Need Sleep? Our Top Products and Tips To Help

Are you sleepy? I mean this week has already been crazy. Sunday was Daylight Saving Time. Monday was Napping Day and here we are at sleepy Tuesday. We thought it might be a good time to bring up some of our favorite tips, tricks, and products to help you get the rest you need. 

1. Blackout Curtains: Babies, kids, teens, and adults ALL sleep better when it’s dark. No, seriously, darkness matters. Being exposed to light tricks the brain into thinking it needs to wake up and be alert. Darkness helps trigger the “sleep hormone” melatonin to let the brain know it’s time to hit the sack. AmazonBasics offers some great budget-friendly options.
2. Blue Light Blockers: We all know that we should be cutting down on screentime, ESPECIALLY before bed. But you can’t say no to the Bachelor, riiiiight? If you’re guilty of watching tv, using a computer, playing on your phone, or reading on your iPad, it might be time to invest in some blue light blocking glasses. Protect those eyes that you keep rubbing. EyeBuyDirect has lots of options at great prices. 
3. Sound Machine: I never had a sound machine in my room until my first child was born. I did all the research on tips to get your baby to sleep and a sound machine was ALWAYS on the list. Fast forward to now, it might not be helping my newborn sleep all night (yet) but it has definitely helped my husband :). But seriously, if you have loud neighbors, barking dogs, and revving cars that bug you in the night, invest in a good sound machine. A popular (and true white noise) sound machine is the Dohm, you can find it here. Great for mama and baby. If you are looking for a good sound machine/nightlight with lots of options on sounds, the Hatch Baby Rest is a great one.
4. Melatonin: Okay, seriously we could not talk about our favorite sleep products and not include our Adult Sleep Melts and Kids Sleep Melts (or Drops). Sometimes you and your kids need a little help falling and staying asleep. Our body naturally produces melatonin but in our day to day activities, we tend to sabotage our melatonin production (with screentime, jet lag from trips, and more). Having melatonin on hand for those nights can help you catch those winks.
5. Chest Rub: You run around all day and then expect to jump into bed at night and automatically calm down to sleep. It doesn’t always work out that way and that’s why we love our Pure Sleep & Breathe Chest Rub. We created this with nighttime routines in mind, using this consistently by gently rubbing on your chest, neck, back or feet right before bedtime helps your body and mind get in sleep mode.
6. Anti-Snoring: If you or your spouse are guilty of snoring consistently, your first step should be to talk to a sleep specialist as snoring can be a sign of something more serious. If you are an occasional snorer (cold or allergies) and are looking for something to alleviate the noise, sometimes it’s as simple as adjusting your position and other times it might require some extra help (like #8). 
7. Dim Phones: This is more of a tip than a product. Though it’s recommended to avoid screen time before you hit the hay, lots of times this advice is ignored. So, if you are going to look at your phone (or tablet) choose night mode or dim the brightness so it’s not as hard on your eyes. 
8. Humidifier: It’s winter, you have a cold, you’re snoring, your throat is itchy, you need a humidifier! A good humidifier will help keep your skin hydrated and can prevent you from waking up feeling dry or itchy. 
9. Weighted Blanket: Looking to wind down, fall asleep faster, and sleep better? Weighted blankets are the way to go. The recommended amount is approximately 10% of your body weight (if you weigh 150lbs get a 15lb blanket). Even babies can use something similar with a Nest Bean Zen Sack. Both weighted blankets and the weighted Zen Sack simulate a hand on the chest or a hug, which can be calming and great for sleep. But these aren’t for everyone. Some people complain of them being too hot or too hard to move around when sleeping (which is kind of the purpose). 
10. Eye Mask: Honestly, there’s nothing too crazy about a good eye mask. Maybe you like to go to sleep early when it’s still bright outside, or you have a spouse who stays up later, a good eye mask guarantees some great darkness (hello darkness, my old friend) to help you get some rest. 
11. Relaxing Techniques: Hot bath, dim the lights in the house, talk in soft voices, some light reading, a little meditation, whatever calms you down might be a good addition to your nightly routine. Our bodies are going going going all day, so it takes time to settle down. Figure out what works best for you!

Alright, are we missing any of your favorite sleep products? Let us know in the comments and we will add them to the list. Now go get your beauty rest, not that you need it :).