Sleep like me
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This week—while enjoying the Victoria Beckham renaissance (justice for the original resting b*tch face!)—I’m cataloging my sleep stuff.
Sleep used to be underrated. First, we had hustle-and-grind culture, where people bragged about pulling all-nighters and burning the midnight oil. Then, burnout became a vocabulary word. Now, we’ve got wellness and longevity floating vaguely around the zeitgeist. And good sleep is finally being put on its rightful pedestal.
Of course, sleep is expensive—in that it costs time and takes consistent effort. But if you’ve ever woken up after a solid eight hours and thought, Whoa! That’s what adequate rest feels like, you know it’s a worthwhile investment.
These are actually good things I use to get high-quality shut-eye.*
Supplements and sleep potions
Sometimes, my brain needs a little help dozing off by way of over-the-counter meds and supplements.
Lemme Sleep gummies (Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s brand) are among the best I’ve tried. With a dose of magnesium and a dab of melatonin, the tasty chews make me super sleepy—almost high, tbh—but not groggy in the morning.
I also like these powdered packets. You can mix them with water or sparkling seltzer for a “sleepy-girl mocktail” or just empty a pack onto your tongue like Pixie Stix.
Other things I might reach for—though not every day or all at once—are dissolvable melatonin tablets and Unisom gels.
Beyond that, I take Tru Niagen daily. A precursor to NAD+, it helps regulate your circadian rhythm (among many, many other general health and longevity benefits—theoretically, at least). And once a week or so, I do at-home NAD+ injections. Together, these have been game-changing for sleep and just feeling better (honestly, younger) overall.
(NAD+ is a whole can of worms I could go on about—another time, though.)
Pillows and linens
👆🏻My actual bed.
We make our bed with big, fluffy, king-size pillows, but I sleep with one designed specifically for side-sleepers. For years, it’s been the Pillow Cube in a silk pillowcase—chef’s kiss.
I’ve tested bed linens from all the startups, OG companies, and Amazon best-selling brands. In the end, Brooklinen is my top choice—particularly the washed percale sheets and linen duvet set (the king/Cal king size fits our king-size down comforter perfectly—no sagging or extra slack).
But! If you’re open to splurging on the crème de la crème of linen sheets, Parachute is insane—the thick yet breezy fabric is shockingly soft out of the box. For something more affordable but still 100% linen, Target’s Casaluna brand is your guy.
We don’t sleep with a top sheet.
Jammies
I exclusively wear matching pajama sets. They make me feel fancy and help me get in the zone for sleep—a bedtime uniform, if you will.
This Cozy Earth set is really, really good. Prefer short-sleeve or button-free? Go with Nuuds.
Gadgets, machines, and …screens?
A white noise machine really helps—I actually prefer brown noise, which has heavier bass sounds and fewer high frequencies.
I also use this bedside red light. It does a 28-minute wind-down routine that slowly fades to dark.
We have the Eight Sleep bed-cooling system—it’s clutch for couples who run at different body temps and anyone who gets night sweats.
Reading books on my Kindle (on dark mode!) helps me conk right out.
Blackout everything
Believe in the power of blacking out your bedroom. We have not only dual blackout window coverings (roller shades covered by floor-length curtains) but also curved curtain rods that ensure every sliver of external light is covered.
Wanna be extra like me? Use blackout tape and stickers to cover every single electronic light—TV, charging dock, smoke detector, etc. (Masking tape and a Sharpie work too.)
Nightstand skincare
This supremely elevated hand cream sits on my nightstand, and a stick of my all-time favorite Lippe Balm lives in my bedside drawer. I slather both on upon climbing into bed. When my lips are extra-thirsty, I baste them overnight in this Korean lip mask.
*Some products with affiliate links might earn me a small commission.
What I’m reading lately:
The Book of Guilt, a novel by Catherine Chidgey
What I’ve written lately:
The Daily Beast | I Tried the Truvaga Plus and My Sleep Has Never Been Better
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