Want to Sleep Better? Steps to Deeper Sleep
Beauty Pillow’s 21 Day Sleep Challenge is designed to help you check in with yourself and center your health and wellness routine on the most important part of your day: your bedtime.
Since this is the first week of our Sleep Challenge (don’t worry you can start or restart at any time - it’s your sleep routine after all!), we thought it would be good to start with a wellness check-in.
As we know, sleep is an essential tool our body uses to rest and reset after a busy day. Whether you’re super active or prefer a more sedate lifestyle, sleep is something your body craves. The number one issue people often experience without realizing is not the amount of hours you clock in every night, but the consistency of your time in bed.
Working to adjust your position in sleep can help side sleepers and stomach sleepers improve their skincare routine by reducing the impact of facial compression. Taking steps to adjust your routine and how you sleep can be helped by nightly use of an elevated pillow. Activating your sleep with a specially designed face pillow for sleeping will help to boost your circulation, improve your sleep quality and level up your existing skincare tools.
Wellness Check-In
When creating any new schedule or plan, it’s important to set realistic and achievable goals. Without these, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and dispirited. With achievable goals, you’re also more likely to stay motivated for longer, despite any roadblocks or obstacles that might arise.
A self check in is also a great time to take a look at your environment and make small changes that will benefit you long term. For example, do you have a wrinkle free pillow and pillowcase? A small change like adding an anti-aging pillow and silk pillowcase to your bed will help to create a more inviting and exciting space to sleep in and enjoy.
When setting goals for the future, it’s important to look at your present. The Beauty Pillow 21 Day Sleep Challenge is all about creating healthy habits for better sleep.
Let’s take a moment to reflect and answer a simple question: How do you feel today?
If you have the time, jot down a few answers.
- Are you tired?
- Are you energized?
- Are you working towards a healthier lifestyle?
- Are you looking to shake up your current routine?
- Are you frustrated by your mornings?
- Have you been having trouble switching off?
- How does your body feel in the mornings? What about at the end of the day?
There’s no wrong answers! Everything is relative to you and your lifestyle.
If you’re feeling sluggish, getting enough sleep and setting a consistent sleep schedule is a great way to improve your energy levels. Improved energy will have a positive effect on your ability to function and comprehend complex tasks. More than this though, having more energy will increase your interest in physical and social activities, boosting endorphins and promoting feelings of wellness and content. All from sleep!
Tweaking your sleep by adding in specially designed pillows like a unique face support pillow for sleeping or an activated pillow cover will help to support your existing routine. If you’re concerned about facial compression or the strain on your body from certain positions like side or back sleeping, adding the Knee Pillow or the Beauty Pillow will help to support your face and body overnight.
If you’ve been feeling ok about your length of deep sleep but struggle to get up and go in the mornings, it's possible you’re actually oversleeping. Getting too much sleep can have the same effect as too little, leaving us feeling groggy and making it hard to concentrate or be physically active. Finding the sweet spot and making sure you get enough sleep consistently and allow enough time for a functional morning is key.
Setting an effective Morning Routine
Mornings can be a tricky time. Figuring out how much time you need in the morning will help you to set your bedtime in the evenings.
Addressing morning stiffness or puffiness is certainly something your morning skincare routine can address, partnered with an effective exercise. Some of the best work for your body is done at rest. Supporting an active lifestyle with a knee pillow can help to support tired muscles and joints overnight and help you wake with a spring in your step.
Skincare is best supported by a wrinkle free pillow combo like the Beauty Pillow, Skin+ Pillowcover and a Silk Pillowcase for an extra dash of luxury. Waking up with a fresh, rejuvenated face is easy with the anti aging pillow support of Beauty Pillow.
If you’re using this as a chance to get into a more positive and functional daily routine, setting yourself up for success might involve some preparation the night before. Go easy on yourself, it’s not easy to spring into action after so long. Start gently, we suggest waking up 10-15 minutes earlier than you usually do. It keeps things manageable and actionable.
Our top tip for seizing the day (and making the most of your morning): don’t scroll straight away. The temptation is real. If you must, limit it to a quick glance and don’t dive into anything too serious before you’ve started your day.
A phrase we like a lot: do something for yourself before you work for someone else. It’s a great way to approach your morning.
Acts of self care don’t have to be ‘treats’ for hard tasks. Try to think of self care as acts of kindness and gratitude you practice on a daily basis – you might find you have less need or cravings for the ‘treats’ you’ve been giving yourself up until now!
Setting an Effective Nighttime Routine
Just like your morning should be about you and not about work or stress, make your nights a chance to connect with yourself. Hard as it might be, try to create a mood that helps you to leave the day behind you. Removing stress entirely might not be possible, but worrying often doesn't make a situation better, so try to disconnect as much as you can.
We do recommend switching off phones and stimuli for at least half an hour before bed. A longer time with less light is better, as the blue light from the screen works against our natural circadian rhythm. The light tricks our body into thinking it’s still daylight, making it easier for us to stay up late and making it harder for us to switch off and go to sleep. Reducing the amount of bright light we’re exposed to before bed will help you sleep sounder, for longer.
Now is the time to unwind with a book, a bath, gentle stretching, journaling - whatever works for you, so long as it calms you. Doing an intense workout might tire you out physically but you’ll likely find it hard to sleep thanks to the rush of endorphins exercise releases. Slow and steady is the name of the game in the evening.
You might not be one for keeping a diary, but if you’re stressed out, taking a minute or two to jot down how you’re feeling and how your day went can do wonders to calm your mind. Meditation is also a great way to filter through your thoughts and set intentions for yourself.
The goal of any of these steps is to unwind and send the signal to your brain and body that sleep is just around the corner. Getting into healthy daily habits to make your sleep deeper and more consistent, will have a positive effect not only on your mornings, but on your entire day.
Making your bed a more luxurious place that you want to dive into is also a great way to increase your time in bed. Adding a splash of luxury with silks, creating a restorative space with pillows, anti aging and body pillows will create a lush sleep experience you’ll long for at the end of every day.
What if my Goals Change?
Life is rarely static. Things change and move suddenly and so do your health and wellness goals and needs. Having goals with flexibility is the key to any successful plan, but making time for sleep will be the key to their long lasting success!
Creating a space you’re excited about is easy, no matter where you are! Traveling with a full workout set or a yoga mat might prove difficult, but silk pillowcases are light and easy to travel with and eye masks are a must have for any trip!
Getting in your z’s will have a positive effect on your mood, your mind, your body and even your skin! Boosting your sleep with activated pillows can help you get the most out of your downtime. Beauty Pillow’s range of anti aging support pillows are designed to support your active lifestyle, shop the range today!