Confession: I run a bedding brand… and I’m terrible at sleep routines.

Today I want to talk about sleep routines (or sleep “hygiene” as the internet calls it.)

If you already have great habits, routines and a consistent bedtime, this probably wont' be of any interest to you and I won't be offended if you leave right away. But if you can relate, I'd love to share a little bit of a personal reflection with you in the hopes we can both perhaps do a little better at prioritising our sleep. This is not advice in anyway, it is more sharing from my personal point of view, in hopes it might resonate with someone else who'll gain a little bit of value or inspiration to try to improve their sleep routines too (or rather, lack of- ha!) 

My main New Year’s resolutions this year was to start getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night. And I’ve failed miserably. I’m not being overly hard on myself, because I’ve made progress with some of my other resolutions,  but this one definitely still needs work. So what better time to start again than World Sleep Day!

I’ve fallen back into my terrible habit of working until 10 or 11pm most nights, which means I feel so wired I can’t really unwind for sleep until after midnight, but my days usually start at 6am. I know this schedule is bad for me, and each morning I promise myself I'm not going to do that again, but then evening rolls around and I'm no better than the day before. Its a bit of toxic relationship I have with myself and positive routines! Creating a healthy work–life balance is something I constantly try to improve.

When my son is home with me, I can only manage around 20 hours of work (unless I'm squeezing in a few extra hours after he’s asleep - which I try not to do, because it leaves me exhausted.) So when he’s not home with me, I tend to swing the other way and work closer to 60 hours a week, under my own pressure to try to "catch up" Out of frustration I tell myself I'm attempting to 'get ahead' while I can. The truth is that I do recognise  this is an unhealthy way to live, because it usually comes at the expense of having any sort of personal life, and almost always at the expense of enough sleep.

I'm like is is because I often get into my best work flow outside business hours. Late at night when there are no meetings, phone calls or emails asking for my attention or breaking up flow. I tend to get into my zone better at night when it’s quiet and I have the least distractions. The temptation to try and “just finish one more thing” can easily become stronger than the desire to prioritise my health.

The irony is not lost on me that I run a bedding brand and still struggle with my sleep routine. But at least my bedroom is always beautiful - ha!

So this is me starting again with my new years resolution, this time in middle of March! 

Instead of trying to force strict discipline with timers or rigid schedules, like I have attempted one hundred times and failed every single time. I’m trying to approach it all differently this time by focusing more on my intention instead. I'll do this by:

~ Visualisation

If I shift my focus to the root of WHY I am attempting to get enough hours sleep every night, I might be more enticed to keep my promises to myself. I will start by regularly visualising this new version of myself. One who is more rested, has more clarity and more work/life balance. She is ultimately healthier and happier because this version of my future self gets at least 7 hours sleep each night to recharge. I need to picture her often and fill myself up with a strong desire to become her. 

~ Rituals

Creating small rituals are also helpful to signal the end of the day. Things like: lighting a scented candle, a warm shower, perparing a herbal tea or cacao, evening movement, breathwork ~ trying to build small practices  for myself that help shift my mind from work mode into rest.

~ Boundaries

I’m also working on maintaining healthier boundaries with screens and notifications. Things like no phones/laptops in the bedroom is a massive one for me. I always listen to sleep hypnosis's on youtube every night, so when I'm trying to improve my sleep routine I like to set it to finish at end of meditation and place phone in my ensuite out of reach, but close enough to still hear.

If sleep routines are something you struggle with too, I’d love to hear what's been working for you? Lets encourage each other along the way to more sleep! 

Thanks for reading. Sleep well!

Jacinta x

If anyones interested I've listed my go-to bedtime you tube channels:

Michael Sealy - https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelSealey

Jason Stephenson - https://www.youtube.com/@jasonstephensonmeditation

Pura Rasa - https://www.youtube.com/@purarasa

Rising Higher - https://www.youtube.com/@RisingHigherMeditation