Whether you live in a New England state or near the Continental Divide, wintertime is a tough season for many of us. As we shift to colder temperatures and snowy weather, we experience changes to our health along with disruptions to our sleep. But, don’t fret just a few changes to our bedtime regimen can bring balance to the harsh effects of the winter season. Grab a cup of chamomile tea, cozy up to these sleep tips and settle into a long winter’s nap.
Use A Humidifier in Your Bedroom
The snow is so romantic, but by February we’re desperately reaching for a bottle of lotion and wishing for sunnier days. The cold winter air can be very dry and lacking in moisture causing our skin to dry out and feel itchy. Many of us also wake up to chapped lips, bloody noses and parched throats. We can combat these harsh effects by simply introducing a humidifier to our bedroom. By adding moisture to the air you’ll sleep better, have healthier skin and comfortable sinuses. The benefits are abounding, even protecting our furniture and keeping our house plants healthier. You can add humidifiers to any room in your home and enjoy the added warmth thanks to the humidified air circulating in your home.
Silk Keeps You Warm and Protects Your Skin
We’ve all experienced waking up in the middle of the night thanks to the uncontrollable shivering that’s caused by the temps falling to -1 but feeling more like -32. Instead of grabbing another blanket, stay warm and sleep through the night with Celestial Silk’s 100% pure mulberry silk sheets. Silk sheets are a great option for winter sleeping with its natural temperature-regulating properties which retains heat. And silk sheets are truly an all-climate fabric transitioning you into summer by keeping you cool with its moisture wicking properties. If you’re experiencing skin dryness from the cold weather, Celestial Silk’s pillowcases offer an array of health and beauty benefits. While other materials draw moisture from your face as you sleep at night, silk has a dense weave of silky-smooth fibers that help keep moisture close to your skin providing it with more luminosity and hydrating your skin cells to reduce lines and wrinkles. The moisture retention benefits of silk pillowcases double whenever you use a nightly cream.
Limit Screen Time and Alcohol Before Bed
If you’re having trouble falling asleep at night a few changes to your nightly routine can help. Many of us like to wind down after a long day with a glass of wine and a Netflix sesh. By reducing our time on the computer and drinking alcohol at the right hour of the day we can enjoy a more restful sleep. A study published in the journal of Applied Ergonomics found that melatonin levels fell by 22 percent after two hours of using a tablet screen at night. By turning off your tablet and phone two hours before bed and opting for a book or relaxing meditation, you can keep your circadian rhythm in check and improve your sleep. Alcohol before bed causes similar troubles. Dr. Michael Breus, The Sleep Doctor has found that if you go to bed with alcohol in your system it can disrupt your circadian functioning and cause you to wake up and have trouble falling back to sleep. He doesn’t rule out drinking all together but recommends drinking earlier in the day. Enjoy a glass of wine at dinner or a beer at happy hour instead of a night cap.
Keep Your Weekend Sleep Routine on Track
Ah, the weekend, when you wake up at the crack of dawn and realize the morning is yours and decide to fall back to sleep. Although it’s tempting, it will be harder to get back on track when the work week starts. The research however is conflicted on whether it’s good or bad to sleep in on the weekend, but Dr. Karl Doghramji, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital recommends to keep your sleep schedule balanced by only sleeping in an hour more on the weekend. If you’re still tempted to grab those extra zzz’s a quick power nap during the day will do the trick. Oh, those glorious naps.