If all you want for Thanksgiving and Christmas is all of the misinformation and immaturity on the internet to vaporize a good night’s sleep, I’m with you. I am just now catching up after many months of consecutive 4-hour nightly sleeps. What a gift to sleep peacefully as if all is well and all shall be well tomorrow.
Sleeping in Heavenly Peace?
You already know that less than six hours of sleep for many nights in a row is unacceptable. Plenty of studies show us just HOW sleep deprivation is physically damaging.
Here’s research painting a bleak picture of potential devastation from chronic sleep deprivation. (A study of sleep in women shows delaying bedtime by even 90 minutes each night damages cells that line the blood vessels, supporting the hypothesis poor sleep is linked to heart disease.)
But wait. I can’t go another second with such bleak news. Look at the calendar…
I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Ideas for Rest
1. Rest Essential & Made in the USA
Here’s the Scrumptious Pillow I’m crazy about. It’s luxurious and not cheap in quality or price. This investment pillow may bring to mind marshmallow cloud goodness, and it never flattens!
Traveling somewhere? Their travel pillow is exceptional. The shape is rather whimsical though its potential for restful holiday travels is no joke!
2. Jam On It
You can’t go wrong with any of the pretty Pajamas from Serena & Lily, and natural fibers and high quality (here I am in their white linen pajamas and robe below) assure they will hold up for years.
3. Sleep Aids
While I prefer silence, plenty of you like white noise to fall asleep. This Alarm Clock gets rave reviews.
4. Enhanced Beauty Sleep
At this age with my various sensitive skin conditions, I need my apothecary products at night. Aesthetician extraordinaire Joanna Czech says night time skin care is actually 60% more effective than daytime…so let your sleep work its magic on your skin. Here are some ideas:
Jenni Kayne’s Ritual Oil contains Blue Tansy and is something I buy on repeat. Have you heard of slugging (our grandmothers did it by slathering Vaseline to lock in moisture as a last step before bed)? The balm (above) is what I how slather after moisturizing and facial oil.
For those mornings after a fitful sleep? I need all the help I can get to make my skin look…well, like human skin. Here’s what I use for a realistic glow:
5. Naps Count Toward Beauty Sleep
A perfect muslin throw is just right for napping. Picture cozying on down with a this one on a crisp winter afternoon when the snowflakes are falling. Yum.
6. Fan of Bamboo?
My husband is crazy about these sheets. I wish all bamboo sheets were created equal, but my research reveals they are not. Honeydew Sheets are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified (every component was tested and determined to be harmless to health…yay!).
7. Sleep Mask
You already know the benefits of a dark room for optimal sleep so a Contoured Sleep Eye Mask is a kind thing to gift yourself or someone else.
8. Orange Fragrance & Stress Relief Blends
Look for stress management and calming essential oil blends that contain orange. There’s just something amazing that happens when you have a few drops on a cotton ball or in a diffuser bedside.
Another bedside help?
A portable humidifier humidifies rooms up to 500 square feet.
My sleeping partner is best buds with Bose Sleepbuds.
Of course none of these sleep helps and luxurious finds will be much help if a spirit of unrest steals your ability to slumber. As tensions around the globe find their way to your consciousness, they may occupy your headspace.
We’re all vulnerable to such unrest these days. Should you bury your head in the sand or hide under a rock to rest easier at night?
No easy answers. Even when we think we are being mindful and cautious (over the counter melatonin), we may be creating a future nightmare. (Do look at current research about long term melatonin use).
Even when anxious thoughts aren’t keeping you awake, there are countless other reasons (circadian rhythm disturbances, medicine side effects…) sleep may elude you. At the moment, daily vigorous exercise is essential to get my own menopausal brain and body sufficiently poised for sleep.
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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