5 Tips for More Restful Sleep

    This time of year, we all make resolutions for the New Year.  One of the most popular good habits to form is getting enough sleep.  As a college student and new middle school teacher, Elizabeth and I have picked up a few tricks for making falling asleep easier.  We hope these tips will help you keep your New Year's Resolution of getting more sleep!

1. Sleepytime Tea

One of my favorite bedtime rituals is drinking Sleepy Time Tea before bed. It has calming chamomile and mildly sedative tilia flowers. My favorite is the vanilla version. It smells like a cupcake! 

2.  Lavender Epsom bath salts

There’s nothing better than a hot bath before bed. Adding lavender scented epsom salt to this bath will not only calm you with the soothing smell but possibly help with any aches or pains you may have. You can buy an expensive version of epsom salts, but inexpensive versions work just as well. Just look for the ingredient magnesium sulfate.

3.  Yankee Candles - Lavender Vanilla

A relaxing scent is another way to create a sleep inducing atmosphere. I’ve become addicted to Yankee Candle’s Tarts wax melts. They’re little disks of wax that you put into the bowl of your wax warmer. They’re like candles but without the flame or commitment. I love candles, but I like the ease of changing scents without paying a lot of money for a new candle. For bedtime I would suggest scents like Lavender Vanilla or Cozy Sweater. 

4.  Sleep Mask

Once you’re actually in bed using a sleeping mask is an effective way to block out any light that may keep you from falling asleep or disrupt your sleep cycle. If you’ve never used a sleep mask before you’ll be surprised in the difference in the quality of your sleep. Plus who doesn’t want to pretend that they’re Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

5.  Ear Plugs

Ear plugs can also improve the quality of your sleep. At first they may feel a little funny, but once you get used to wearing them they are wonderful. If you live in a noisy area or if everyone in your house doesn’t go to bed when you do, ear plugs will help you fall asleep more easily. I find that ear plugs do not block all the sound, so sometimes I like to wear earplugs and use a sound app that plays soothing sounds like rain. There is a free app called Relax and Sleep that will play your desired sound on a timer.