Simple Changes that Helped Me Sleep Better
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
After a decade of bad sleep – enough was enough.
My poor sleep started when I was pregnant and my son would kick for two hours in the middle of the night. And then he was born and didn’t want to sleep through the night until he was 4.
Once he was finally sleeping well, I was then stuck in the pattern of being awake for two hours in the middle of every night. My brain would turn on, the anxiety would creep in, and suddenly I was thinking about work or my weekend to-do list or something I said three days ago — when what I desperately wanted to be doing was sleeping.
Last fall, I started trying allll the things to reset my sleep patterns. I followed a strict nighttime routine: meditation, restorative yoga, putting my phone away early, and journaling to get the to-dos and worries out of my mind.
And it worked. I started sleeping so much better.
But I also knew I wasn’t going to maintain that level of sleep discipline forever. What I needed was a version that could survive normal life. Over time, I figured out which little things made the biggest difference and told my brain and body: we’re done for the day.
A year later, rest comes so much easier and is much more likely to carry me through the night. These are the things that have made the biggest difference.
1. A Sleep Mask
Of everything I’ve changed, this is probably my favorite. I originally bought a sleep mask on super clearance over Black Friday. Because at 85% off, it was basically free.
Then one of my dogs tore it up – and without it, it was crystal clear what a difference it made. I went straight to Amazon for a new one the next morning.
Obviously, the biggest benefit is darkness. But that’s actually not the part I love most. The mask makes me keep my eyes closed. That may sound ridiculous, but if I wake up in the middle of the night, my eyes stay closed, and I find it much easier to drift back to sleep.
- My Favorite Sleep Mask: Amazon
2. A Comforter That Doesn’t Make Me Hot
Temperature was affecting my sleep more than I realized (hello, perimenopause!). I switched to the bamboo duvet cover from Quince, and it really does help regulate temperature better. I don’t wake up feeling trapped underneath a furnace.
- What I have: Quince bamboo duvet cover
3. Nighttime Tea
A warm cup of tea has become one of my favorite ways to wind down. There’s something inherently cozy about sitting down with a warm mug at the end of the day, and I usually reach for chamomile, mint, or a sleepy-time blend that helps my body and mind settle in for the night.
Our electric kettle makes it almost effortless. Sometimes I use chamomile we’ve grown ourselves (it’s ridiculously easy to grow), but we buy plenty of tea too. This is not a homesteading challenge.
- My Electric Kettle: Amazon
4. Moving My Shower to Nighttime
A hot shower at the end of the day has become one of the fastest ways for me to decompress. It helps loosen some of the stress I carry in my shoulders and creates a clear transition between doing things and being done.
The downside?
My hair is naturally prone to frizz, and sleeping on it does absolutely nothing to improve the situation. So moving my shower to nighttime also required figuring out a morning hair routine that didn’t negate all the time I saved the night before.
The L’ange curling wand ended up being the answer. I can quickly run it through the pieces that need help, and somehow moving my shower to nighttime has made my mornings easier too.
- What I use: L’ange Le Duo Grande
5. Watching Friends Instead of Something New
I know the conventional sleep advice is probably going to tell me not to watch TV before bed. But Friends will always and forever be my comfort show. I even watched it when I was in labor, and it helped relax me enough for a quick nap!
We used to watch new shows or movies before bed – which were too likely to keep my mind racing and tempt us to binge a little too long! Replacing them with an episode or two of Friends was the perfect switch.
I’ve seen all the episodes. Many, many times. It’s still interesting enough that I’m not tempted to pick up my phone, but familiar enough that I’m not lying there wondering what happens next. It’s funny and comfortable and requires absolutely nothing from me.
Which, as it turns out, is exactly the energy I need at the end of the day.
The Routine Matters More Than Any One Thing
None of these changes is revolutionary. That’s actually what I like about them. They are just a handful of small changes that make the end of my day feel calmer and more predictable.
And for a brain that had gotten really good at finding just one more thing to think about at 2 a.m., that’s made a surprisingly big difference.
