How to Sleep Better + Be More Productive

ByMeredith
68 Comments

Being the most productive blogger in 2017 is my goal. From what I have experienced thus far in life, I realize that on the most productive days, the common denominator is always that I got a restful night’s sleep. This didn’t always occur to me. There was a time when I became a very light sleeper. But when I was a child, I slept very deeply.

As I have gotten older, I realize that sleep is often one of the most troublesome issues people deal with these days. I think everyone deserves to sleep better. I think it would make the world a better place.

I want to share 5 tips with you on how to get a better night’s sleep to make sure you are the best version of yourself that you can be.

1. Put down the technology (aka cell phones, tablets, TVs, etc) at least 30 minutes prior to going to sleep.

The blue light that emits from devices like your cell phone or your TV disrupts your REM sleep. According to Jessica Schmerler from Scientific American, “…scientists have been cautioning against using light-emitting devices before bed. Why? The light from our devices is “short-wavelength-enriched,” meaning it has a higher concentration of blue light than natural light—and blue light affects levels of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin more than any other wavelength.

Changes in sleep patterns can, in turn, shift the body’s natural clock, known as its circadian rhythm. Recent studies have shown that shifts in this clock can have devastating health effects because it controls not only our wakefulness but also individual clocks that dictate function in the body’s organs. In other words, stressors that affect our circadian clocks, such as blue-light exposure, can have much more serious consequences than originally thought.”

All in all. Just try to cut out the blue light 30 minutes before bedtime. You will sleep much better and wake up with more energy.

2. Stay Hydrated.

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Staying hydrated helps keep your body flushed of toxin buildup. It keeps your energy up and skin clear! Make sure you are drinking enough water based on your body weight. I like to drink about 1 gallon of water a day.

Not only does it help keep you hydrated, by it also fills you up. Oftentimes when you think you are hungry… You are actually thirsty!! Soda doesn’t quench dehydration.

3. Meditate before bed.

Nothing calms the mind more than a 10-15 minute meditation. I love using an app called Omvana to use guided meditations to help keep my mind humming. Meditating puts your mind on a whole different level. I feel as though it is humming, and sleep post meditating is the easiest.

Meditating puts your mind on a whole different level. I feel as though my mind is humming and calm while meditating.

Sleep post-meditating for me is an easy task to handle.

Meditation has been proven to combat anxiety, stress, and depression. I recommend you start implementing this practice into your schedule regularly!

4. Work out regularly.

Working out is essential if you are having trouble sleeping. But if you are a person who works out regularly… I recommend you work out earlier in the day.

I took up kickboxing back in February of 2016, and it helped dramatically with my sleep cycles. It is an intense workout that constantly challenges me. I am very passionate about it. It is important to find that workout that you are passionate about. This will keep you motivated, and you will have more fun doing it. You will be able to implement your lifestyle more easily than just dragging yourself to the gym because that is what you are “supposed to do.” Not to mention you will sleep like a baby. 

 

A video posted by Meredith (@meredithgetsfit) on

5. Make sure you have quality pillows and bedding to sleep on.

I don’t care what anyone says, your bedding quality matters. If you are sleeping on cheap and poor quality pillows + poor quality thread count bedding it will affect your sleep cycle.

It is important to get some nice quality bedding to give you many restful nights in your future.

I recently received 2 Helena pillows from Brentwood Home and quickly fell in love. These pillows were 100x better than the ones I had prior.

As you can see, my new Helena pillows are kitten approved. Grace is a fan of the finer things in life. So she loves my new Brentwood home sleep wellness bundle.

I am giving away 1 Sleep wellness bundle to one of my lucky readers! Brentwood Home was also kind enough to give my amazing readers %10% off any purchase. Brentwood Home Coupon code: OURHOME

Everyone deserves the gift of a great night’s sleep. It makes everything else that happens in life much easier to handle. Exciting news! I am hosting a giveaway with the amazing people at Brentwood Home!!

*This post has been sponsored by Brentwood Home. However, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Meredith is a DIY home blogger with a passion for transforming spaces into stylish havens on a budget. Founder of Arts & Classy in 2012, she delights in sharing creative tips and tricks for renters and homeowners alike. Through upcycling and repurposing, Meredith empowers others to express their unique style without breaking the bank.

