I long for the days that I used to just lay my head down and fall asleep in a matter of minutes. No tossing and turning for hours. No waking up multiple times throughout the night. Sleep has become one of my biggest challenges as I entered my mid-40’s. So I have made it my mission to find things that will help get me to sleep, keep me asleep and make me feel comfortable while going to sleep. I’ve already acquired quite the collection of matching pajamas and my evening skincare routine is my favorite time of the day. When it comes to actually relaxing my body and falling asleep, it becomes a battle! Ugh!!
Over the past year to year and a half, I have been testing different things to help with sleep and have finally found a few key products that have made a HUGE difference. It’s not perfect but my sleep is better than it was using these products. Here are my current sleep essentials.
My Sleep Essentials
EarlyBird CBD Gummies
The EarlyBird CBD gummies contain a microdose amount of THC in addition to CBD which gives a stronger sense of relaxation. When they first arrived, I wasn’t sure how strong they would be and how my body would react. Especially since I do not like the feeling of being altered in any way. I do not drink alcohol and have never tried any type of recreational drug because of this reason. I started by taking 1/3 of a gummy but to be honest felt almost nothing. So the next time, I took the other 2/3 of that gummy and still didn’t feel much of anything. A tiny bit of relaxation but nothing significant. The third time I took a full gummy and finally felt the effects. But was so relieved that it was a deeper sense of relaxation without the feeling of being altered.
I use these mostly at night to help me chill out and wind myself down for bed. My mind never stops racing and I have a hard time turning that off in order to get to sleep. These help me do that while still making me feel present. Read my full review of EarlyBird CBD Gummies here.
Regarding sleep, it does help me get to sleep, stay asleep and wake without feeling groggy. If my 7 years old wakes up after I take one, I am able to be coherent and alert immediately. It does not affect my ability to function in any way. I personally wouldn’t take one during the day because it makes me way too tired. And if I had to get anything done, I probably couldn’t and would take a nap. So for me these are strictly for nighttime.
LEMME Sleep Gummies
While the Earlybird CBD gummies are not necessarily made for sleep, they help me relax in order to get to sleep much easier. The Lemme Sleep Gummies are made to be taken at bedtime and contain a mix of melatonin and magnesium. I don’t take these on the same night I take the Earlybird gummies as that would be WAY too much for me. I save these gummies for the nights that I just can’t get to sleep for whatever reason. Sometimes even if I’m relaxed or tired, my body will not let me get to sleep. I usually take two and within 30 minutes I feel very drowsy. Not even relaxed but drowsy and sleepy. Thankfully this does not transfer over to the next morning and I wake up feeling refreshed without any residual grogginess.
Sleep Crown Pillow
I am not loyal to a particular pillow when it comes to what I lay on to go to sleep (if you have suggestions, I am all ears!), but I am loyal to a pillow that I lay ON me to go to sleep. If you have ever taken a yoga class, you may have had an instructor place a small bean bag pillow or weighted pillow over your eyes at the end of the class to help deepen your relaxation during the final resting pose. The Sleep Crown pillow is similar in concept and meant to be used over your eyes and top of your head to help create that same sense of calm. It’s a different type of pillow than one you sleep on. And is very lightweight and soft but does manage to perfectly fall around your head once you place it down.
For me, this has become an absolute must have for me to go to sleep because it reduces my anxiety like nothing else ever has. Because it immediately blocks out light and much of the sound in the room, I can feel my nervous system calming down almost instantly. The weight of the pillow is heavy enough to stay put. But not heavy enough to feel uncomfortable or put too much pressure on my eyes. I describe the feeling of having it on my eyes as feeling like I am in a cocoon. It’s soothing and helps me get to sleep so much faster.
I can use it whether I sleep on my back or on my side. It easily drapes around my head and stays put even when I move positions. Sometimes it falls off during the night. But I usually just put it back on and go right back to sleep.
VIO2 Mouth Tape (discount code: MAREE15)
If you are unfamiliar with using mouth tape to sleep, the reasoning behind it is it allows the mouth to stay shut while sleeping so you get a deeper more restful sleep. Using the mouth tape allows you to breathe through your nose more intentionally which can help you get a better sleep. Additionally, keeping your mouth closed while you sleep has been shown to reduce certain dental issues because your mouth won’t dry out throughout the night while open. Some people find it helps with snoring and for me personally, it helps stop me from grinding my teeth.
I’ll be completely honest with you and share that this is the fourth mouth tape brand that I have tried. None stayed on throughout the night or they didn’t really make a big difference with my sleep. Some felt suffocating and were too hard to get used to. I had seen someone I follow on Instagram shared about this mouth tape so I thought I would give it a try as my final mouth tape endeavor. Within the first week, I was in love with using it and didn’t grind my teeth once. The tape itself is very pliable and stretchy so it’s comfortable to wear and stays puts ALL NIGHT LONG.
You can wear the tape with the longer side running along your lips but I prefer to have it running up and down my lips in the shape of an “I”. I can still drink water easily if needed and it feels less constricting. I wanted to test if it really made a difference. So after I finished the entire pack, I went without using it for nearly 2 weeks and woke up with jaw pain consistently from grinding my teeth. I also was not sleeping as well those two weeks and woke up more frequently. Within two days of wearing my mouth tape again, all of these issues stopped. So I have been hooked ever since!
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