In honor of today being World Sleep Day, I have a few key things that will help you get a better night's sleep - because I know when I don't get enough Zzzz's, I fall apart and turn into the crankiest, most miserable person you never wanna meet. No joke. Plus, studies have shown that over time, lack of sleep can make feel crummier, gain weight, and look older. Uh, no thank you.

1. No One Has To Know...

That you're doing bedtime yoga. I love Tara Stiles because she's an ex-model turned yogi who has worked to make yoga more accessible to just about everyone. She has tons of FREE yoga routines on YouTube, her FB page and on her website that you can do at home, including this one for relaxing bedtime yoga: Try it! It will calm you and help you fall asleep. 

Lots of people in the yoga community have a beef with Tara for doing things like taking away the traditional sanskrit names for poses, but I say if it helps more people get into yoga and feel better, what's so wrong with that?

2. Make Your Bedroom Pretty

If your bedroom is a cluttered mess and your bed a mishmash of mismatched sheets, pillows and blankets, that's going to impact how much you sleep and what kind of sleep you get. (We all need REM and I'm not talking about the band with Michael Stipe.) Recently, I splurged on all new bedding from Anthropologie and it totally transformed my bedroom, my attitude towards it and yes, the quality of my sleep. (Btw, I also got rid of a bunch of clutter that I'd been hoarding for ages and never quite got around to tossing...until now. Clutter = chaos = stress.)

Another great resource for bedding, if you're on a budget, is TJMaxx/HomeGoods. If you have patience and check back repeatedly, you can usually find excellent sheets and blankets there. I recently saw several sets of Pratesi sheets (the pricey Italian line) at the Rt 2 Warwick location as a matter of fact.

3. This Might Sound Freaky But

Aromatherapy could be the answer for you. One of my brothers, who used to brag about how little sleep he needed and who is the last person in the world you'd ever think would be into aromatherapy, recently received some doTerra oils and a diffuser as a gift (I did too.) and he says he actually sleeps a healthy 6-7 full hours now. That's major. Did I mention he used to average about 3-4 hours a night? Yup. 

Ciao For Now, 

Patty J

Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of Pinterest