Six Tips for Better Sleep

Although we spend about half of our lives sleeping, many of us waste much of that valuable rest time tossing and turning instead. Maybe it’s stress. Maybe it’s diet. Maybe it’s the 24-hour flamenco dance studio located directly above your apartment. Whatever it is, something is preventing you from getting the quality sleep you need. And when your nights are bad, your days aren’t great either.

While we pride ourselves in making the kind of cozy pajamas that should help you get a great night’s rest, we’d like to share a few other tried and true tips that will turn you into a doctor of “sleepanomics” (without the actual college degree, of course).

 

Don’t worry, be sleepy

They say the key to a healthy relationship is never going to bed angry with your partner, which is dubious advice if you live alone. What can be gleaned from this old adage, however, is that it’s not a great idea in general to hit the sack with a mind full of negativity and anxiety.

As much as possible, try to clear your mind of any concerns before going to sleep, either by resolving the issue, or by writing it down somewhere so you can deal with it tomorrow - because you’re not going to get anything done while you sleep anyway (unless you’re a really efficient sleepwalker). You could also tryy guided meditation and breathing exercises that can help you unwind - check out this video for a great example!

 

Get moving!

A sedentary lifestyle can wreak havoc on your sleep schedule. Whether you work at home or in an office, hours and hours of sitting down doesn’t do you any favors during the day or night. There’s a solid chance that incorporating regular exercise of any kind into your routine will help you get more, and better, sleep. Oh exercise. Is there anything you can’t do?

 

Set a nap cap

Naps are great (like, really great sometimes, oh my goodness), but as with everything, moderation is key. You probably shouldn’t nap for more than an hour during the day and it shouldn’t be too late in the day either. Getting a reasonable-length nap routinely can help you get a consistent amount of rest every day. But unless you’re cosplaying as The Big Lebowski for an extended period of time, don’t spend your days napping.

 

Create a rest nest

To be clear, we’re not suggesting that you try and sleep like a bird. We just like rhyming. What we are suggesting is that you establish an environment that is conducive to resting and relaxing. Ideally, the room you sleep in should be kept dark, cool and quiet (kind of like your high school crush). Try using black-out curtains for excessive light and sound machines or a fan to cancel out bothersome noise, like the flamenco class upstairs. Seriously, why did you move there?

 

You sleep what you eat

Although the back half of that pizza may be calling to you around the midnight hour (like it has you on speed dial), you should avoid excessive snacking or having a full meal right before going to sleep. Although it’s also not a great idea to go to bed on an empty stomach, either. Basically, anything that would cause you discomfort during waking hours will likely have a negative impact on your sleep as well.  

 

Consistency is key

Although we lead hectic lives (especially if you’re a parent), it’s important to try and maintain a regular sleep schedule. You should be getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night and you should generally be trying to wake up and go bed at the same time every day, even on weekends (more info on that here). It may not sound like very much fun, but constant exhaustion is even less fun.

 

While you're still up...

Once you’ve committed yourself to putting all these tips into practice, you’ll probably want to browse through our sleepwear collection again, to see which set best matches your new Master Sleeper persona. Stay cozy!