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68 Comments

    1. Thanks Maja!! I love the concept of implementing yoga too! Great practice and thanks for sharing!

  3. I am a restless sleeper and I toss and turn mos of the night ans I wonder if it has something to do with my pillows. My current pillows do not give any support.

    1. Nancy, I am sure these pillows could help you tremendously! I toss and turn too when I won’t have the proper neck support!

  4. I’ve been searching for better pillows for so long now. But luxury pillows have been out of my reach. I love everything I’ve seen and read about Brentwood Home. Thanks for the opportunity to win them

    1. Hey Lynne,

      Thanks for taking the time to comment! Yes, Brentwood Home is a great company. So happy you are participating! Good luck! Best, Meredith

  5. I need to drink 3.25 glasses of water each day. Challenge accepted! 🙂
    Thanks for article.

  7. I love all of these suggestions! I have sooooo much trouble falling asleep and then staying asleep. If I can sleep well, my day goes beautifully ~ more energy, feel better, etc. I have to say I haven’t heard of these pillows but boy, oh boy, do I need them! I go through pillows like some people do with a box of chocolates! 🙂 I tend to have migraines and I have serious back problems so my bedding has to be nice and comfy. I absolutely love yours!

    Thanks so much for the opportunity to win! I can feel my head and neck relaxing now…….

    xo
    Pat

    1. Hey, Pat! Oh my goodness!

      My dear, I am so sorry you suffer from migraines and back problems. Thank you for participating in this giveaway. Good luck. Have you tried low impact yoga to help with your back problems?

      Take care, Meredith

  9. I don’t know if it takes time for my comments to post. So I’m commenting again. Since perimenopause kicked in, my sleep patterns are incredibly disrupted and my sleep cycle is so out of sync. Part of the problem is I use 3-4 pillows that I’m constantly readjusting throughout the night. I think @Brentwood Home pillows would really be helpful for me.

    1. Hey Lynne! I received your previous comment. I have to authorize comments before they get published. 🙂 Thanks lady!

  10. The staying hydrated thing is tricky, not so hydrated that you have to get up in the middle of the night! My key to sleeping success is animals – the more the merrier. Once I have two cats at my feet, one small dog UNDER the covers and a big dog on the floor by the bed; then and only then can i sleep in peace. fortunately my husband feels the same way. Hey, we could make room for one more on the bed!

    1. Hey Margot!

      I hear ya girl. I have 3 felines that all love to sleep on the bed with me too. It’s a must, plus they are wonderful heaters during the winter months. I am a big fan of keeping a big water bottle next to my bed in case I wake up thirsty. I drink enough but not in excess later in the evening. 🙂 All to prevent having to pee in the middle of the night. 🙂 Thanks for participating in this giveaway!

      Best, Meredith

  11. Pillow is most important part in good sleep. I try few pillows with different shapes and form, but not reach big success. Maybe Brentwood Home pillows is what I finding?

  12. I love new pillows. They are always so fluffy and they make sleeping so much more relaxing.

  13. I’m still use cheap noname pillows which don’t have any form already. My head don’t give me a thanks for this.
    We sleep 1/3 of our lives so it’s time to use quality pillows!

  14. This sleep wellness bundle would improve my life because I would have a more restful night’s sleep and feel more energized during the day.

  15. Great tips! If I could only get turning off electronics and meditating down pat, I might have a better chance at a good night’s rest.

  16. these are some amazing tips! i need to start back on my working out, and meditating before sleep!! so hard when we’re so glued to our phones and electronics! but pillows ?? most important thing on my bed!

  17. I would hope that this sleep wellness bundle would help with my neck issues that cause me not to sleep.

  18. We have a four year old who has been having bad dreams as well as a six month old, so we never truly get a full night of sleep. This would help because at least the sleep we did manage to get would be blissfully comfortable!

  19. A good pillow and a good mattress seem to be the key for me. If the bed is right and the pillow is comfy, I could sleep forever! (But not too comfy because then I really could sleep all day- I’d be so unproductive!)

  20. My brain wants to shift into high gear at bedtime. I’m going to use your tips as well as not turn my screens back on if I feel I can’t fall asleep soon. I’ve been turning off 30 minutes before bed, but will turn back on if still awake. Thanks for doing this post and giveaway!

  23. I could use great pillow to sleep with these pillows look like great ones to have to support the neck more then the ones I have now

  25. Wow! What a wonderful giveaway and an informative article. 🙂 I will definitely try meditating before bed, see if that helps me sleep better. Thanks Meredith!

