35 Tips to a Great Night of Sleep!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Breathe Right® Nasal Strips. All opinions are mine alone. #TomorrowStartsTonight #CollectiveBias

A great day is hard to have without a good night’s sleep. It’s hard to take on a new day when you’re still sleepy and tired from the night before. Sleep issues plague so many these days.

We had less than stellar sleep until we made some changes. We bought a new mattress and new bedding. Once we slept on the comfy mattress, we wondered how we ever got to sleep on our old one! My Honey is very light-sensitive, so another change was to get a new alarm clock that has a switch to turn off the display. The light doesn’t bother me as much, so I appreciate that our new clock has a dim display that projects onto the ceiling.

A big thing for me is the never ending to-do list that runs through my head. Once I embraced my love of office supplies and became a planner girl, that changed. I now don’t stress over what needs to be done because I have a list. It’s all written out, and I add to it frequently. There’s something freeing about writing things down that works even better than making a list on my phone. The act of writing with pen and paper is huge for me.

Eating supper earlier in the evening is another change that we made. Our schedule is a very early morning one. We rise at 3am, with my Honey’s work day beginning at 4:45am and lasting until 2pm. In order to get adequate sleep, we must be in bed and ready for sleep by 8pm at the latest. We try to eat supper by 4:30pm when our children are home from work, as well. This way, our bodies are not actively digesting food when we’re ready to wind down for sleep.

Because of that early to bed schedule, we also had to invest in some room-darkening blinds. This is especially necessary during the summer months when it will still be light out past 9pm. (Yay for fall and earlier dark nights!)

I know that my best night of sleep is usually laundry day. There’s something so soothing about a tightly made bed with the scent of line-dried sheets in the air. Ahhh, if you have the ability to line dry at least your bed linens, I highly recommend it! (Of course, if you suffer from allergies, you may want to avoid this.)

Of all of the changes we’ve made over the years to improve our sleep, the biggest one was the smallest! My sleep used to be so very interrupted because of the noise emitting from my Honey each night. He’s a mouth breather. He wasn’t getting quality sleep and neither was I until we tried Breathe Right® Nasal Strips. They are so very simple to apply and WOW! What a difference they made for us!

Our children have also used nasal strips when they were congested. It is such a simple concept, but makes such a huge improvement in sleep for all!

The nasal strips are easy to apply, just wash the nose area and dry it well, follow the simple directions for application and location, and you’re ready for sleep. In the morning, wash your face like normal, and they peel right off with no residue left behind or pain in removing. There are two types to choose from: Extra Tan, which has the strongest adhesive, and Extra Clear, which has a less strong adhesive and is great for sensitive skin. Grab a free sample and a $1 off coupon on the Breathe Right website! (and to learn more about Breathe Right® Nasal Strips as well as how they work and how to apply, visit the brand’s YouTube channel!)

There are two styles of Breathe Right Nasal Strips to choose from. These are the original nasal strips, my hubby’s favorite.

When you open the package, the strips will be packaged by twos. Simply separate the strips and open one up!

After cleaning the nose area, peel the backing off the strip and get ready to apply it.

Place the center of the nasal strip on the bridge of the nose, then attach the sides so they cover your nostrils where they flare, pressing down firmly. Rub gently to ensure they adhere well. That’s it!

I need to add also that we are frugal-minded folks. I buy store brand items for a number of our needs. Nasal strips are one area where I don’t buy store brand. The store brand variety strips require a thorough washing and drying of the nose to stick at all. By the time morning comes, my Honey will have a “butterfly” on his nose, because the adhesive has worn off and the strip is no longer attached and working. With Breathe Right® Nasal Strips, there have been times that he has neglected to wash his nose prior to attaching the strip (perhaps he took a shower earlier and had no re-washed the area). No matter, the Breathe Right® Nasal Strip adheres well and stays put all night long. To save money, I shop at Walmart to stock up on our Breathe Right® Nasal Strips.

A better tomorrow begins with getting your night’s right!

Here are 35 tips for ensuring a good night!

Prepare early in the day:

• Get up early
• Regular workouts, but not right before bedtime
• Set a schedule and stick to it
• 30-minute naps, not longer

Prepare in the evening:

• Avoid heavy meals, especially near bedtime
• Pack lunches for tomorrow
• Any paperwork or mail due tomorrow?
• Lay out clothes for all family members

Prepare at bedtime:

• Light snack- protein/carb (banana & peanut butter, cheese & crackers, etc)
• Turn off gadgets 1 hour prior
• Have a hot or warm drink (no alcohol)
• Set alarm to go to bed on time
• Write to do list
• Write in gratitude journal
• Journal
• Personal hygiene time
• Lip balm
• Take a shower (cool in the summer, warm in the winter)
• Be sure you’re hydrated; bring a glass of water to the bedroom

Prepare bedroom:

• Keep room cool and dark
• Use blackout curtains
• Dim clock light
• Remove tv from room
• Use a white noise machine
• Use a fan
• Keep bedroom quiet

During the night:

• Sip some water
• Try a light carb snack, a handful of crackers
• If you are having trouble sleeping after 15 minutes or so, get up. No tv, no gadgets, no computer. Read a book or magazine, but something not too stimulating. Pull out your journal to write down your thoughts. Keep lights as low as possible yet still be able to read. When you feel sleepy, return to bed.

To consider:

• Do you need a new mattress?
• Do you need new pillows?
• Wash bed linens at least once per week. I prefer to line dry our sheets outside for the wonderful scent!
• Try a different style of sheets
• Review medications that may be hindering sleep
• Change pajamas for comfort

• Nasal congestion or mouth breather? Get Breathe Right Nasal Strips!

Truly, getting a good night of sleep makes all the difference in the world. Studies have shown that lack of sleep contributes to many health ills. You really can’t perform or feel your best when you are sleep-deprived.

I’d love to hear any additional tips you have! What has helped you get a good night of sleep?