MOMPRENEUR'S HACKS FOR GOOD NIGHT SLEEP
You probably have heard that a kick-sass morning routine is what you need to WIN YOUR DAY! Heck, it’s something I tell the women in our FREE COMMUNITY… but here’s a fun factoid for you.
Yes. Rising + shining (even dimly) early in the morning and crossing things off your list will help you reach that goal… lose weight, publish that book, be a homeschooling teaching ninja… whatever goal you set for yourself. But the thing NO ONE talks about is the importance of an EVENING ROUTINE.
I know. I know… you just rolled your eyes at me. Amber wants me to have a MORNING routine AND an EVENING routine. This lady is completely bunkers.
Well, the latter is definitely debatable… the truth is I’m not the first one to come up with this concept. Think I read about it in Darren Hardy’s book, Compound Effect long ago…. he calls it “bookending your days”.
GENIUS.
Here’s the thing though, love. By me simply taking ownership of my evening routine… and yes, sometimes this does look like a night of binge watching Netflix (no lies)… I am able to wake up refreshed + be a bad sassarina that I need to be the next day.
Just take a moment to day dream… what would a good night’s sleep routine do for you?
And for mama bears who are with wee ones that are itty bitty or teething… the season will pass and you will get back on track, trust me.
And for loves who work swing/overnights, I’ve been there, too. Those shifts are hard. Just do your best… and know that’s enough. You are enough!
Now onto the my hacks for bookending your evening to get a good night’s sleep + kicking some sass in the morning!
Okay.
First thing is first with planning out a good night’s sleep. Work backwards. I read somewhere that 30% of Americans get less than 8 hours of sleep each night.
Don’t quote me on this… I read it once + can’t source it now. But I figured most of these folks are newborn parents or have babies that are teething.
Anywho. We all know it’s recommended to aim for 7-8 hours of good night’s sleep.
So. Figure out WHEN you want to RISE + SHINE and work backwards. If you want to wake up at 6am then 7-8 hours of sleep would have you hitting the sheets around 10 or 11pm. Right? Easy math, not that common core crud.
“Prioritizing good sleep is good self-love”
— Danielle LaPorte
Now. That you got the time you plan to lay your pretty head down… give yourself an hour or two to completely wind down. Here’s some tips:
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Cool down the temperature in the house… your body supposedly sleeps best when the temperatures are a wee bit cooler between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Unplug for the night… from electronics at least an hour before you would like to hit the sheets. This will allow your mind to rest from the stimulation of the lights from the screens. ONE ADDED TIP: set your phone on Do Not Disturb at least 30 minutes before you hit the sheets!
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Invest in a good sleep mask. The one I absolutely love is a blue satin eye mask with an adjustable velcro strap. It seriously is the best for me, you find one that is right for you though! There’s tons out there. Why get an eye mask? Well. It blocks out any light we may have in the room (which is zilch) plus, I spritz a wee bit of lavender oil which is so calming to me.
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Control Your Nightstand! Okay, loves. This one may be a wee bit strange, but I have to share this simple trick with you... it has helped me tremendously with relaxing my mind + getting a good night's sleep. Here's the hack: keep a journal on the nightstand!⠀RIGHT?!? So ridiculously simple. But by keeping a journal on my nightstand... I can write down tasks which were forgotten throughout the day... what needs to be done the next day... any marvelous ideas that pop into my head throughout the night... etc. I'll have to be honest... the ideas that come to my mind at 2am which seem earth-shattering or often times complete nonsense, but at least I wrote them down!
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Set Out Your Clothes. Now, this one reminds me of high school. See. I was on the basketball team + marching band. Anywho. We had practice for one or the other depending on what "season" we were in... and practice was BEFORE school kicked off. I would pack my gym bag the night before... with clothes I wanted to wear the next day to school. so when the alarm would go off, I'd jump into my gym clothes... grab my bag and go. I did this so I could sleep as LONG as possible, but it also helped me reduce any decision making I needed to make at 5am in the morning. And it's a habit I still use today... even though I don't pack a gym bag, my gym is our front yard/garage... but, I still lay out my workout clothes for the next day. Just think how this simple task of laying your clothes out the night before like you were taught in grade school MAY help your mornings run a tad bit smoother + reduce some decisions you have to make before your cup of coffee. WIN WIN!
The FINAL Hack…
6. Jot Down THREE Tasks! Before you close down the computer and start unwinding for the night, simply glance over the goal you set in your sweet little heart… is it to launch a product, promote a bake sale, run a 10K, host a bachelorette party, build a stronger relationship… no matter what it is, glance over your goal. What THREE things could you do tomorrow that would move you closer to this goal?
It doesn’t have to be BIG things… just bite size pieces, right? You heard the saying, “how do you eat an elephant?” Although horribly gross analogy, the answer is true: one bite at a time. And the same goes with your goal. How can you move forward? One bite at a time… so jot down THREE tasks that would make you feel like a bad-sassarina if you completed tomorrow! This way, when you rise + shine tomorrow… you already know WHAT you are going to do to crush the day!
“Let her sleep for when she wakes she will move mountains. ”
— Shakespeare
Alright. I know this was a LOT of information thrown at you, love. But you handled it with such grace… I just love it.
Here’s the main thing though, you don’t have to do ALL of these things.
Take one tidbit, the one that most resonates with you… try it on for a week or two. If it helps you, keep at it. If it doesn’t choose another one or better yet find what works for YOU!
That’s the beauty of all this right… to find ways, little hacks, to help you live your most vibrant + productive self! So, YOU can show up each day as the best version of you!
If you discover a hack that works for you, drop it my way… I’d love to hear about it + maybe share it with our community of women, want to join us? Click >> HERE <<.
Because the more you know, the more you can grow.
Alright, loves.
That’s all I have for you this week.
Grit + Gumption.
ALG
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