Pillow Talk - How to get a good night’s sleep

Pillow Talk Sleep Tips:

• Pillow Talk Tip 1: Nightly Routines
• Pillow Talk Tip 2: Reduce Light Pollution
• Pillow Talk Tip 3: Reduce Noise pollution, Soothing Music
• Pillow Talk Tip 4: Find the best Pillow
• Pillow Talk Tip 5: Consider your Mattress needs
• Pillow Talk Tip 6: What to do about Screens
• Pillow Talk Tip 7: Exercise

Pillow Talk Tip 1: Nightly Routines

Incorporating simple rituals (or relaxing routines) can help your body and mind prepare for bed. Create some simple routines, to remind your body that you are calming and relaxing in the lead up to sleep.

You want your mind to wind down, and your body to relax.

Some routines to consider:

• Spritzing your face – using a natural fragrant spray can help your body relax, such as this hydrating Rose spray from Rinascentia. Spray a few minutes before bed time
• A Pillow Spray – using a few sprays of a aromatherapy spray, such as the Calming Sleep Spray from Endota, can help your body get the signals that its time to relax. 
• Breathing Techniques – some deep breathing while you sit on the edge of your bed, can help calm your mind, and bring some equilibrium to your body – reminding your body to relax and to slow down. Some breathing tips can be found here.
• Magnesium – If you find you have restless legs, trouble relaxing and tight muscles – it might be worth exploring Magnesium sprays, and magnesium bath salts. We also recommend discussing magnesium with a qualified naturopath, as there are other ways they can recommend its use. You can use our #GoKindly bath salts, or a spray like this one from Salt Laboratory.

Pillow Talk Tip 2: Reduce Light Pollution

Light Pollution – It is common for us to live in urban areas, in apartments or townhouses which are close to street lights and other buildings. This can result in light pollution- where light filters into our homes, even at night. Our bodies and brains look for darkness to signal time to rest and wind-down. With an absence of ‘dark’ due to light pollution, it can be useful to wear a sleep mask. We recommend one from Studio Tinta. 

Pillow Talk Tip 3: Reduce Noise pollution, Soothing Music

What also tends to come with living in urban area’s is traffic noise. If you find yourself kept awake by noise, try some background music and/or white noise. A soft background noise, such as ABC Classical Radio, or a white noise app (here is some recommendations) can help block out the traffic noise, and help you calm for sleep.

Pillow Talk Tip 4: Find the best Pillow

How old is your pillow, and when was the last time you replaced it? You can find the best pillows here. Perhaps its time to get a new one, and find one which is supportive and comfortable, to help you fall into a better sleep faster. We recommend you have a few pillows so you can rotate them and adjust for your preferred sleeping position each night. Finding the best pillow for you can make a huge difference to the quality of your sleep.

Pillow Talk Tip 5: Consider your Mattress needs

How old is your mattress, and is it still right for you? Mattresses come in all kinds of styles, materials and forms. One size doesn’t fit everyone, and you may find that you need a different style. 

Pillow Talk Tip 6: What to do about Screens

It’s a hard one to get right, but there is a lot of evidence that having your phone near the bed can affect the quality of your sleep. If you are easily woken, we suggesting turning off any alerts and putting your phone face-down so that you are not seeing or tempted to see alerts and messages while in bed. Remember that the aim is to ‘turn off’ your brain and body so you can relax. So think through what you need to do in order to ensure your phone doesn’t interfere with your sleep

Pillow Talk Tip 7: Exercise

The Sleep Foundation suggests that people who exercise, tend to sleep better.

We find that exercise is great for getting your system moving, and getting your body tired out enough to doze off at night. Often the initial ‘falling into sleep’ can be the hardest part of sleeping – and exercise can help you nod off. Even some gentle exercise, such as walking in the evenings can be helpful to sleep patterns.

Final Thoughts

We hope that our #GoKindly Pillow Talk series can help others improve the quality of their sleep, and find small (but powerful) ways to get a better night sleep.