Sleep Routine

Sleep is critical to health and wellness. Here I share my sleep hygiene routine as well as several products that made a big difference for me.

We all need 7-9 hours of sleep each night, even as we age.

If you find you are waking at a certain time each night, look deeper into the root cause. Pay attention to your behavior during the 12 hours opposite that time. For me, I tend to wake up around 2 or 3 am, so I make sure I take a short walk with my face to the sun at 2 or 3pm, so my body gets the message that this is "wake" time. Over time, this has actually helped my body adjust and correct the nightly waking episodes, but it took time.

My sleep hygiene routine is as follows:
6:00pm - finished eating for the day. My goal is to have at least three hours between when I last ate and when I fall to sleep, so my body is not expending energy on digesting, but is, instead, focused on healing and detoxing.

7pm – Screens are turned off, lights are turned low. Phone placed on airplane mode, and is not brought into my bedroom.

7:30pm - Floss and brush teeth, dry brush (https://amzn.to/3uy623h), and then Epsom bath for at least 15 minutes, followed by a 2 minute cold shower. This actually calms the body by communicating to the central nervous system that anything it is “worked up” about is not important. for at

8pm – Skin/Hair routine:
• Cool lavender washcloth for eyes (keep in a Ziplock bag in fridge): https://amzn.to/3VQyQPq
• Olive oil with essential oil lotion: https://amzn.to/3wDfser
• Foot massage and aloe socks: https://amzn.to/4ct3C6f
• Almond oil on face: https://amzn.to/3VRcAVF
• Boar bristle brush scalp/hair: https://amzn.to/45zU7jj
• Oil tips of hair: https://amzn.to/4et6TV5

8:30pm - I read fiction novels during this time, as it allows my mind the chance to focus on an enjoyable activity that relaxes me right before sleep. I read in the same spot each evening, so the brain associates the location and activity with falling asleep.

9pm – I am asleep and I wake up by 6am.
• Room is dark and cool, but I still often use my eye mask: https://amzn.to/49kdcHA. I LOVE this mask because I can still open my eyes when I’m wearing it.
• Mouth tape: https://amzn.to/3X8uoel
• Fan and cooling blanket: https://amzn.to/3wkXbCt
• Weighted blanket: https://amzn.to/42OfyvY
• Ear plugs: https://amzn.to/3UMrR9T
• My pillow: https://amzn.to/4cr3xA2
• Anxious Moments Spray (I get mine at HEB): https://www.herb-pharm.com/products/herbs-on-the-go-anxious-moment/