Getting to sleep on time is no easy task for some of us. If you’re anything like me, it can be downright impossible. But there are a few tricks I use each night to at least create the right atmosphere for sleeping. All five of my senses play a role in setting the scene, and then I just hope for the best. Maybe some of these ideas can help you, too.
Sight
Some people need total darkness to fall asleep. Not me. I’m one of those people who needs a faint glow coming from somewhere to feel totally relaxed. The moon lamp was the most peaceful kind of light I could imagine falling asleep to, next to real moonlight. It’s a 3D recreation of the moon, and the version I have is about the size of a volleyball. It has a bright white setting and a warmer, yellow setting. I switch it up. There are lots of different sizes and colors of the moon lamp. Here’s just one version.
Sound
Similarly to how I need a tiny amount of light to sleep, I also need a tiny amount of soothing sound. My Echo Dot 3 has come in handy there. (If you’re not sure, yes, that’s “an Alexa”, as I called it when I first got it.) Alexa, it turns out, is surprisingly affordable. I connected my free Pandora account and turned the volume way down low. When I’m getting ready for bed, I ask Alexa to play a custom “Dreamscape” station I made from Enya, the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, Lindsey Stirling, and various other Celtic and New Age-y musicians who sound peaceful enough to fall asleep to.
I don’t have to worry about it playing all night, either, as I can ask Alexa to “set a sleep timer for two hours” (or however long you want the music to play) and it automatically stops playing in two hours. (I like to give it a good long while to be sure I’m sound asleep before it stops.)
The other great thing about Alexa is that I can have her automatically start playing another Pandora station when it’s time for me to get up in the morning, so I can be roused as gently as I was put to sleep. And I can set her to only go off on the days I need to get up, unlike my previous alarm, which went off no matter what seven days a week. Additionally, if the power goes off during the night, I still have the alarm set when it comes back on.
If you don’t have Pandora, you can also request that Alexa “play bedtime sounds” and get soothing nature sounds instead.
Scent
I like to use my Yankee Scenterpiece to melt wax by them and by Spireside. There’s a timer on it that allows me to set it for three hours, so I can make my room smell like something relaxing before I lie down. For safety reasons, Yankee warns not to sleep with it on, so I start it a few hours before bedtime and allow the scent to permeate before shutting it off again.
Taste
I’m a big fan of Celestial Seasonings and their caffeine-free herbal teas. Normally my go-to teas are made of spicy or earthy flavors like ginger and cinnamon. But there are several varieties of their Sleepytime tea that’s made from a blend of naturally soothing herbs. Pop it in the microwave for one minute, and it’s the perfect amount of warmness to drink immediately.
Touch
Many experts advise that the ideal sleep environment is one in which you’re just a little bit cold but can completely warm up when you crawl under the covers. For that reason, I love a soft, fluffy comforter (to complement my comfy pants, of course)!
But even a comforter would be inadequate without some good pillows. I recently discovered that I was born with a slight neck deformity that has been the cause of my lifelong chronic neck pain. Since at least 6 years old (the earliest I can remember this happening), I’ve been waking up every few weeks unable to move my neck at all due to severe pain. I finally had enough of this a few months ago and decided it was time to splurge on some really good pillows.
After many long hours of research, I finally determined that the best pillows for my specific issue (and being both a back and side sleeper) would be high-quality down. So I spent several more hours reading about how to select good down pillows. It turns out there’s a lot that goes into it. Should you use duck or goose down? What is the fill quality? What is the fill power? Will the sharp ends of tiny feathers be jabbing me in the face all night and shedding around my bedroom? (The answer is yes if you choose poorly.) I decided on this set from Royal Bedding. It was absolutely the best deal I could find because you’re getting two for about the price of one, and certain 5-star hotels use this brand, so you know it’s the good stuff.
I was afraid I’d wasted good money on something that wouldn’t help my issue, but I am stunned and so very relieved to tell you that I have not messed up my neck once in the four or five months since I started using down pillows! (Actually, there was once, and it happened on a night that I slept in a bed that wasn’t mine and didn’t have my pillows, so I’m obviously not counting that.) Going from every few weeks over the course of a lifetime to never (so far, anyway) over a period of several months has improved my quality of life so much.
So these are my tips and tricks for dozing off. What helps you? Got any I haven’t thought of?
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