Clean Sleep

Clean sleep.

To me, that means

sleep that is refreshing and satisfying.
sleep that fits the natural rhythms of my body
sleep that keeps me in tune with the rest of the world
sleep that feels good.

Now I've been a delayed sleep phase sleeper since I was a toddler, so I'm always struggling to maintain healthy sleep habits. But in the past few weeks, that goal has been even more elusive than usual. So I'm experimenting with some changes.

1. Clutter-free nightstand

No artsy stacks of books, 

no vases of flowers, 

no glasses of water perched on cute coasters. 

By sweeping this surface clean of clutter - even pretty clutter - my mind feels equally clean and clear as I prepare to sleep. 

2. Electronics-free sleep zone

On the best of nights, my phone used to sleep on my nightstand; worse and more often under my pillow. And while the scientific jury is still out on exactly how our devices impact our sleep, Iknow for a fact that my phone exerts a constant if subtle pressure on me to check in what's happening in the world.  I don't need that distraction, so my phone and his charger have been moved on the other side of the room. 

3. Old school alarm clock

Yes, my phone has indeed served me very well as a handy alarm clock, but that is a technology rabbit hole into which I will no longer fall. A simple clock with a straightforward alarm suits my purposes perfectly well and my phone can mind his own business. 

4. Diffuser at the ready

Eucalyptus-infused air rushes me off to dreamland and soothes my breathing - I've long known that. So rather than house this amazing machine across the room, I've brought him right alongside my bed. 

5. Silky support

For Christmas, I got this simple silk pillowcase and it is a sensory delight. When I first lay down my head, the silk is cool against my cheek; it quickly warms to a comfortably cozy temperature that lulls me to sleep. If I wake up during the night, a quick flip of the pillow allows me to reboot the process. And though my side-sleeping preference makes a slippery little eye pillow fairly useless, since it just slides off my face, I keep this one on hand for nights when a little something extra is needed to help me relax and fall off into sleep. 

* * * * *

Will any of these changes make the critical difference of getting me some clean sleep?  I can't say for sure. But the simple act of making these changes gives me a calm confidence that anything is possible, and that is a wonderful first step. 

clock | amazon

diffuser | amazon

eucalyptus oil | amazon

pillowcase | amazon