The older I get – the more high maintenance my sleep routine becomes. I was joking with my siblings about this recently – we’ve all developed more detailed sleep routines in recent years. And while I have valued my sleep always – I truly cherish it these days.
How I Prioritize Sleep
I’m a natural early riser – no need for alarm clocks over here. I’m up with the sun usually. It allows for a productive morning and then a prescriptive bedtime routine that lets me settle in and sleep soundly.
The onset of the pandemic made my sleep completely out of whack last year. I was waking up at 2AM, 3AM, 4AM and unable to go back to bed. I was restless, unable to calm myself – it was brutal. So I started making small but impactful changes to how I prioritize my sleep.
First and foremost I got a pillow that I love sleeping on.
I always assumed that a memory foam type pillow wasn’t for me. I grew up sleeping on down pillows my whole life and just assumed that’s what worked best. Nope! A few friends had raved about the NIGHT Pillow™, but it took me a while before I decided to give it a go. When the pandemic disrupted my sleep I decided it was time to see if a pillow change could help me get more Zzzzs.
The NIGHT Pillow is a memory foam pillow that self-adjusts to support every sleep position. So no matter if you’re a side sleeper (like me!) or a back sleeper – the NIGHT Pillow will help you get deeper, more restorative sleep. What I love about it is that the NIGHT memory foam is lighter, airier and fluffier than any other memory foam out there. It conforms and supports without feeling overly dense or like you can’t adjust it easily as you get comfy at night.
The NIGHT Pillow comes in a custom-fit, black mulberry silk pillowcase which is black for good reason! The midnight black color actually helps to negate light so you’ll get a deeper, more restorative sleep.
But you can also remove the zipped pillowcase it comes with for your personal preference! I swapped mine out for the Night Skincare Pillowcase that I love for being dual-sided with two types of fabrics that support what your skin type may be needing each night. Side one is made of 100% mulberry silk which supports moisture retention for normal/dry skin and side two is made of 100% rayon from bamboo to wick moisture and oil, helping to balance normal/oily skin. My favorite part though? They wash so well! Unlike other silk pillowcases I’ve tried that come out a mess after washing and drying them – the NIGHT Skincare Pillowcase has no high maintenance washing routine and they come out looking practically brand new every time.
I truly can’t recommend this pillow enough – it’s worth the hype and I’m so glad to have a pillow I love sleeping on! Use code MEGHAN20 and you’ll score 20% off your entire NIGHT purchase!
A few other tips for prioritizing your sleep?
Get a sound machine – not an app.
My doctor and I last year talked about how disruptive blue light is to your sleep quality and it finally made me put away my phone sooner and stop relying on apps to help me sleep. Instead, I have a white noise machine / alarm clock hybrid that does meditation exercises and then immediately goes into my preferred white noise (a rain storm!) This ensures I’m not looking at my phone to set up white noise or a meditation and instead can just close my eyes and let the machine do the work. It’s been a game changer for me!
Wear blue light glasses whenever you’re on your computer.
Wearing my blue light glasses regularly throughout the day has without a doubt improved my sleep. Throughout the pandemic I think it is safe to say we’ve all spent more time looking at screens and all this added blue light from our devices holds back the body’s production of sleep-inducing melatonin. So wearing blue light glasses can, indeed, help improve your sleep. (A recent eye doctor visit had me confirming this with my ophthalmologist who said – yep, they’ll definitely help you sleep more soundly when worn regularly!)
I keep my blue light glasses next to my laptop so I remember to put them on each day and then I also wear them in bed if I’m going to be doing any scrolling before I wind down for the night or if I’ll be reading on my Kindle.
Build in some wind down time.
A friend told me she’s been turning off her computer at the end of every work day and assuming the position under her weighted blanket to read before making dinner and I started copying her. It builds in time for me to unwind, get some reading in, not look at a screen (I read more hard copy books than electronic books typically) and is a nice close to the day.
I also love reading in a hot bath as another way to wind down. Baths can actually prep and prime your body for a good night’s sleep!
Invest in sleep accessories.
I’m never more high maintenance with my sleep than when I really, really want and need a good night’s sleep which is when I pull out all the stops and add a sleep mask and ear plugs to my rotation. I also always travel with these accessories so I can ensure some sleep while on planes or in unfamiliar sleep surroundings.
Use aromatherapy.
This is a cherished wind-down activity for me. I keep an aromatherapy roller under my pillow so it’s always handy and I use a scent that instantly calms me down before sleep. I apply to my inner wrists and then do some deep breathing once I’ve laid down.
Make your bed a refuge.
We all know the age-old saying about how much of our lives we spend sleeping so go all in on making your bed a place you love crawling into. It’s worth the investment to get pillows and sheets and a duvet that you love. And keep your laptop out of your bed – it’s your place for sleeping – not working! My bed is a no-laptop zone and it’s been really good for my mental wellbeing to stick to that.
Do you have any ways you prioritize sleep that I didn’t cover? I’d love to hear your guys’ tips!
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This post is in collaboration with NIGHT – thank you so much for supporting the brands I love and am lucky to work with!
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