Brit Gets Real About How to Get a Good Night's Sleep
Okay so, it may sound like I'm being overly effusive about how curative sleep can be, but believe me when I say I am not even scratching the surface. After thousands of studies, it remains core to our physical and mental health at every level, from balancing our immune systems, our microbiomes, our metabolisms, our cognitive function, our dopamine levels and beyond.
In his book Why We Sleep, researcher and PhD, Matthew Walker, even goes so far as to say, "Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health. However, it is the most glaring omission in the contemporary health conversation."
It's for all these reasons that I wanted to explore how to get the best sleep ever. So, on this week's episode of Teach Me Something New, my hubby Dave and I are chatting with sleep experts and inventors, Todd and Tara Youngblood. They have a combined 100,000+ hours collaborating, researching and testing products that might help optimize your sleep.Their key breakthrough? First off, it's not about quantity of sleep, but quality of sleep. And turns out that the temperature of your bed is directly proportional to your quality of sleep. So, they invented a total game changing product called the chiliPAD. Trust me when I *legitimately* say that this thing falls into my top three favorite products of ALL TIME. It has changed my life and saved my marriage. For real!
Listen to the episode to learn more about all facets of better sleep, including how to figure out what your chronotype is (aka what time you should go to sleep), the benefits of deep sleep vs REM sleep, and so much more. Here's to much sweeter dreams!
Todd and Tara Youngblood, my forever go-to sleep experts and inventors of a game-changing product that I will never again live without! Here are the things they say also contribute to worse sleep... plus where I honestly fall on each of them:
- Phones = I look at mine right up until my eyes close.
- Alcohol = I was doing well with this until COVID-19 hit. #wineoclock
- TV in the bedroom = Guilty as charged.
- Food late in the evening = Finally, one I am good at! (I stop eating 3-4 hours before bed.)
- Exercise late at night = Also winning at this one. I'm a morning worker outer.
- Starting your day with outside time and/or sunshine = Shoot, another failure :/ But I'm excited to work on this one, especially now that we're in spring.
Here are the two tech gadgets that have been absolutely crucial in helping me get a good night's sleep.
If you've ever wondered what *quality* of deep sleep you're getting, the Oura Ring has all the answers. This is by far the most accurate and fashionable sleep tracker I've ever used. It predicts what my energy will be like each day and even whether I should work out or not! Use this link to save $30 if you want to try it, too.
I know I already talked about this, but truly, the chiliPAD saved my marriage! I used to never be able to cuddle with Dave in bed because he got so hot and sweaty at night. But now, he sleeps at 66-degrees and I sleep at 73-degrees and somehow, we stay cuddling all night long. It ain't cheap, but it's worth it.
Alright y'all, go get some rest! :)
What steps have you taken to get yourself a better night's sleep? Share with us @britandco and @brit.
