I have talked a lot about sleeping on the blog in the past. As I've gotten older, sleeping has become one of my favorite activities. I love to nap, I love to curl up in my bed after a long day and rest my eyes, I love relaxing in bed in the morning when I'm still tired, and I love waking up in the middle of the night to know I still have a few more hours of shut-eye.
That love doesn't come without its downsides... sometimes I have a lot of trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep so I've come up with a handful of nightly routines to help those issues.
However, since the start of COVID, my sleeping patterns have unsurprisingly been really messed up. The state of the world is incredibly anxiety-inducing so it's no wonder that sleep would be affected.
The first few weeks of quarantine were rough on my mental health. The adjustment of working from home, the constant state of bad news, and living in the epicenter of the virus was really rough and I had to figure out how to sleep better.
I enlisted the help of a few trusty products plus some new additions to help me form a new and improved, and borderline full proof nightly routine. These are the products that help me fall asleep & stay asleep, night after night.
Pacifica Beauty Pillow Mist
Previously, I loved pillow mists but when I was diagnosed with a fragrance allergy in 2014, I stopped using them. However, I couldn't resist trying one again. This one from Pacifica caught my eye at the start of the quarantine and I knew I had to have it. The brand released an entire line of Lavender products and the pillow mist was too cute. I don't spray this directly on my pillow but on my blanket and the edge of my bed, that way I'm not actually sleeping on it all night. It does semi-relax me but I think of this more as a nice-to-have than a necessity.
*You can also use this on your body which I haven't done yet but I probably should!
Slip Sleep Mist
On another note, I recently received the Slip Sleep Mist in the mail from the brand and am loving it just as much as the Pacifica one! This is more of a room spray than an actual pillow/fabric mist and the lavender scent is a lot stronger. I notice the same calming effect and I love the way it makes my room smell... like a great air freshener. It also looks a lot more luxurious on my nightstand than the Pacifica one.
You don't need both mists but just decide if you want more of a pillow or room spray!
*Slip also sells a mini version of the mist
LUSH Sleepy Lotion
Another lavender product that I have talked about before... LUSH Sleepy Lotion is the best. It instantly relaxes me, doesn't feel sticky, and doesn't irritate my very sensitive skin. Even if I don't want to use it all over my body, I try to hydrate my hands with it before bedtime and the lavender scent puts me at ease. I wouldn't say it puts me to sleep but it puts me in the right frame of mind to unwind and relax, allowing me to be ready for bed.
Slip Silk Eye Mask
I haven't slept without an eye mask in years and last year, when I bought my first Slip Silk, I threw out every other mask I owned. Now, I have 4 of them and will never use anything else. They are super soft, don't scratch my face and feel light as air. Sure, they come off in the middle of the night but that's because I move around like a monkey in my sleep but my goodness, they are essential. The extra darkness helps me stay asleep (I like to sleep with the TV) and something about the weight on my eyes (even though the masks are very lightweight) is an added bonus. If you buy anything from this post, it has to be this eye mask. Life and sleep will be changed forever.
Slip Silk Pillowcase
Can you tell I love the brand Slip? No joke, they might be my top 5 favorite brands ever. I recently got my first Slip Silk pillowcase and it has made all the difference in my sleep (and my hair). It's very comfortable, soft and in some way, helps me fall asleep pretty quickly, even if I'm not that tired. I don't think Slip Silk pillowcases are supposed to help you sleep but it does for me at least. Also, my hair has not been as frizzy as usual when I sleep on this pillowcase which is enough for me to want to keep using it!
Weighted Blanket
Ok... I don't know if I talked about this before but now I have too... even if it's 90 degrees outside. A weighted blanket is going to change everything. While I need to do a deeper dive into the anxiety-reducing benefits of it, the sleep benefits are outrageous. I was sleeping under my Blanquil weighted every night at the beginning of the pandemic and was not waking up once in the middle of the night. I felt incredibly well-rested, peaceful, and just perfect. It's so amazing I could cry thinking about it. I can't wait for the weather to cool down so I could use this every night again. I will warn you though, you will sleep through alarms and loud noises when you use a weighted blanket -- it's like a sleep fortress.
Headspace App or ASMR
Just as everything else on this list, I talked about my love of Headspace Sleep in my Headspace post a few weeks back. I try to meditate every night before bed but then will also listen to a Sleep Story and within seconds, I'm fast asleep. Something about being told a story is very soothing but combine that with the white noise and a calming voice, and you've got a recipe for relaxation. I will also sometimes listen to an ASMR video from my favorite ASMR Youtube account "Lottie Loves ASMR". She makes the best videos that are super relaxing... I can't get enough!
All of these things help me have a good night's sleep and hopefully they will help you too! What do you use to help you sleep?
xoxo
B
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