sleep. it's good for the mind, body, and soul. (and for everyone around you!)

this week is National Sleep Awareness Week, and i was approached by Crane & Canopy to do a post with tips on how i get my beauty sleep! Crane & Canopy is a San Francisco based company specializing in some high quality online bedding. they have been featured in the NY Times, InStyle, Real Simple, Today Show etc.. i adore their color palette scheme, simplicity, and gosh, the pintuck duvet sets are so pretty!

beauty sleep. it's a real thing. trust me. getting enough sleep helps boost your mood, energy, you are more likely to be calm than rushing all over the place, less irritable, you are going to age a lot slower, and most importantly, you are going to look better which automatically means you are going to FEEL BETTER. and we are all about that, aren't we? it's a win win.

here are some tips to get that beauty sleep on from least to most obvious:

1. foam roll

most of us who work full-time probably sit all day. there are plenty of articles on how sitting for long periods of time can kill you. great infographic on this topic and an article from TIME. thank goodness i have a sit-stand desk (at home and work); and if you don't have one you NEED to GET ONE!! if you don't, you need to take frequent breaks to stretch (here is a great PDF to print out for reference on stretching, esp pg. 1 & 2), or walk it out-walk it out. (cue the song please). tip: check with your HR department to see if you can get an ergonomic assessment, most companies offer this service these days. sitting all day causes us to have a lot of tension in our bodies that lead to exhaustion, tightness, and achy-ness. relieve that tension by foam rolling lightly before bedtime; nothing rigorous. my girl Krista @hundredblog did a great post on this recently. i highly recommend the Trigger Point foam roller (also an Austin-based company!), it is very durable and has different indentations for levels of intensity.

more on the sit-stand movement: Ergotron is the best in business at sit-stand workstations, i have this one at work. i also have the IKEA sit-stand desk at home in the BEKANT series.

2. neck/body wraps

these things are amazing! like the next best thing to getting a real massage. this tip goes hand in hand with foam rolling but the warm compress really helps soothe tired achy muscles and helps you relax into a spa-like mindset! i have this one by Bucky and it is great because i can use it hot or cold, and the shape allows me to use it on my forearms/wrist (which are overworked and very tight) and there are even some that can be infused with lavender.

3. have a routine

routines are GREAT. esp for bedtime! you know when you say i gotta get ready for bed, what is it that you do? for me it's flossing, brushing my teeth but it is also means... getting my night time skin regimen on!! i always look forward to that. having a routine just mentally gets your mind ready for bed.

4. get those calm vibes on

don't do anything that energizes you before bed. like don't exercise or listen to heart pumping music, don't think about your to-do lists. just be in your calm happy place! my sister's contribution to this tip is: don't get into a heated argument! lol. but that is great advice because i never recommend going to bed angry or upset! life is too short for that.

5. invest in a bed

this is extremely important and a huge investment. but you only get one body, so treat it right! needless to say, my life is not complete without a Tempur-Pedic mattress -- molds to your body without losing its shape = no pressure on joints. get one and your body will thank you! trust me, ask anyone who owns one and they will only have good things to say about it. the Tempur-pedic pillows are also amazing (good alternative in terms of price)! #notbasic

6. it's all about thread count

TC ladies! TC. it makes all the difference, and once you start buying higher thread count sheets, you won't be able to go down in TC again. i know, it's a #FWP (firstworldproblem). a great medium is 400 TC, here are some cute sets from Crane & Canopy: all white is always my fave / dove grey / scalloped! / hello blush ruffles / and the 300 TC printed grey cloud because it's fun to mix prints with solids! tip: it's best to pick high tread counts for the winter and lower TC for the summer. see a video on what TC is. remember to #treatyourself!

7. your body is your boss

listen to your body. it will tell you when you are depriving it of sleep. you can feel it. and when you do, you should listen and honor it by catching those zzz's. here's a good example we can all relate to: when you're laying in bed with your phone and you are on the point of exhaustion but you continue to scroll through your feed, ignoring what your body is trying to tell you, then your phone drops and hits your face? that's your body's way of saying HELLO, i needed to smack you with your phone to tell you how tired i am; hope this gets your attention! uh huh. i know you know what i'm talking about. some days you just have to call it quits, be a grandma, and go to bed at 9pm! #noshame

8. do not eat a full meal

i don't know why people say that is the best way to sleep because it is not for me. food just ends up sitting there and it's so uncomfortable. sure, light snacks are okay (hello scoop of ice cream!) but nothing too heavy!

9. feng shui

create a space that is inviting you to sleep. i know it sounds a little weird, but maybe dimmer lights in the bedroom, painted walls in calming colors, the way your room is arranged can make a world of difference, and how clean/organized it is! tip: one thing to note is not having a TV in your bedroom will help.

10. cut devices before bedtime

further elaborating on #7. i am bad at this one. but i do know it is really important not to be on our phones, or anything electronic that is going to stimulate the mind even more. so try to #cutitout out at least one hour before bedtime!

also remember that life is about moderation. same applies to sleep. it is important to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep a night if you can. i know i struggle with this. but any more OR less and you are going to be constantly groggy and tired.

and lastly, if you have ever struggled with folding a fitted sheet perfectly (ME!!), Crane & Canopy has you covered with this video!!!

remember, it is the small changes we make that have the greatest impact.

what do you do to get a good nights sleep?,
JD