The secret to a healthy wellbeing is sleep. The benefits are plenty, from emotional to physical and from your skin to your mood, the quality of sleep you experience touches all areas of your life.
As you sleep, your body restores itself, your brain recharges and your mind finally has the chance to take a break and rest. You know how you feel after a night of tossing and turning. Besides having a difficult wakeup, the remainder of the day the side effects linger on: irritability, a higher sense of stress or snapping are just some.
Preparing yourself for restful slumber is key. That means what you do before getting in bed will affect how well you sleep.
We’ve rounded up some ideas for self care and healthy habits that can help you to calm your mind, relax your body and, ultimately, unwind to get better, deeper shuteye.
Give yourself a massage
What better way to prepare your body for rest than with a self-massage? Transport your senses to sweet dreams with Pink Moon's Midnight Melody Body & Hair Oil, a multifunctional, sweet and floral blend. Crafted in the fascinating fog forests of Oaxaca, Mexico, Relato Nativo's Relaxing Blend features calming lavender and tension-relieving copal.
Save the bedroom for sleep
Teach your mind that the bed is only for relaxing. While it may be tempting to work from under the covers, you want to keep the energy as peaceful as possible in that space.
Stay off the screen
About an hour before heading to bed, turn off the screens. What can you do instead? Lots of self-care, of course! Try some of these ideas for self care: get cocooned up with a book, journal about your day or do some light stretching.
Or, better yet, pamper yourself by turning your bathing space into an at-home spa. The Bathing in Moonlight Box from Pink Moon includes everything you need for a spirit-soothing, self-love soak: restorative bath salts, an ultra-moisturizing body oil, a rose quartz crystal and even a dreamy playlist.
Eat a light dinner
A heavy stomach will be busy focusing on digesting, instead of sleeping. For your last meal of the day, opt for lighter foods that are less fatty and easier to digest. As the day goes on, avoid consuming caffeinated beverages and extra sugary treats.
Declutter your mind
Raise your hand if it feels like as soon as you slide into bed your thoughts decide to join you.
Soothe them to sleep with another one of our ideas for self care. Begin with a few spritzes of the Sweet Dream Spray from Species by the Thousands to induce a state of calm. Relax your breathing, sit up while you collect your thoughts. As each worry or task for your to do list arises, jot it down in a notepad. Exhale and release.
Keep a rhythm
Honor your body with a steady sleep rhythm. Each day and night aim to rise and retire at around the same time.
Transition from day to night
Working from home? Staying in the same space can make it difficult for your mind to grasp that the working day is over. Make a smooth transition to the evening by releasing stress that might prevent you from unwinding. A facial massage with Pink Moon's Rose Quartz Gua Sha Tool relieves tension from your face, neck and shoulders with just a few scrapes. Sweet relief!
Be patient with yourself
It’s okay if you don’t fall asleep right away. Before dozing off, it might take about 15-20 minutes.
If it feels frustrating lying in bed waiting for the time to pass, practice self-compassion to ease your mind, especially if you’re new to adjusting your sleep habits.
