5 Must-Haves For Better Sleep

I’m not the person who lays down and falls right asleep and I’m not a napper. I wish I was, trust me, but I’m not. Sometimes I have a hard time falling asleep, and other times I wake up and can’t fall back to sleep for hours. (Even though I have the world’s best mattress!) Sometimes it’s anxiety related, other times it’s just part of being a mom, and other times I don’t know why it happens. But it’s frustrating. If you have similar sleep woes, I feel for you.

This year I’ve made a HUGE effort to change my sleep game since Thomas CRUSHED me as a newborn (he also was not a great sleeper!), and I am now sleeping the best I’ve ever slept (most nights! I can’t say I’ve perfected it yet). But since I’ve been sleeping better, my life has completely changed. I sleep through the night without waking up multiple times. I’m running better.  And I’m more focused when working. I’m happier. AND I don’t dread bedtime.

I made a few big changes in the past year or so to really focus on getting better sleep. Here’s what I swear by.

5 Must-Haves For Better Sleep

1. New mattress

I got a Naturepedic Mattress last summer and it changed my life. I knew my last mattress was bad but I didn’t know just how good this one would be. So good, in fact, that I ordered a second one for our home in Boone too. I ended up asking Naturepedic to partner because I love the mattresses so much so you can get 15% off a mattress (which, hello, saves a lot on a big purchase). I saved $700 on our second one! Read my review here.

2. CBD

I tried a few CBD brands in the past without great results. While I was skeptical of Equilibria CBD before I tried it, now I swear by it. Read my full review here, including how it’s different from the other brands I tried. I’ve loved the Daily Drops at night for a while, but earlier this year they launched their Sleep Gummies and they are AMAZING. They’re perfect if you struggle to fall asleep because your mind is racing, struggle to stay asleep throughout the night, need help falling back to sleep if you do wake up in the middle of the night, etc.

I’ve always been a restless sleeper but even more so now that I’m a mom, and these have helped me so much. Equilibria recommends you start with one gummy and work your way up to two. I find that one works great most of the time for me. I generally take them right as I get into bed, read a few pages of my book, and by then, I’m tired enough to fall asleep. The onset time is between 30 minutes to an hour, so plan to take them as you’re doing your skincare routine if you notice they take longer to work for you.

These gummies contain 25mg full-spectrum CBD, 5mg of CBN, 25mg of L-Theanine (influences the chemicals in the brain that play key roles in our sleep patterns) , and 25mg of Chamomile (induces sleepiness) per 2 gummies.

Use this link and code “afoodiestaysfit” for 15% off your first order!

3. Sateen Cotton Sheets

I cannot say enough about high quality sheets. And I fully understand that they’re expensive and it feels stupid to splurge on sheets. But if your sleep is anything like mine, you’ll try just about anything. They will change your life. This set is SO soft and helps me stays cool through the night, which is HUGE for me since I’ve struggled with night sweats for a few years (aging is fun).  Pro-tip: if you want to take your sheets to the next level, iron them. I know, I know, who has time for that. But if you end up have 20 minutes in your day, just do it and let me know what you think. I do it once a year and always love it when I do.

If you’re looking for a more affordable sheet set upgrade, I hear good things about this Bamboo set from Amazon. You’ll have to report back if you love them!

4. Pajamas

I finally ditched heavy cotton t-shirts for actual PJs. Um, how come no one told me it’d make a big difference? And for a while I thought I was in the best set ever…until I tried Lake Pajamas. WHY did it take me so long to try this brand. For the first time in my life, I’m sleeping in this long sleeve + shorts set (I would have never slept in long sleeves) because they are that soft. I also have this bundle that I alternate with. Call me crazy, but these PJs changed the game for me. I’ve even bought Thomas a matching set!

Outfit linked here — I’m wearing a size S in the PJs since they shrink if you dry them. I usually wear an XS.

5. Sleeping Eye Mask

Every night, I sleep with a sleep mask, earplugs and a mouth guard (major clenching problem). Yep, I’m that person. But if I had to pick JUST one, it’d be an eye mask since it helps me switch into sleep mode and I love the gentle pressure on my eyes. I have a bunch in my nightstand since people gift them to me often (they know me!) but this is the first one that got me hooked, and it’s only $10!

Here’s to fewer sleepless nights, right?!

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