If there’s one thing that my family does well…it’s sleep! And we’re all pretty serious about our sleep, too. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly don’t get enough sleep, but I am a good sleeper.
But I will admit the conditions have to be exactly right. Which maybe isn’t always ideal given how much we travel, but we’ve found a way to take our method with us. (Except for the teenager…he can fall asleep anytime or anywhere!)Â With the craziness of the holidays upon us, good sleep is even more important, and honestly, harder to achieve. Today I’m sharing my Five Tips for a Better Night Sleep!
Five Tips for a Better Night Sleep
ONE // Limit late-night eating & caffeine
It’s hard for your body to fully relax if your digestive system is working overtime. We try to have dinner around 6pm most nights, and I rarely eat after 8pm. And I don’t mean just dinner…I don’t eat a single late-night snack! Not only does it help me sleep better, but it helps manage my weight.
Caffeine is another pitfall. Everyone has a different threshold, but my cut-off is 2pm.
TWO // Create the right environment
Your room should be dark and cool for optimal sleep. Experts recommend a temperature between 60-68 degrees, which is great for us in the Winter, but expensive in the Texas Summers! We all have black-out drapes in our rooms, too, for total darkness.
THREE // Clear your mind of responsibilities
Life gets busier and To Do Lists get longer during the holiday season, and nothing derails my sleep faster than a ticker-tape of responsibilities running through my head. It’s like my mind won’t let it go in fear of forgetting something.
In order to free my mind, I spend a few minutes before bed jotting down the next day’s projects, appointments, chores, brainstorms, etc. Honestly, I usually have several lists going, especially this time of year! But not only do they help keep me organized, but once they’re on paper I can relax knowing I won’t forget.
FOUR // Â Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual
A relaxing activity right before bed helps separate your sleep time from the activities that cause excitement, stress, or anxiety (like screen time!). Sure it’s fun to scroll Instagram in bed, but not only is the blue light disruptive to sleep, but the social media rabbit hole isn’t all that soothing.
Take a bath, write in a journal, or read a book…anything that disconnects your mind from life’s distractions. When these activities become part of your nightly routine, your body will read the signal that it’s time to shut down. I read every night, and my mind is so trained that I can barely read a few pages before the book hits me in the face!
FIVE // Eliminate disruptive noise
I have a hard time falling asleep when it’s completely quiet, but even worse is a barking dog, clicking fan, or snoring husband. #amIright?! We use box fans or white noise machines, but nothing works as well for me as the Bose Noise-Masking SleepBuds. These tiny earbuds are designed specifically for sleep, and fit comfortably in your ears to mask noise.
They don’t stream music, but rather play pre-loaded, soothing sounds to cover-up unwanted nighttime noises through an app on your phone. Even without the sounds, though, they do a great job of muffling noise. (I seriously wore them to the volleyball courts last weekend…those whistles can be so shrill!)
I got the SleepBuds first for travel, to help me sleep on airplanes, cruise ships, and hotels (see them in my What’s in My Carry-On Bag post), but slept so well on trips I’m now using them at home, too! And Mr. SP sleeps better because I no longer kick him in the middle of the night to turn over!
And since I’m the only one who can hear them, I’m not bothering him. (Bose also has a great customer care line that quickly answers questions and helps troubleshoot should any product quirks arise.)
The SleepBuds come with three sizes for the perfect, comfortable fit. I’m a side-sleeper, and it only took a few minutes to get used to them. They also don’t need internet or data to connect, so you can still use them with your phone in airplane or do-not-disturb mode.
What kind of sleeper are you? What tips or routines do you follow to help you and your family sleep better?
[More Amazing Bose Products Available at QVC]
*Photos by the darling Audrie Dollins. This post is created in collaboration with QVC, but all tips, opinions, and noisy husbands are my own. Thank you for supporting Hi Sugarplum sponsors.*