Sweet Dreams: Getting Our Best Sleep

This post is sponsored by SLEEP NUMBER®

In the list of Things I’ve Inherited from my Mother (I feel like this list grows longer the older we get, no?), I’ve recently added “Needs an Early Bedtime.” This is my nice name for it, of course, but ask Brett and he’d have another term for it—I’m thinking “Grandma Can’t Stay Awake for a Movie.” Do you know I had to rent Gone Girl three times from Netflix because I kept falling asleep for the ending and our rental ran out before I could watch it. Three times! And that’s a thrilling movie! It is not unusual for us to be having a gay ‘ol time with the neighbors on a Friday night when I start fading, my signature telltale sign an overcompensating smile and nod to convince everyone I’m listening to their conversation when really I’m falling asleep. I try to stay in the game, I really do. “Hey Grandma, get some coffee,” Brett usually says. Fact is, I function best with lots of sleep—good sleep—and my body is so aware of this fact, it rejects the proposition of anything other than a full night’s rest. Perhaps it is desperate to win back what it’s lost over the years—the sleep I traded in for test-cramming study sessions, weekend quests for fun, pregnancy toss-and-turns, midnight nursing sessions, midnight crying fests, cup-of-water fetching, pat-babies-back-to-sleep shifts, bad dream phases, anxiety spells, the list goes on.

Once upon a long time ago, I could wake up the picture of refreshment after a few hours curled up in a sleeping bag on a friend’s hard floor, but those days are gone. I’m nearing 40 years old here and, why yes, Grandma does need her sleep! I value myself and those around me (my kids want a rested me, trust me) enough to commit to sleep and make it a priority now.

That said, we’ve had some hot mess sleep phases in our home over the years—each of us taking turns for “Worst Sleeper Ever” trophy. And we’re not the only ones. A Sleep Number Sleep Survey shows 54% of Americans don’t think they’re getting enough sleep. While some sleep issues can’t be solved with a fix-it list, and we continue to check and balance our sleep habits, there are several things we’ve found helpful for keeping our family well-rested.

I’m teaming up with SLEEP NUMBER®, a sleep innovation leader, to share some thoughts on sleep–my ideas, but they’re the experts when it comes to high-quality sleep products and services.

Pajamas – This could be psychological and perhaps it’s just me, but falling asleep in what you wore that day—I can’t even. There have been a few times my kids have fallen asleep in the car and Brett’s tried to convince me to make the transfer to bed without changing them into pajamas, and you would have thought he asked me to let them sleep outside. I like seeing my kids in pajamas, I like getting cozy at night, I like the mental shift that happens in the brain when you peel off the jeans and slip into the sleep shirt. “It’s time to settle down,” it says, and “comfort, comfort, comfort!” Sleep in a pajama shirt, a grandma nightgown, a snap-up union suit with a butt flap, heck your birthday suit. Just, dear God, not a button waistband.

Wind Down and Clean Up – Even if I’ve managed to put pajamas on, I hate waking up in the night and realizing I didn’t brush my teeth or wash my face. Slipping into bed stripped of the day’s grime is a nice intentional act to make room for better sleep. I’m usually a shower-in-the-morning girl, but on nights when I take a hot shower or bath before bed, I always feel more relaxed and primed for sleep. Sleep Number says a shower can also help you cool down at night which actually helps you sleep better.

Massage the Senses – There’s a reason you’re tempted to fall asleep during a massage—the sounds, the smells, the touch, the low light. That same scene can be easily recreated in our own bedrooms at home. I love spritzing some pillow spray (peppermint & eucalyptus or lavender are my favorites) before bed or diffusing some calming oils to help set a relaxing environment. We also use a sound machine for white noise in all of our bedrooms—something we’re all a little addicted to now.

Careful Consumption – If I want a solid night’s sleep and to wake up feeling refreshed, I have to watch what I drink. I’ve had a few hangovers in my life, and it’s NEVER ever worth it. Caffeine and alcohol–watch it, Missy. Water and hot herbal tea–now there you go, Grandma.

Keep Your Bed Space a Sanctuary – I have shoved heaps of things off the bed onto the floor to make space for my body too many times and, I’m not going to lie, it will probably happen again. But I know better. Good sleep patterns involve treating the sacred place of sleep with more respect. I don’t know, like, maybe not throw the wrinkled laundry on the bed with no intention of putting it away. Make the bed, dust the nightstand, fluff up the pillows, picture a peaceful glowing aura extending three feet around that bed, and respect it. You spend more than a third of your life there–by golly, make it beautiful.

(not me or my bedroom but look at this space! I’d sleep for days here!)

Comfort – Life’s too short to hate your pillow, and you’re worth a comfy bed. More than half of the battle of getting a good night’s rest is comfort. Find the perfect bed for you. And if what you want in a perfect bed is different than what your partner wants? Check out the SLEEP NUMBER® bed that allows couples to choose their individual comfort on each side of the bed.

Kids – As for the kids, this is where it gets a little tricky. If the kids aren’t sleeping, nobody’s sleeping–and ain’t nobody got time for that. We have three very different sleepers, and their sleeping needs and habits have changed over the years (months), but I have noticed several things that have helped including a consistent relaxing night routine. Whether it’s reading a book (I like to do this with the lights off and a bedside lamp lit because it feels charming), giving them foot massages with some essential oils, tickling their hand or whispering some guided meditation, it sets the tone for a good night’s rest. It’s kind of like a watered-down hypnosis: “You are getting very, very sleepy.” Also hydration for kids–don’t go to bed parched, but also use the bathroom right before bed! Nella has done a fabulous job staying dry at night, but she was waking up crying for a drink for a while–and I’d go fetch it and not be able to fall back asleep. I finally got wise and kept a cup with a little water (not enough to make her have to use the bathroom) on a table next to the bed.

Monitor – In order for me to sleep good at night, I have to have peace of mind that my kids are okay. I want to know that I’ll hear them if they wake up, that I’ll know if something’s wrong, that I can make it to them in a hop, skip and a jump if they need me. I can’t sleep if I’m worried about this.  SleepIQ Kids™ bed is the only bed in the world that adjusts with children as they grow. There’s nothing to wear or turn on–all kids have to do is sleep. And the bed transfers everything to an app on your phone that lets you know if they’re out of bed or restless and just what kind of sleep they’re getting every night.

Balance Work – This one is really important for both Brett and me. We occasionally suffer from not being able to fall back asleep if we wake up in the middle of the night. I never used to have this problem, and I blame having kids for most of it–so many things to worry about. I do know that not attending to responsibilities can add flames to the fire though, and the monsters of procrastination pick the middle of the night for their haunting shifts. That e-mail you didn’t respond to? That job you’ve been procrastinating? That parking ticket you never paid? In the middle of the night, these things are WORLD CRISISES! Want to sleep good? Get your shit done. Also, keep a notebook by your bed for ideas that come find you in the night–you won’t sleep if you think the idea might be gone in the night.

Gratefully Unload Your Thoughts – I swear this helps me sleep better: right before I fall asleep, I unravel my thoughts into the universe. Call it prayer, unloading, what have you. Say those prayers out loud. Make some space for your worries and release them but most important–say your gratefuls. Low I lay me down to sleep, and I’m so thankful for this space, this bed, this comfort, this family, this body, this rest. No matter what you believe in, a foundation of gratitude is a wonderful way to both fall asleep and wake up refreshed.

Amen.

You can find a Sleep Number store near you and check out more of the innovative products that support healthy sleep habits at Sleep Number’s site.