I’ve made quite a few lifestyle changes over the last few years: reducing toxin exposure, improving nutrition, switching to low cortisol workouts, and reducing overall stress (to name a few.) But I think one of the best changes I have made has been prioritizing sleep.

Sleep is incredibly important for our health both physically and mentally, and I have noticed improvements in almost every aspect of my life since I have started prioritizing sleep. My skin is brighter and clearer, my mood is better, I have more energy, and and my focus and productivity throughout the day is SO much better.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had trouble falling asleep. I’ve never been one of those “fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow” people. When I’m laying in bed at night is when my brain decides to think about anything and everything, which just stresses me out and I will lay awake tossing and turning for hours. So for anyone else who struggles with falling (and staying) asleep, I wanted to put together a list of things that have helped me personally.

How to get a good night of sleep:

• Establish a night time “wind down” routine: For me that includes: putting on comfy pajamas, doing my night time skin care routine, taking magnesium, making hot tea, turning on my diffuser, 15 minutes of infrared light therapy, and reading in bed. Make a routine that works for you and your lifestyle! I’m sure my routine will change when I have a newborn in a few months, but I’ll adjust and make a new routine that works for me then. I have found that having a routine gets my brain in “wind down” mode, and really helps me to relax before it’s time to sleep.

• Shower & skin care: Washing off the day and spending a few minutes to do my nightly skin care always gets me ready to crawl in bed and relax. Highly recommend getting a towel warmer to get your towels nice and warm – it’s also great for bathrobes too!

• Wear cute, comfy pajamas: I looove picking out a pair of comfy pjs at the end of the day. I don’t know why or how, but I sleep so much better in a cute pajama set instead of wearing a t-shirt or something. Just give it a try! I also love to throw on a comfy robe and slippers.

• Magnesium supplements: I started taking a magnesium supplement to help prevent digestion issues (a common pregnancy symptom) but it’s great for stress relief too! love the Calm brand – they have a powder you can mix with water, or gummies. Both are good, but I prefer the gummies since I like a hot drink at night.

• Night time tea: There is nothing more soothing than a cup of hot tea! I make a cup to drink while reading in bed, and I look forward to it every night. My favorites are this chamomile lavender, or this night time blend. Chamomile is great for relaxation and making you sleepy. Unfortunately there is mixed information on whether it’s safe for pregnancy or not, so I don’t drink it while pregnant. I have switched to this pregnancy safe sleep tea which is also really good, just a bit pricey.

• Diffuse lavender oil: Each night before getting in bed, I turn on my essential oil diffuser with lavender oil. It smells amazing, and is great for relaxation!

• Infrared light therapy: This is a newer step for me, but one I’m obsessed with! There are tons of benefits to red light/infrared light therapy. It’s great for the skin – increases collagen and reduces wrinkles & scars. It also promotes hair growth, reduces inflammation & repairs muscle. It’s also said to balance hormones, reduce stress, and improve sleep. I have this light which does both red light and infrared light at the same time, and I turn it on for 15 minutes when I get in bed. It is super relaxing!!

• Reading before bed: This has been SO helpful in helping me fall asleep quickly each night. Reading not only gets my eyes heavy, but it gives my brain something else to focus on, so I’m not going through to-do lists or whatever else my mind comes up with to keep me up at night. I will read until I can’t keep my eyes open, and then I fall asleep instantly. I love my kindle for a lot of reasons, but it’s great for reading at night because you don’t need light to see it, so you can keep your room dark. I turn the brightness all the way down, so it doesn’t strain my eyes.

• Wear a silk eye mask: My room is completely dark to begin with, but I have noticed that wearing a silk eye mask helps me sleep better. Maybe it’s a mental thing, but either way it helps! Silk masks are also great for retaining moisture, which reduces fine lines & wrinkles around your eyes. I also use a silk pillowcase for its skin care & hair benefits. Highly recommend!

I also have to mention that since I’m currently pregnant, using a pregnancy pillow has been really helpful!! This is the pillow I have and although it takes up a lot of space, it’s so comfortable. I might continue using it even after pregnancy haha.

One more thing that has helped is changing my mindset on sleep. I don’t know who came up with the idea that operating on little sleep is something to aim for, or that waking up at 5am every day is something we need to do in order to be successful. I used to set my alarm so much earlier than necessary because I always heard that getting up early would make me more productive. It’s been quite the opposite, for me anyway. I function SO much better after having a good quality night of sleep – I’m more focused throughout the day and so much more productive, even if I’m working less hours.

There’s a good chance that I will look back at this post and laugh (or cry) in a few months when I have a newborn, but I will fully enjoy and appreciate my nights of sleep now while I can 🙂 And maybe I’ll make an updated post on this topic later on. Anyway, thanks for reading & feel free to leave any comments below!

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