5 Products for Good Sleep Hygiene

As a holistic health coach, I am trained to explore many aspects of my clients’ lives when considering their overall happiness including diet, movement, stress management, career, finances, home environment, relationships and more.

And if you have attended my workshops or worked with me one-on-one, you know that my favorite place to start making changes and moving the needle is SLEEP.

Why sleep? Because if you are chronically sleep-deprived you can’t excel in the other areas. You will be too tired to exercise and your hunger hormones will be driving you to make poor decisions when it comes to food. When we are well-rested, our energy level is higher, are mood is more stable, and we are better suited to take good care of ourselves.

The good news is, there are so many simple lifestyle adjustments we can make to dramatically improve our sleep. Here are a few of my favorites: 

• Eat your last meal 2-3 hours before bedtime so your body has time to digest before sleep

• Dim the lights in your house 2 hours before bedtime to trigger the release of melatonin

• Put all screens away 1-2 hours before bedtime to limit stimulating content

Pro tip: When you are introducing any changes to your lifestyle, start small. I mean REALLY small. Pick one small change (maybe it’s dimming the lights) that you KNOW you can achieve this week, do it for several days, then build from there.

When you are ready to take your sleep hygiene to the next level, here are a few of my favorite tried and true products that help me get a good night of zzz’s.

Please note: I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, but rest assured I only recommend products I use and believe in.

Blue-Light Blocking Glasses

Ideally we are putting away all screens (phone, iPad, TV, you get it) 1-2 hours before bedtime. (Yes, that means I do not recommend watching a show right before bed.)

But, I don’t live in an ideal world, and I bet you don’t either. So, for the times that we are looking at a screen close to bedtime, I highly recommend wearing blue-light blocking glasses. The results certainly vary by person, but in my experience I notice that I get drowsy (which is a good thing at night) when I wear blue-light blocking glasses and I get stimulated when I don’t. I can fall asleep much sooner after screen time when I wear them vs. when I don’t. So, if you find it difficult to fall asleep, try them. I like my Caddis readers, but these might be my next pair.

Foam Roller

As we go about our daily activities sitting at a desk, driving, carrying groceries/laundry/children, our bodies can get tight. For me, nothing feels better than a few front body opening stretches using my foam roller right before I climb into bed. It helps melt away tension my muscles are holding and helps me tune into softening my body before bed.

If you don’t already have one, grab a foam roller and check out my 3 favorite bedtime stretches in my on-demand collection: Spinal Extension, Chest Opener, Hip Flexors. (These videos, and all stretch videos in my collection, are free to view.)

Lavender Essential Oil

When I can tell that I am little more amped up than I want to be right before bed, I place one drop of lavender essential oil into my palm, rub my palms together, then wave my hands in front of my face and take a few deep breaths.

The soothing scent helps relax me and the deep breaths activate my parasympathetic nervous system and signal to my brain that my body is safe and sleep is coming soon.

I am not partial to any one brand, but I do like to buy organic when I can. Here is one to try.

A Good Book

Nothing carries me off to sleep better than a good book. I’m talking a retro book with pages you actually turn and light content. Like a great fiction novel to take your mind off your life and responsibilities and transport you to another place and time.

So, grab whatever piques your interest, nestle in and drift away. If you like a classic, I recently read The Bell Jar simply because I saw it in my local bookstore and thought, why not? I enjoyed the protagonist’s feminist thinking and seeing how it was in conflict in the 1960s. It’s also an interesting look into mental health issues as told by the sufferer herself. For some of my other recent favorites, check out my Summer Reading List post.

Amber Reading Light

If you love reading in bed at night too, I highly recommend this amber reading light. It clips to your book, puts off a candle-like light, blocks blue light, and is rechargeable, adjustable and lightweight. I use it every night and bring it with me on trips.

Everything gets better when we sleep well. I hope these help you find more rest. Sweet dreams, my friends.