a planner, with lots of space on each day, and color-coded markers. So you have time to meet a quasi-friend for coffee, binge watch Netflix, refresh your inbox every hour and basically conquer the world by the end of everyday but no time for sleep? I’m not buying it. If you’re complaining you don’t have the time, pencil it in. Just like you would make adjustments and re-prioritize for other funtivities, sometimes your snooze needs a little love.
2. Re-arrange your sleep space. Going to sleep in a room of clutter is enough to make even the sleepiest girl shutter. hehe. Especially someone after the minimalist lifestyle like me. Organize your sleep space to a haven you love to come to. I just freshened up my own with some new art by Melo & Co. and a little greenery to remind myself there is life before coffee (at least on my nightstand). Posters are a great, inexpensive way to amp up your bedroom vibes, desk space and more.
3. Stay hydrated. Waking up restless? Make it a habit to drink a glass of water before bed (unless you have an abnormally small bladder). You’ll be surprised at how dehydration can affect your sleep cycle. I keep my soma water carafe. in reach at all times, so if I get thirsty at night it’s only a reach away.
4. De-stress before bed. If you want to enjoy the few precious hours you set aside for sleeping, don’t spend them thinking about why your co-worker stopped talking when you went by their office or why suddenly Tiffany is no longer invited to girl’s night. Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. And neither should you. But if you do, let it go before you turn out the lights. Even if you are able to doze off pondering life’s problems, you’re likely to have nightmares of the worst part of your day on replay. Don’t do that to yourself. Have problems letting go?
Wine usually helps.
5. Get better quality sleep. A great night’s sleep is the foundation to your day. I love living, and falling asleep at a rock concert isn’t an option. “Being who you are starts with how you sleep” – Helix If you’ve been tossing and turning, consider getting a new mattress. I must say I never really thought much about how much my mattress was affecting my sleep until Helix reached out and offered me one of their personalized mattress experiences for me to try. Helix builds custom mattresses based on a series of personal questions to help you get the best quality of sleep, no matter long you have for it.
What alters their creation creation process person to person? Body heat, sleeping position, age, weight, height – you name it, when it comes to getting the best night sleep, these guys work every angle. Does it work?
Honestly, there was drool on my pillow the entire first week of sleeping on my Helix mattress, and I was dreaming like I never had before (in a good way).
I’ve noticed a reduction in some of my relentless neck stiffness, perhaps due to the proper support built in for my sleeping position (I’m a side/stomach sleeper). Helix asks users to “trust the science” I trust the zzzz’s. Plus the mattress was shipped straight to my door, so I didn’t have to put any of my 5,000 other action items on hold to go mattress shopping. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
6. Sleep with someone you love. One of the biggest comforts when trying to get that deep, feel-good sleep? Sleep with someone you love. My white fur-ball and devilish cat are happy to keep me company. Snuggle and sleep away.
7. Wake up gently. I scoffed at my boyfriend for investing in Phillips Hue Go light. But truth is, I wake up better for the purchase. Aside from the college party flashbacks with lights in every color, the Hue Go is designed with a natural wake up timer. You set the time, Hue slowly turns on the light of the “sun” even when you have to rise before the real sun is up. Tricky? Maybe. Works? Absolutely. Double bonus, I can set the light to bright white and capture more pure Instagram shots even in the evenings.
8. Enjoy your mornings. You know what makes you feel like you got an awful night of sleep? Your rotten attitude. Get over yourself! Not everyone can sleep 8 hours uninterrupted. I never used to be a morning person (and let’s be real, if you wake me I still might bite you), but waking up grumpy only makes you feel like you got less sleep than you probably actually got.
Start your morning with positivity no matter what.
Pour yourself a cup of coffee, enjoy the smell and the warmth, and remind yourself of the best parts of your days past, day’s plans, and days to come. Everyone has reasons to complain. Everyone also has reasons to be perky and thankful. Be the latter, and you’ll be surprised how much it improves your sleep.
So put a smile on, get some dark brew, and grab life by the balls. And get a good night’s sleep after you’ve done it. Daylight savings be damned. And if you think a new mattress might be your next step, check out Helix. They get my body, they get my sleep cycle, and they get my busy blogger’s lifestyle.
“In this case, you certainly don’t lose if you snooze.” -Helix
In accordance with the FTC regulations for Influencers, this is a sponsored post in collaboration with Helix. All thoughts, comments and musings are made of my own opinion and honest, personal experience with the products reviewed or mentioned. I hope you’ve found this post informational and inspiring!