People are working more and sleeping less, a harmful combination that can cause drowsiness and lower efficiency. Being tired puts both your health, and safety at risk. While most people of course recognize this as a problem, about two-thirds of them are not doing anything about it. Excessive sleepiness can impact your mood and your ability to think clearly. I know I am not a morning person by any means. Don’t even talk to me before I have coffee or I’m unbearable. Somewhere between seven to nine hours of sleep per night is the ideal requirement to feel fully rested.
:::Here are the top 10 ways to promote and maintain the most relaxing sleep possible:::
1.) Homedics makes a fabulous line of relaxation and wellness products including sound machines, portable humidifiers and my personal must have item the Shiatsu Neck & Shoulder Massager. At just $39, it’s a low price to pay for a soothing heat massage that removes neck tension, 3 speed settings and a 2-year warranty. One trip to a spa alone will cost upwards of $80! This is so worth it! Use this before you wind down for bed while watching your favorite show or catching up on some reading.
2.) Candles, are the ultimate way to create an in home spa-like experience and unwind, some of my current favorites are:
Northern Lights (they make my favorite candles of all time) – I’m loving the Lavender Vanilla Mason jar and Lavender Honey (which I need to stock up on again here) these are so calming and go perfect while using all of the suggestions below.
Mr. B’s Luminaries was born out of creating 100% natural products with ingredients that come from nature, not a lab. Their candles are made with pure soy wax and undiluted, therapeutic-grade essential oils. Their scents are very powerful in the best way possible. I love unwinding to the Eucalyptus, Fir & Cedar. Eucalyptus is my favorite essential oil for cleaning and just to have around the house. It’s a lush scent perfect for winter.
Qualitas makes 100% pure beeswax candles and offer a huge variety from herbal to woody and spicy. Their diffusers are the best I have ever used, some of my favorites include the Black Currant, Eucalyptus, Grapefruit and of course the classic Lavender to promote sleep. Diffusers from Qualitas are great alternative to candles when you want a scent but are extra sleepy and don’t want to forget to turn your candle out.
3.) Eye masks that promote anti-aging. The best one out there is from iluminage Beauty made from copper oxide, this technology is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and I know I personally woke up with smoother skin. Copper promotes the natural growth of proteins in the skin and has been used for years in anti-aging skincare products. The fit is very comfortable and the mask itself is silky soft. Eye bags are a huge problem for me and the biggest indication that I’ve had a bad sleep, this little amazing product does the trick!
4.) Overnight beauty products such as Laneige masks and Kate Ryan Skincare night serum. Laniege makes a unique water “sleep” mask that soaks into your skin overnight leaving you refreshed in the morning. I’ve tried a lot of super expensive creams and serums that have done absolutely zip zero. This mask makes my skin baby soft, I love the fresh crisp scent and using this in cold weather months is an absolute must. This pairs well with their highly concentrated Multiberry Yogurt pack mask – cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries – and the smell reminds me of Trix cereal. It helps my skin glow (much needed when the air is so dry during winter sleep).
Kate Ryan makes a Vitamin C night serum (I alternate between the Laneige mask and the Kate Ryan serum). This serum contains antioxidants to combat free radicals that damage collagen and give skin an aged appearance. Vitamin C not only protects your skin from free radical damage, it also promotes collagen synthesis. The antioxidants are accompanied by wrinkle fighting Hyaluronic Acid, Centella Asiatica, DMAE, Coenzyme Q 10, Resveratrol, and Alpha Lipoic Acid. This helps you to wake up to skin that feels refreshed, looks brighter, smoother, has a more even skin tone, and just feels healthier.
5.) Bath tea and a lavender face scrub. Pura Botanica makes a unique Sea Salt Bath Soak with lavender, rose, Epsom salt, lemongrass, bergamot, chamomile, sweet orange and much more! You dissolve a single pouch of salt just as you would prepare a tea.
To complete the at home spa experience, try this fabulous lavender oil from Whish Body to restore skintone, lock in moisture and create luminance. This is ablend of sesame seed oil, sunflower, olive seed extract and jojoba oil. It doesn’t leave a greasy feel like a lot of drugstore brands and the scent is pure and light.
Dr. Sponge makes a konjac-lavender product that is naturally soothing and detoxifying. Gentle enough for daily use, but it’s best used before bedtime to relax stressed out skin. Lavender reduces stress and nervous tension. Konjac sponges are super gentle and remove all traces of makeup and dirt trapped on your pores offering long-term skincare benefits.
6.) Immune boosting products before bed like Gaia Herbs’ Black Elderberry Nightime Syrup, I’ve mentioned my love of elderberry before but this version promotes immune support + a restful sleep.
Sipping on teas to reduce your stress level like this “Chamomile Nights” one from Stash, will further promote good health. It’s a good idea to get in the routine of drinking tea before bed each night. It has subtle hints of spearmint and has been heralded the best tea for insomniacs.
7.) Technologically advanced alarm clocks like this one (drum roll please)…the Withings Aura. This cool clock syncs to an app and offers a smart wake up function that uses your personal data to wake you up with a gentle light and sound (can be synced to Spotify so you can select the music you want to wake up to). It tracks the temperature of the room and the quality of your sleep by analyzing breathing cycles, heart rate, sound and light levels. Forget about feeling groggy and grumpy in the morning. Set it before you go to bed and enjoy a happier morning.
8.) Audio books, if you find yourself easily dozing off between pages of an actual book – download the Audible app. I love Audible! I spend so much time reading articles, magazines and doing research, it’s fun to just listen to a recording to fall asleep. Make sure you pick something that requires you to unwind and no in depth analysis. I’m a huge Teresa Giudice fan I love my RHONJ, so my latest download is her “Turning The Tables” – shocking revelations, her rise to fame, the importance of family – AKA the perfect book to listen to before bedtime!
9.) Mediflow Pillows Mediflow makes water based pillow with soft hypo-allergenic covers and is guaranteed to reduce neck pain. No fluffing, and it’s actually customizable! Just remove the cap and adjust the amount of water inside to your preferred degree of support. They seal tight and there is no audible sound from the water in the pillow. I didn’t even have to adjust it and just kept it as is. I need to buy a few more of them!
10.) Linen sprays like traditional lavender or something completely different like this luxurious one from Kai Home – this will last for a really long time and paraben and sulfate free. The scent is very floral, inspired by fresh gardenia – very tropical!
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