5 Tools To Keep By Your Bedside For Better Rest Every Night
2021 is not playing any games, okay?
But, still, as we try to navigate the coronavirus, raise our voices and protest that Black Lives Matter, I think it's also important that we prioritize our rest.
What I'm seeing now is you're tired. You're weary. You're not sleeping well. Your mind is racing. Your body is tense.
The thing about a good night’s sleep is your body will refresh itself.
Here are 5 tools I personally use to help me get a better night’s rest:
Essential Oils
My favorite way to use essential oils is with a diffuser. I’m pretty sensitive to smell and need a good relaxing environment if I’m going to get a good night’s sleep. Put a couple drops of your favorite blend or a singular scent and let it run for about 10 minutes to get a good mist going. The key is finding the scent that relaxes you and doesn’t get you mentally aroused. Lavender hits the spot for me.
Favorite essential oil diffuser
Weighted Eye Mask
Everyone’s been talking about weighted blankets for the past few years and how they’ve gotten the best sleep of their life under one. (Myself included.) But what was really the game-changer was this weighted eye mask. Filled with flaxseed and lavender buds, it applies gentle pressure to your face and relaxes you in the same way the weighted blanket will. The mask is refillable, so if you want to add more lavender buds or other herbs/flowers/essential oils, you can absolutely swap it out. Mine is almost two years old and it still smells like lavender. Put this on and it’s lights out!
Weighted eye mask with lavender
Aromatherapy spray
I talk about Leslie Saligoe Botanicals damn near every time I mention products I love. Black owned, small batch, developed by a herbalist who knows her shit. I own three different mists from her collection, my favorite being the Jasmine and Palo Santo mist. I spritz it at least once a day, usually at night to help settle me when I don’t want to fuss with the essential oil diffuser.
Herbal tincture
If you are truly having trouble sleeping and all the above haven’t really worked for you, then this might be your next step. This herbal tincture is a combination of valerian root, skullcap, passionflower, lavender, glycerin and distilled water. Dassit! You can take up to 30 drops of these before about 15 minutes before you go to bed. My favorite part is that I go to sleep, stay asleep and don’t wake up groggy. It can be a little pricey per bottle but remember that it’s designed to last. One bottle might cover you for a full year.
Weighted Blanket
My weighted blanket is really a lifesaver. Having that extra pressure and support is incredibly relaxing, like a deep, prolonged hug. Experts recommend one that is 10% of your body weight. Because it is heavy — and can get hot — I’ve mastered the trick of using it very long enough to get you sleepy and then kicking it off so you can move freely while you sleep. (If you tend to stay in one spot all night, then you might be able to sleep with it better than I can.)