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Hustling is all well and good; however: can we agree that sleep is an essential part of hustle and one that has been slept on? It’s no secret that sleep is essential for good health and good skin, but really, it tops the wellness pyramid.
Sleep deprivation is something a lot of people experience, especially when striking out to get ahead at work. If you’re anything like me and love to work, workaholism can lead to lack of sleep, leading both to not performing our best and, dare I say it, dull skin. Unfortunately, lack of sleep can negatively affect our productivity, decision-making, creativity, health, and skin’s overall radiance.
The new definition of success isn’t just building businesses and growing within our careers, it’s recognizing that our health is the real wealth. Let’s redefine success by welcoming wellness practices into our daily routines. Practices like meditation, movement, and eating nutritious foods are key factors; however, the most basic, free, and simple shift we can make in redefining success in our productivity, our health, and our careers has to do with receiving a good quality amount of sleep every night. Sleep is the most underrated health ritual. Our creativity, confidence, leadership skills, and my obvious favorite—glowing skin can all be enhanced simply by getting enough sleep. I once read that “an extra hour of sleep can do more for daily happiness than a $60,000 raise.” Sign me up! You can quite literally do everything better with more sleep, including problem-solving. Prioritizing those beauty z’s should be the top intention for becoming wealthy and healthy. I have a full arsenal of tips, tricks, hacks, and tools to help us all drift off for our most successful slumber yet.
This is a big one: find the right mattress. Choosing a mattress is crucial for restful sleep and back health. Don’t skimp on a quality mattress!
In addition to a mattress, other accessories can help. Never underestimate the power of a silk pillowcase and silk or satin eye mask. These things can both do wonders for a relaxing night of sleep.
And in general, you’ll want to keep your bedroom cool and dark.
With similar urgency to that which we give all our work-related appointments, schedule yourself a sleep appointment. I have an alarm I’ve set to go off one hour before my scheduled bedtime to let me know that it’s time to start prepping for sleep. I set the alarm by calculating what time I need to be up and count backward 8–9 hours. I aim for 7–8 hours of quality sleep every night. Whatever that time is, has now become my prep for bedtime appointment and is scheduled in my calendar. Some may say it’s a little bit Type A; however, I like to view it as using compulsion more productively towards building my wealthy future.
Hot tip: I suggest trying your best to wake up at the same time every day consistently. When you wake up at the same time every day—yes, even on the weekends—you are setting your biological clock to help understand what time your body should be awake.
This means the TV is off, electronics are turned off or on airplane mode to set the tone for a peaceful and quiet environment. If you have noisy neighbors or live in a loud city, you can try earplugs or a white noise sound machine.
It’s likely that any light you are exposed to in the PM hours is not light that is optimized for sleep.
Four Sigmatic Hot Cacao with Reishi Mushroom is a top favorite of mine. It contains an organic and thoughtful blend to help relax after a busy day and to support the body’s sleep cycles.
A warm, 15–20 minute bath with magnesium flakes like these from Life Flo is nature’s anti-stress gift to us as it supports cellular relaxation and muscle recovery. It’s a great addition to an end-of-the-day way to relax and support optimal beautifying sleep. Additionally, when you get out of a warm bath, the air around you will cool your body temperature, which helps induce a deeper sleep.
Inhaling the relaxing scents of lavender, chamomile, cedar wood, and ylang-ylang oil before bed will lend a helping hand to help drift off into a drowsy element. You can also try a pre-mixed blend like the Mild By Nature Sleep Essential Oil Blend if you don’t feel like mixing it in your diffuser yourself.
Spray Little Moon Sleep Comes Easy Sleep Inspiring Mist liberally in the air or a spritz on your pillow (if you have sensitive skin, spray on your blanket instead of your pillow) and inhale the aroma around you to support a great night of rest.
Putting on pajamas (my preference is silk) makes you feel ready for bed. So many of us will wear an oversized ‘going to the gym’ shirt to bed—which is fine if that is what works for you; however, slipping on cozy pajamas is a way to signal to your brain that it’s time to shut down to rest.
Taking time out for self-care makes a nice transition between busy and sleep time. Treat yourself by applying an ultra-rich nighttime moisturizer like Reviva Labs Collagen Night Creme at night to ensure a healthy glow upon waking.
A great hack for calming your mind is to take 5–10 minutes to journal before you snooze. You can jot down your wins of the day, your goals for tomorrow, your to-do list for the next day, your gratitude list, or overall thoughts before bed. I like to call this a healthy brain dump, so you can sleep (and wake) with a clean slate.
There are other steps you can take throughout your day that will help you overall, overnight.
Upon waking, drink clean and filtered water to nourish your body, rehydrate, and support healthy metabolism before your caffeine fix. I like keeping a reusable bottle like the one from Thinksport on my nightstand for this purpose.
Get your sunshine and natural light in as soon as you can. Natural light sends signals to your brain that it is time to start the day. This will help eliminate any grogginess and help support and regulate your body’s circadian rhythm.
Get in movement in the morning hours. A morning walk is a fantastic way to get your blood and any stagnant lymph pumping and moving. It’s also a great warm-up for a workout. Natural light and movement go hand-in-hand by signaling your body to begin producing melatonin for healthy and restful sleep. Hot tip: Use stress relief shoe insoles to promote less stress on your feet and a more soothing morning walk.
Cut out caffeine after noon. Caffeine can stay in your system for up to ten hours! It takes your body and your brain time to relax after caffeine, so if you want a good night’s rest, cut the caffeine out after 12 pm to give your body time to metabolize it. Limit your alcohol intake, too. Alcohol can disrupt your sleep cycle, leading to non-restorative sleep. If you plan to have a drink, then try your best to aim for an earlier, happier hour. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right?
Find a few minutes to dedicate towards mediation or restorative/mindfulness ritual. You can try using the Calm or Insight Timer app for free guided meditations.
A cluttered space equals a cluttered mind. Make sure to find a little time each day to clean up, organize and bring peace, especially in your bedroom.
Keep your gut happy by avoiding processed and heavy foods. You want to make sure to get healthy servings of fruits and veggies daily. Adding a probiotic to your diet will help support your digestive system and immune system. Learn more about choosing the best probiotic for you here.
So, there you have it, a list of lots of different tips that you can try to see how revitalizing a night of good sleep can be. Let me know if these work for you!
By Alexandria Gilleo
