Once I was out of college and hit the real world, I truly realized how important sleep was. Gone were the days of all nighters and late nights. I even find myself missing all those naps I didn’t want to take as a kid. As someone who works almost 60 to 80 hours a week, I rarely get a recommended of eight hours of sleep so I have to make each hour I do get count. After years of trial and error, I can truly say that I now get the best sleep I ever have. How? Over the years, I have accrued items that I absolutely swear by that I find contribute to a good night’s sleep. While one of these by themselves won’t change the game, I have found good sleep is found by a combination of things and developing good sleeping habits.

A good comforterNever underestimate the power of a good comforter. I am a big believer in down comforters. Not only do they keep me warm in the winters and cool in the summers, they feel luxurious and they also look crisp and clean.

A tower fanI am one of those people that has my tower fan blasting even in the dead of winter because I prefer to sleep in an arctic tundra with lots of blankets. A bonus is that it adds some noise, so it cancels out any sounds from outside or if you have roommates.

A sleep maskOnce you start using one and get used to it, you won’t be able to stop. Trust me.

A mattress topperThis is a total game changer. I purchased one of these around five years ago and it was totally worth it. If you want your bed to feel like a literal cloud, you need this. If you like your bed to be more on the firmer side, try a memory foam mattress topper instead!

A silk pillowcaseSay no to bedhead! A silk pillowcase will become your new best friend and helps prevent frizz and hair breakage and can even help your skin.

A sleep tracker and gradual alarm clock

I’ve used a sleep tracker for years that also doubles as a gradual alarm clock. There are tons of apps that offer both of these together. I use SleepCycle. It gives you so many analytics from your sleep, like your sleep quality that night, and also gradually wakes you up during your lightest sleep phase off of the wake up time you set. If you don’t want to have your phone charging all night, there’s plenty of clocks for your nightstand that do the same thing!

Soft blanketFor those cold winter nights! There’s nothing better than a soft and fuzzy over-sized blanket.

DiffuserBy no means am I on the essential oil train so don’t slide into my DMs trying to sell me essential oils, but I love putting on an oil diffuser with some lavender a few minutes before bed. It makes the room smell amazing as I drift off to sleep.

A good bookI give myself about 30 minutes of quiet time before bed. My phone goes on Do Not Disturb mode for the rest of the night. Then, I pick up a good book to read. I’m old fashioned and still prefer a real book over a reading device. I’ve found that reading for a few minutes gets me away from the harsh screen lights and helps me transition into sleep mode.

Sweet dreams!

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Amanda O
Founder