6 Must Haves to Improve Your Sleep
Today, my PJ sets launched over on By Angela the Label and so I decided, as part of my January wellness focus, I’d revamp a blog I posted a few years ago based on sleep tips, tricks and must haves. Sleep is vital to how we function throughout the day and with how busy our lives get and how bombarded we are by social media, it’s so important to take some time (even if it’s only ten minutes or so) to encourage good sleep.
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1. ByAngela the Label PJs: I’ve designed luxurious Dream On PJs that will look great while lounging and feel great while sleeping. They are made of 90% cotton and 10% spandex and come in three beautiful colors. There’s nothing like a comfy pair of pyjamas to help you fall asleep.
2. Blue Light Blocking Glasses: I don’t think this is new information to anyone, but exposure to light at night can disturb your sleep, especially blue light which emits large amount of light from devices like our phones, computers and TV’s. By using blue light blocking glasses, you can lessen the amount of intense light getting into your head and keeping you awake.
3. Magnesium Supplement: A lot of people turn to supplements to help with sleep, I am sure many of you have used Melatonin (which I do like) but I personally saw a big improvement when I started taking Magnesium in the evening. Magnesium helps activate neurotransmitters that are responsible for calming the body and the mind.
4. A.Vogel Relax Spray: Both Carey and I love this spray, so much so that we even included it in each other’s stockings at Christmas! A.Vogel is a company I really enjoy using and this spray helps relieve stress, nervousness and restlessness. Perfect for bedtime and you can get 20% off the A.Vogel site with my code ANGELA20!
5. If Only Home Organic Sheets: Organic cotton sheets are hypoallergenic largely due to the lack of chemical additives. People with chemical sensitivities can find that non-organic sheets will cause skin or respiratory reactions. The dyes, chemicals, and pesticides found in non-organic sheets can cause a variety of reactions. Organic cotton is especially important for those with known sensitivities, as well as babies and children who have far more sensitive skin than most adults. White Terry makes beautiful organic cotton sheets that encourage a great night’s sleep.
6. Book and/or Journal: Having a pre-sleep routine that helps you relax can help improve your sleep quality! You could also listen to relaxing music, taking a hot bath or mediating. You will notice watching Netflix is not on the list, haha but if you do indulge in a show make sure to be wearing your blue light blocking glasses.
Other sleep tips and tricks that seem like no brainers, but are so worth mentioning:
Avoid caffeine late in the day. My personal cut off time is 3pm.
Avoid irregular or long day time naps, opt for short power naps instead.
Go to bed and wake up at consistent times
Don’t eat late in the evening, this can affect the release of HGH and melatonin. Alcohol can also have the same effect.
Exercise! But not before bed. This is one of the best science-backed ways to improve your sleep.
Limit EMF exposure. I just wanted to touch lightly on this. Our family is just in the beginning phases of looking in to this. EMF, also known as electric and magnetic fields or radiation, can have potentially harsh effects on your sleep. EMFs are invisible energy waves that are sent out from cellphones, a wifi router, computers, microwaves and so on. There is still a lot of research that needs to be done on the topic, but to be on the safe side you can shut off the wifi at night, or even just leave your phone further away from you while you sleep.
Lastly (and my favourite!), set your bedroom environment to promote quality sleep. I like a clean, minimalistic space with no toys or piled up clothes in the bedroom (if anything is left out, hide it in the closet). Address the temperature, noises, and external lights. You can even go as far as changing furniture arrangements. We have our bedroom painted a dark moody black colour and always have a candle burning (100% beeswax of course) or essential oils being diffused in the evening to help set the sleep mood.
After just a few simple changes to our home and evening routine, we have all been sleeping better. I hope these tips and tricks help to give you a better nights sleep, too!
Much Love,
