Hey, homies! Today I wanted to chat with you all about something that is near and dear to my heart, SLEEP! When I got to college, I played myself. I was working in the library at all hours of the night, trying to prove that I was “cool” and “hardworking” or whatever. All it did was turn me into a zombie who ended up in and out of doctor’s offices after multiple fainting episodes. I was in cardiologist’s and neurologist’s offices only to find out the cause was exhaustion. After that, I vowed to make sleep a priority again.

Now, I’m known as the girl who will go to bed early and fall asleep anywhere. I have no qualms about wrapping my hair and going to bed in the middle of a dinner party or game night. There is no shame in my game. Recently, I’ve been focused on not only getting sleep but getting quality sleep. Quality sleep is the starting point of productivity for me, so these days it’s a must. Here are a few ways I’ve improved my sleep hygiene to get better quality sleep.

Conversation boundaries-

This is a new one that I actually learned from someone on Instagram but some conversations are not conducive to having a good night’s rest. Any conversations that may lead to disagreements or discomforts can be left until we have the time and energy to work through them. Bedtime is not that time.

No dogs in the bed- 

This was a HARD one for me. Ziggy (our Shih Tzu) has always slept in the bed with me, way before Chris and I got together. He grew up in a family where dogs were not allowed on furniture so this wasn’t that much of a shift for him. We implemented this rule when we got Ona who went from being an estimated 35 pounds to 60 pounds. We just couldn’t sustain two dogs in the bed and it honestly has made such a difference. We love them but now they each get their own space and we get ours. 

Electronic boundaries-

This one was super hard for Chris. When I said I didn’t want a TV in our bedroom, I thought he would pass out. When I had my TV in my bedroom, I would stay up past my bedtime watching TV, then I wouldn’t be able to sleep because my mind was racing, so I watched more TV. It was a vicious cycle. Not having a TV in our bedroom has given us more opportunities to connect and have meaningful conversations. 

Because I would oftentimes mindlessly scroll social media before bed, I’ve limited my phone usage before bed as well. I try to stop using my phone about an hour before I head to bed. If I find myself using my phone too much still, I charge my phone downstairs overnight. Anyone that needs to contact me past my bedtime has Chris’s number.

Personal Care-

It sounds basic but taking a nice hot shower, doing my evening skincare routine, and putting on comfy matching pajamas does wonders for my bedtime mood. Growing up my mom always wore matching pajamas or nice nightgowns, I never understood why but now I do. It’s a silly but simple way to go to bed feeling like 100% that bish. 

Bedroom ambiance- 

I wanted my body to associate my bedroom with peace. So I cut the crap. We decluttered the space significantly because, for me, a messy space means a messy brain.

We burn exquisite smelling candles and utilize our Hue lights and our Echo dot to create a relaxing mood with a variety of light colors and great music. We got comfy airy bedding that makes us want to get in bed and stay there. We’ve started to decorate and organize our bedroom so that it is not only aesthetically pleasing but functional.

We no longer hang out in our bedroom so that our bodies associate our bedroom with rest and relaxation. Even the dogs know the deal, they don’t hang out in mommy and daddy’s bedroom either. Now, when we go up to our bedroom they go right to their beds. 

Melatonin-

Some days I don’t practice good sleep hygiene or I have such a stressful day that I still can’t sleep well. That’s when I pull out my melatonin. I keep these gummies in my nightstand, yes gummies because I’m a 23-year-old child. 

I hope this post gives you ideas you can implement to have a better night’s sleep because you deserve it!