I may be biased, but giving the gift of sleep is the best gift of all. When you give the gift of sleep, you are giving your loved ones the ability to feel, look, and perform at their best.
There is a good chance that someone on your holiday shopping list needs more sleep. According to a study by the CDC, 1 in 3 adults in America is not reaching the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep. The outlook is even more unfortunate for new parents. A study by Sleep Junkie discovered only 10% of new parents are sleeping 7+ hours a night.
Consider giving one of my favorite sleep-inducing products this year and you'll help to make the world a more well-rested and hence, happier place.
Calm App
Anxiety is public enemy #1 when it comes to sleep. Tension creates an increase of cortisol (the stress hormone), which leaves us feeling wired and adversely impacts the ability to fall and stay asleep.
Mediation is a proven way to combat stress.
With hundreds of mediations available, a subscription to The Calm app is appropriate for all experience levels. It is the perfect gift for your aunt, who has never mediated but heard about it on Oprah to your favorite yoga instructor who mediates on the daily.
Personalized Luxury Silk Sleep Mask
A pitch-black environment is optimal for sleep for all ages. When our eyes detect light, it sends a signal to our brains to reduce melatonin (sleepy hormone) and produce cortisol.
Total darkness can be hard to achieve in our modern sleep environment that is spoiled by glowing stand-by indicators on our electronic devices and street lights.
A sleep mask is a perfect and stylish way to block all light sources at night. I love this one by The Sleepy Cottage. It is made of the softest silk and can be personalized.
Magnesium Sleep Lotion
Sufficient levels of magnesium are essential to establishing a state of relaxation, and low levels can lead to twitching muscles that can keep us awake at night. This mineral also assures the GABA receptors in our brains and nervous systems are working properly. GABA receptors help the brain switch off before we fall asleep.
The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 75% of the adults in the U.S. do not meet the FDA's Recommended Daily Intake of 420 mg. That said, a little extra magnesium would likely help almost everyone sleep more soundly.
I received this magnesium sleep lotion by Better You during my Sleep Like a Boss Adult Sleep Retreat and have been using it every night since. If you could bottle relaxation, it would smell like this lotion as it also contains lavender and chamomile. Further, it is backed by clinical data. In a 5-week independent clinical study, 95% of the participants benefited.
Organic Mother's Little Helper Herbal Tea by David’s Tea
Sure a glass of wine will help us to fall asleep, but it will likely result in fragmented sleep as it wakes us up during the detoxification process.
A herbal tea is a better option to help us drift off to sleep. David's Tea has a great one that contains herbs that are known for their relaxation-inducing qualities such as valerian, chamomile, peppermint, and lemongrass. Plus, you gotta love the clever name.
I hope this list inspires you to give the gift of sleep this holiday season! If you or someone you know has tried everything to better your sleep and are still having issues, I would love to help. You can schedule a free 15-minute Discovery Call to learn about my adult sleep consulting services here.
