When we were younger, we'd do anything to avoid sleep. Now we'd do anything to get more of it. Poor sleep quality is fast becoming an epidemic. Here are five tips on how to get your ultimate night's sleep.
1. Block out the light
Isn't it the worst when you are in the middle of a great dream (“Yes, Ryan Gosling, I will marry you!”), and the sun shines through your window and wakes you up, turning your lazy Sunday into a cranky Sunday? Or when your neighbors are super inconsiderate and turn on their floodlights at night? Blackout lining is your best friend in these situations. Irritating light won't stand a chance against our blackout drapes or shades. Say goodbye to restless sleeping and hello to sweet dreams!
2. Do some self-care
Our days can get pretty stressful, and it's easy to carry all of that balled up tension through to the evening making it difficult to settle down when it's time for bed. Sometimes the best thing to fall asleep is to just pamper yourself! Light a candle, put on a face mask, take a bath, enjoy some dark chocolate, and crack open a good book. Whatever helps you unwind, tell yourself you deserve it. You’ll be snoozing away in no time.
3. Find a mattress that suits your needs
Why would you settle for a mattress that's made for everyone, when you can sleep on one made for you? We partnered with Helix Sleep, our favorite mattress brand, to help us create your perfect sleep haven. Helix is a customer-focused brand that recognizes everyone's sleep individualities and celebrates those differences. With ColorMATCH technology, they're able to match you to a mattress that meets your individual sleep preferences and needs. Long gone are the days of sleeping on the same mattress as everyone else.
4. Avoid working in bed
We know it’s tempting to get all snuggly and comfortable in your bed to work on your homework or to finish some leftover work from the office, but when you work in your bed, without knowing it, you're making mental associations between your bed and work. Ever have mental throwbacks when you hear a song from your childhood? It's the same concept, and it's making you stressed when you sleep in your bed. So knock it off!
5. Limit blue light exposure before bed
If you're an avid move-before-bed goer or love to deep dive social media until you get sleepy, you're exposing yourself to blue light which, the most potent light emitted from electronic devices. Blue light tricks your body into thinking it is still daytime, reducing the amount of melatonin it produces (melatonin tells your body it's time to sleep).
The best way to combat blue light is to limit phone time before bed and find a different calming activity before bed. If this is too big of a sacrifice for you (don't worry if it is, half our office is guilty of pre-bed social dives), most smartphones now have a night mode built in, or you can download a program like f.lux on your computer to do the same.
