Our new eco-friendly sleep masks are so deliciously soft, they make bedtime worth looking forward to. Each one sets the mood (or better yet, tells *your* mood) from luxurious and playful to full sass and tired. I've been in a Shhhhh mood lately because my mind feels like it's going nonstop. At night, I'm just seeking some peace and quiet so I can fall asleep swiftly and soundly. But before I pull down my luscious, plush, glorious sleep mask and close my eyes, I try to give myself plenty of time to wind down after work. Below I'm sharing my current nighttime routine before getting the extra wink of sleep I deserve:
I'm watching New Girl for the first time and have been loving it as something light and easy to laugh with and unplug. This show was never high on my list and in fact, I swore I'd never watch it. But apologies to all the fans I judged and the friends that recommended it to me years ago - I'm now very much in love!
I also finally started to use the iPhone's Bedtime mode feature and am obsessed. Sure, I can easily dismiss it and continue on with my night however I please. But since it switches on automatically, my subconscious quickly kicks in. So at the very least, I become more aware of any TV binging I've gotten myself into, and my bedtime is (slightly) harder to put off.
I've realistically been climbing in bed around 11pm. Sleep procrastination has been a longtime habit of mine, and these days it's felt even harder to get myself excited about sleeping. But I'm taking it day by day, trying new things to calm me down as it gets closer to bedtime. The whole world is still living through a pandemic, after all. And one major self-love move I've created over the years is to no long sleep-shame others and especially not myself. I believe sleep and rest should be celebrated and fun, and by adding any negative opinions or judgements around it I'm doing quite the opposite. I gotta start somewhere if I am to grow into the bold woman prioritizing my self-care that I want to!
When I finally make my way to my bed, I immediately put my sleep mask on top of my head. That way, I can easily turn off my lamp, pull down my Shhhhh Noche Black sleep mask, and get to dreaming. I'm a proud sci-fi and fantasy fan, so am currently reading The Way of Kings as a way to fully disconnect from the realities of today, enter a new world, and ideally ignite some creative dreams for the evening.
But let it be known that in the last year, I've had to turn the light back on more times than I'd like. Sometimes I'll keep reading, other times I'll fall prey to scrolling on my phone. My mind races easily, allowing the worries and anxieties to start creeping in. But my sleep mask always helps - it makes me feel like I'm in a cozy, safe cocoon and tells my brain it's time for sleep by creating a deep, dark environment. Plus, the act alone of raising my sleep mask adds one (albeit small) more step to avoid sleep.
When my sleep troubles persist, I make sure to incorporate meditation, journaling, or moving my body with either a walk outside or some form of exercise during the day. When I prioritize my mental and physical well-being when the sun is up, I'm always pleased to find it easier to fall asleep when it goes down.
If you'd ever like to chat about your sleep, hear more sleep tips, or learn about our sleep masks, DM me at @ohleeeevia!
Happy sleeping, beauties
