I may live in the city that never sleeps, but that doesn't mean we don't need it! Although sometimes I wish we didn't because I could use some extra hours in the day! 😉 The truth is I am SUCH a night owl, and that trend has only gotten worse since becoming an entrepreneur. I mean how can I shut my laptop down when I get hit with an awesome idea at midnight...?? Spoiler... I don't and then I stay up until the wee hours of the night. Yeah, about that. So one of my goals for 2017 has been to work on going to a bed at a decent hour and trying to get some quality rest! Maybe that sounds like a funny goal to have but the struggle is real! I've been making some great progress so far too so today I'm sharing some of the changes I have made and hopefully some will help you too!
Going to Bed at a Consistent Time
Most people have alarms set for getting up in the morning.. well, I also have one for going to bed. I'm really great at finding any reason possible to not go to bed so setting an alarm helps get me to that first step... actually getting into bed! Setting an alarm has been super helpful in helping me at least start to power down for the night.
Black-Out Curtains
Surprisingly enough, my neighborhood in the city is pretty quiet. Go Upper East Side! Plus our apartment is on the back of the building which really helps. The most distracting part of getting to sleep for me isn't sound, but rather the lights! No matter what time it is, there is always someone who has their lights on. So to combat this issue I picked up a set of black-out curtains and wa-lah our bedroom is officially as dark as a cave at night. On top of being a night owl, I also have a tough time falling asleep so this has really helped a lot!
Leaving the Phone out of the Bedroom
This tip has been so key for me! After working in the PR industry for so many years I felt like my phone had to be glued to my hand at all times. It was the last thing I looked at before I went to bed and the first thing I looked at in the morning, which was so draining and pretty terrible for my sleep. You know the Vick's commercial about replying to emails in her sleep? Let's just say that hits close to home 😂. Now that I'm on my own, I've found a better balance for my client relationships and it turns out no one has died from not hearing from me in the middle of the night! Plus, now when I go to bed, I actually go to bed instead of wasting another hour on Instagram or whatever else on my phone. If you can leave your phone and other sleep distractions outside of your bedroom, do it!
Quality Bedding
Another thing that is so important to getting a good night's rest is quality bedding! I mean we do spend a third of our lives asleep after all! The awesome people over at Live Comfortably sent me a bed set complete with a mattress pad, pillows and a comforter to make my bed a little cozier and boy did it ever! In general I'm not a very picky person, but as you may have noticed from this post sleep is the one exception to that rule!
That being said, I must admit I've been super impressed with their products so far. Sometimes new pillows can take a while to break in and are a little firm, but their pillows were the perfect balance of support and fluffiness right out of the bag (which btw, when pillows come in their own zipped bags you know they're legit. True story, when we were making the bed with everything, Chris grabbed the pillow, curled up on the bed and tried to get out of helping with the rest because he didn't want to give it up. So I'd say he's definitely a fan too!
My mattress was pretty comfy already, but the mattress pad has added an extra layer of comfiness too which is fabulous. Another bonus of the mattress pad is it has actually helped keep our sheets on a little better too. I don't know what crazy ninja moves Chris does in his sleep but he always manages to pull the sheets off the corners of his side of the bed so this has been a nice bonus. I'm also loving the new comforter! The weight is a great combination of being warm enough for our cold winters, but not overly heavy. Which is perfect because we should be able to use it year-round instead of having to swap things out. Def a perk when you're living in a small apt with limited storage! One of my favorite features is that it has sewn sections so that the fill remains even throughout! No one wants a lumpy comforter right!?
All and all, after testing out the products for a week or so I can already feel the difference quality bedding can make. Plus, now that my bed feels like a big fluffy cloud it will definitely entice me a little bit more to actually go to bed.I'd definitely recommend checking out Live Comfortably if you're looking to upgrade and get a better night's sleep!
Putting Your Clock out of Sight
Last but not least, I suggest putting your clock out of sight. This one might not be for everyone.. but for me it has really helped! When I couldn't sleep I'd just stare at the clock and count the hours of sleep I'd get if I fell asleep at that moment. Maybe I'm the only crazy person who has done this, but just in case I'm not give this tip a try! All that I do is rotate my clock to the side when I get into bed so that I can't see the numbers. Or if you have the luxury of living in an apt bigger than our little NYC apartment, you could also move your clock across the room. I know it sounds silly, but not having a clock stare at you in the face can help ease your stress and help you get to sleep faster.
And there you have it, my tips for getting a better night's sleep! Making sleep a priority has already made such a difference for me and hope it will do the same for you!
**Disclaimer: Live Comfortably provided me with a complimentary bed set in exchange for a review for their products. This post and all opinions stated are based on my own ideas and honest experience with the product and has not been influenced based upon the sponsorship.