Sleep And Self Care

Making your bed can feel like such a chore, but it can also be a great place to start when you want to ensure a good night’s sleep. Investing in some new bed linen, fresh, clean bed sheets and a nice comfy duvet can make getting into bed all the better. The process of preparing yourself to cuddle up, surrounding yourself with pillows helps you feel as snug as a bug in a rug.

Creating your very own sleep sanctuary is also one of the steps you take when you’re in need of some self care, especially on a self care Sunday after a long week of working and/or taking care of the ones you love, which can lead to occasional burnout. So, taking time for yourself even if it’s just for one Sunday night, can help a lot with getting quality sleep.

Read on to find out more advice regarding the importance of some self care.

Sleep Is The Best Meditation 

Most of our blue light exposure comes from the sun, meaning that when the sun rises, we feel more awake and when the sun sets, we feel sleepy and less alert. So, if we add technology into the mix, which also emits blue light, using tech late at night can prolong our wakefulness and potentially disrupt our sleep.

According to Modern Place, ambient lighting, or what is commonly known as general lighting, serves as the primary source of light for a certain room. It is the foundation of all the lighting in a room. Aside from basic lighting functionality, ambient lighting enhances a room's or space's sense of warmth and depth. It works to provide a comfortable level of illumination without too much glare.

Goop, a modern lifestyle brand that provides cutting-edge wellness advice, says if ambient light is keeping you from sleeping, you should consider installing blackout blinds or wearing an eye mask to bed. The TEMPUR® Sleep Mask is a great favourite with TEMPUR® customers and the perfect aid to snoozing; a comfortable eye mask filled with TEMPUR® Material that moulds to your face for total darkness, enabling you to drift off and relax.

Goop advise in the hours leading up to bed, keep the lights low, leave electronic devices outside the bedroom and try knitting, reading a novel, piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, or swapping foot massages with a partner. You could also consider getting a more comfortable mattress, especially if you’ve had the same one for the last ten years, something most of us forget about.

It is also important to stick to a consistent sleep routine; going to bed late every now and then won’t have any lasting damaging effects, but waking up at the same time each day helps improve the quality of sleep. The timing of other daily activities matters too. If you decide to have your last cup of coffee later in the day or do cardio later in the evening, this may affect the timing of your sleep, so according to how you react individually to each of these activities, you may need to consider adjusting your schedule to help get a better night’s sleep.

Have A Night To Yourself

Take time at least once a week for yourself, whether that’s breathing in peace, meditating, or journaling before bed. Gathering your thoughts and clearing your mind can reduce anxiety and help you get a better, deeper, and more peaceful sleep. Resetting your space and ambience, drinking something detoxifying like ginger, honey, and lemon shots, or nourishing your hair in oil or a hair mask are all ways to have the perfect night in. This all helps release those toxins, giving you a sense of relaxation before your bedtime. Taking a nice shower or bath, making sure you’re not rushing, showing yourself extra love by massaging your hands or feet, then heading to bed rested ready for a new, fresh start the next day.

Do you take time for yourself? Do you have nights in where you just sleep and do some self care?