  26. A good pillow and a good mattress seem to be the key for me. If the bed is right and the pillow is comfy, I could sleep forever! (But not too comfy because then I really could sleep all day- I’d be so unproductive!)

  27. My brain wants to shift into high gear at bedtime. I’m going to use your tips as well as not turn my screens back on if I feel I can’t fall asleep soon. I’ve been turning off 30 minutes before bed, but will turn back on if still awake. Thanks for doing this post and giveaway!

  28. Wow! What a wonderful giveaway and an informative article. 🙂 I will definitely try meditating before bed, see if that helps me sleep better. Thanks Meredith!

  29. I could use great pillow to sleep with these pillows look like great ones to have to support the neck more then the ones I have now

  32. I am a restless sleeper and I toss and turn mos of the night ans I wonder if it has something to do with my pillows. My current pillows do not give any support.

    1. Nancy, I am sure these pillows could help you tremendously! I toss and turn too when I won’t have the proper neck support!

  35. I need to drink 3.25 glasses of water each day. Challenge accepted! 🙂
    Thanks for article.

  36. I love all of these suggestions! I have sooooo much trouble falling asleep and then staying asleep. If I can sleep well, my day goes beautifully ~ more energy, feel better, etc. I have to say I haven’t heard of these pillows but boy, oh boy, do I need them! I go through pillows like some people do with a box of chocolates! 🙂 I tend to have migraines and I have serious back problems so my bedding has to be nice and comfy. I absolutely love yours!

    Thanks so much for the opportunity to win! I can feel my head and neck relaxing now…….

    xo
    Pat

    1. Hey, Pat! Oh my goodness!

      My dear, I am so sorry you suffer from migraines and back problems. Thank you for participating in this giveaway. Good luck. Have you tried low impact yoga to help with your back problems?

      Take care, Meredith

  37. I don’t know if it takes time for my comments to post. So I’m commenting again. Since perimenopause kicked in, my sleep patterns are incredibly disrupted and my sleep cycle is so out of sync. Part of the problem is I use 3-4 pillows that I’m constantly readjusting throughout the night. I think @Brentwood Home pillows would really be helpful for me.

  38. I’ve been searching for better pillows for so long now. But luxury pillows have been out of my reach. I love everything I’ve seen and read about Brentwood Home. Thanks for the opportunity to win them

    1. Hey Lynne,

      Thanks for taking the time to comment! Yes, Brentwood Home is a great company. So happy you are participating! Good luck! Best, Meredith

  39. The staying hydrated thing is tricky, not so hydrated that you have to get up in the middle of the night! My key to sleeping success is animals – the more the merrier. Once I have two cats at my feet, one small dog UNDER the covers and a big dog on the floor by the bed; then and only then can i sleep in peace. fortunately my husband feels the same way. Hey, we could make room for one more on the bed!

    1. Hey Margot!

      I hear ya girl. I have 3 felines that all love to sleep on the bed with me too. It’s a must, plus they are wonderful heaters during the winter months. I am a big fan of keeping a big water bottle next to my bed in case I wake up thirsty. I drink enough but not in excess later in the evening. 🙂 All to prevent having to pee in the middle of the night. 🙂 Thanks for participating in this giveaway!

      Best, Meredith

  41. I love new pillows. They are always so fluffy and they make sleeping so much more relaxing.

  42. Pillow is most important part in good sleep. I try few pillows with different shapes and form, but not reach big success. Maybe Brentwood Home pillows is what I finding?

  43. I’m still use cheap noname pillows which don’t have any form already. My head don’t give me a thanks for this.
    We sleep 1/3 of our lives so it’s time to use quality pillows!

  44. Great tips! If I could only get turning off electronics and meditating down pat, I might have a better chance at a good night’s rest.

  45. these are some amazing tips! i need to start back on my working out, and meditating before sleep!! so hard when we’re so glued to our phones and electronics! but pillows ?? most important thing on my bed!

  46. I would hope that this sleep wellness bundle would help with my neck issues that cause me not to sleep.

  47. We have a four year old who has been having bad dreams as well as a six month old, so we never truly get a full night of sleep. This would help because at least the sleep we did manage to get would be blissfully comfortable!

  48. This sleep wellness bundle would improve my life because I would have a more restful night’s sleep and feel more energized during the day.

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