a good night's sleep

ryan and i keep odd hours.  our schedules are ever changing and inconsistent.  waking up feeling rested is easier said than done and i'm the type of person who really requires sleep.  therefore doing what we can to get a good night's sleep is important to us.  whether we're getting only a few hours or a long night's rest, we try to make sure we're set up for optimal sleep.  here are a few simple things we added recently that have made a difference . . .

1. serta absolute comfort 2-in-1 pillow - we loved the pillows we had been sleeping on, but they were older than i care to admit and had completely broken down.  when we decided to purchase new pillows, we searched high and low, looking at every brand and style imaginable.  we finally settled on the serta absolute comfort pillows.  they are made from memory foam and are considered 2-in-1 because one side is soft and the other side is firm.  i find that i tend to use the soft side a majority of the time, but it is nice to have the opposite firm side as an option when i need it.

helpful tip: no doubt, these pillows are expensive.  we found that our local kohl's store carried them.  we waited until they went on sale and then used a few coupons on our purchase to get them down to a reasonable price.

2. calm sleep stories - ryan sometimes has a hard time falling asleep, other times he's out within minutes.  for those nights when his brain won't shut off, he started listening to sleep stories on the calm app on his iphone.  the app has a bunch of different bedtime stories for adults to choose from, some free and some paid.  since he has started using this app, he hasn't made it all the way through one of the stories yet.  he always falls asleep before they are over, so i guess they are working.

helpful tip: to save money, we just listen to the free stories.  ryan has also found a bunch of bedtime stories for free on youtube too.

3. pure spa oil diffuser - for months, ryan has been asking for an essential oil diffuser.  after a lot of comparison of different types, we purchased the pure spa oil diffuser and we are obsessed.  we both love the wood-look finish on the outside and the optional color-changing light rim around the middle.  it lasts up to 10 hours and covers 250 square feet.  it's also an ionizer and we can sleep comfortably knowing that it never gets hot and has an automatic shut off.  we love the smell of peppermint oil in our diffuser, and recently added lavender and eucalyptus to our collection too.

helpful tip: this diffuser can be purchased online, but we found it for a deep discount at our local marshalls store.  we also saw them at t.j.maxx and they come in other color options too.

4. aura cacia peppermint essential oil - even before we started using the oil diffuser, we started using essential oil, specifically peppermint.  we put a little dab behind each ear before we go to bed and it really helps us fall asleep.  ryan says he notices a difference on nights when he forgets to put it on.  a plus is that it smells great too!

helpful tip: when buying essential oil, not all are the same.  make sure you are purchasing 100% pure essential oil. 

love, laurie

*please note: this is not a sponsored post, these are products we have used and loved.