Spring Clean Your Sleep Habits

It's a party- Spring Equinox is finally here! It's the perfect time to celebrate new beginnings and ignite the season positively by adopting self-care habits that supercharge your well-being.

The equinox only occurs two times a year, once in September and once in March, in which the day splits in half with similar, but not equal amounts of day and night. It is no secret that seasonal changes can disrupt our internal clock, including our sleeping cycle. 

Sleep is vital to our well-being. Our daily behaviors, especially before bedtime, can significantly impact our rest. They can promote healthy sleep or contribute to sleep deprivation, affecting our mental and physical health.  Sleep is self-care!

Consistency is Key to Optimizing Your Nighttime Routine 

Can I tell you a secret? What if I told you that adopting new habits can feel manageable? Aim to build small, sustainable practices to help you get a good night's sleep. Here are some tips:

• Your bedroom's temperature should ideally be around 66 - 69 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Install black-out curtains in your bedroom to keep the light away. Darkness triggers the release of melatonin - the sleepy hormone. 
• Try aromatherapy with essential oils such as lavender - a personal favorite. Lavender can help relax and ease your mind before bedtime. We apply the oil on our wrists and pillows to help us unwind.
• Practice detachment from your electronic devices 1 - 2 hours before bedtime. Our electronic devices, such as our phones, emit a blue light affecting our sleep quality. To prevent this, we suggest setting a screen time schedule and placing your device away from your nightstand so you don't have easy access. That means no longer checking emails late into the night, scrolling on social media, or answering ‌last-minute texts.
• Introduce sleep supplements. Adaptogens like Ashwagandha are natural stress relievers that support mind and body relaxation. Formulated with Ashwagandha and organic full-spectrum hemp CBD oil, our best-selling nighttime soft gels, Sleep on It™, will help you fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.
• Practice mindfulness techniques such as breathing exercises and meditation to ground you and focus on what truly matters - sleep!

Practicing daily wellness habits will help set healthy boundaries with yourself and others. Although we all have different goals requiring different practices, one fact remains true for all: quality sleep is essential to our well-being. 

Wake Up with Purpose 

A good night's rest (believe it or not) begins with how you spend your mornings. "The mind takes its shape from whatever it rests upon. For better or worse." Instead of resting it upon worrying or stressing about your day, take a little time to embrace your day positively. This would improve your whole day - especially if you are prone, as many are, to anxiety or the blues in the morning. Here are some tips to start your day on a fresh note:

• Practice gratitude. Read or write your personal affirmations to support a positive mindset for the day. If you have to jump out of bed to feel awake, try practicing affirmations in front of the mirror every morning, which essentially wires your brain to adopt a positive mindset. Reframing those thoughts riddled with self-doubt and anxiety can be helpful for your mental health.
• Sunlight, sunlight, sunlight! We cannot stress this enough. Studies suggest that sunlight has a positive effect on our mental health. Sunlight increases serotonin, the happy hormone, which helps us feel calmer and more focused. Remember the sunscreen!
•  Move your body. 30 minutes of physical movement will help you reap mood-boosting benefits.
• Redesign and declutter your bedroom. Our physical space directly impacts our mental well-being, including our sleeping patterns. Consider changing the layout of your bedroom. An airy and spacious bedroom helps you relax by promoting a stress-free environment. Spruce it up with some art and plants, or implement a color scheme that brings you peace of mind. 

Bottom Line 

Sleep is self-care. More often than not, we sacrifice sleep to meet the day's demands. This sacrifice carries a high price - our mental health. Improving your sleep gives your body and mind the space they need so you can show up each day and night as your best self! 

There is no fixed time to adopt healthy habits, but spring can be perfect for resetting and embracing positive changes. You deserve good sleep!

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Sources

Pacheco, Danielle. “Caffeine and Sleep.” Sleep Foundation. Updated March 17, 2023 

Caffeine’s Connection to Sleep Problems | Sleep Foundation

Hustle + flo™ “Team Sleep: Tips To Reset Your Inner Clock During Daylight Savings.” Hustle + flo™. March 13, 2023

https://hustlenflo.co/blogs/news/team-sleep-tips-to-reset-your-inner-clock-during-daylight-savings

Cuthbert, Lori. “Why the Equinox Ushers in the Arrival of Spring.” National Geographic. March 6. 2023 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/equinoxes

Newsom, Rob. “Effects of Sleep Deprivation.” Sleep Foundation. Updated January 18, 2023

Effects of Sleep Deprivation | Sleep Foundation

“Strategies for Reframing Negative Thoughts.” St. Bonaventure University. January 25. 2023

https://online.sbu.edu/news/strategies-reframing-negative-thoughts

McFarlane, Samy. “Melatonin, the Hormone of Darkness: From Sleep Promotion to Ebola Treatment.” National Library of Medicine. February 19, 2015

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/Melatonin

Clark, Matthew. “How Decluttering your Space Could Make you Healthier and Happier.” Mayo Clinic. May 20, 2021 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/how-decluttering-your-space-could-make-you-healthier-and-happier/art-20390064