Green night! 6 très green tips to sleep in style

It’s that time of year again.
Spring fever is contagious, the days are getting longer and the energy everywhere is exploding.
With all of the excitement, and transition between seasons, sometimes it can be tough to fall – and stay – asleep.

Counting sheep may have worked for your grandmother, but come on, when you’re tossing and turning, focusing on putting fluffy animals in numerical order isn’t the most practical solution.
Thankfully, today, it’s much easier to head off into a dream world … with just a little help from très green and très chic sleep-friendly products.

Here are some tips for a stress-free – and sexy! – slumber.
Sweet dreams!

1) Get into bed, doggie-style

Before you lay down, get downward. Do some yoga, particularly forward bends or poses like downward dog where your head is lower than your heart. This will get the blood circulating and allow it to rush back down to the heart, which is very calming for body and brain.

You don’t need to do a full hour of yoga in a studio in order to benefit from the relaxing benefits of this ancient practice.
Simply stretching out before – or even from –bed works wonders to relax muscles in your body and your mind. Have a pajama party and put on some relaxing music while you breathe in and out and stretch from side to side.
While any of your favorite yoga flow sequences or postures will help to relax you, which in turn will help you sleep, inversions and forward folds are particularly effective for calming the mind.

Stand with your feet a few inches apart and reach toward the ground, grabbing opposite elbows and letting your head and neck dangle. This is one of my favorite magically distressing positions to literally “let go” of any tension in the body or mind.

Try crossing your ankles over opposite knees and folding forward to ease tension and open up your hips.
Try a simple standing forward fold. Stand with your feet a few inches apart and reach toward the ground, grabbing opposite elbows and letting your head and neck dangle. This is one of my favorite magically distressing positions to literally “let go” of any tension in the body or mind.
Sway from side to side and bend your knees – (take out extra space) tension in the hips and legs – and that active brain of yours! – will start to slowly release.
Take some long deep breaths in child’s pose. Extra bonus, grab your feet with your hands and gently massage the inside of your feet. And try to do an inversion if you can – a simple legs up the wall is great or a shoulder stand, on your rug or in your bed. If you can stay up for a few minutes, it’s even more effective.

Alternate nostril breathing is also instant Zen.
Even better, roll out your yoga mat and squeeze in a quick 5-10 minute calming sequence before you head to bed. You can literally lay yourself down in a bed of roses with Yoga Design Lab’s très chic, flowery yoga mats like the Ella, Bloom or Cutuli designs. (Get a 15% discount today! *)

2) Eat delicious food

Cure insomnia with insomniyum! Try enjoying comfort foods that actually live up to their name and allow both your mind – and digestive system – to rest.
Warm, cooked and puréed or soft foods are a great option.
Try not to eat right before you go to sleep at night since this can inhibit digestion. That said, a light meal or snack before you doze off can prevent you from waking up a few hours later with hunger pangs and also comfort both mind and body to ease you into a restful slumber.

And you thought oatmeal was just for breakfast? Oat là là!
Oatmeal is a great food for a late night snack or even a quick dinner when you’re pressed for time and want something filling and comforting.

Foods high in tryptophan are particularly powerful. The body uses tryptophan to produce serotonin, aka the feel-good neurotransmitter and melatonin, a hormone that controls the body’s circadian rhythms (translation: going to sleep and waking up) that can make you sleepy.

And you thought oatmeal was just for breakfast? Oat là là!
Oatmeal is a great food for a late night snack or even a quick dinner when you’re pressed for time and want something filling and comforting. Try savory oats for dinner made with sautéed onions, vegetable broth and topped with veggies, nuts, seeds or greens.
Other sleep-friendly foods include tart cherries, walnuts, rice, bananas and avocados. And even though it sounds très boring, stick to bland, simple foods since spices can keep you up.

3) Have a dance party

Listen to some light music when you lie down to calm your mind. I love Caeden headphones that block all outside noise and infuse your ears and entire body with sweet melodies (all with vegan leather for an extra bonus) so you’ll feel like you’re on a remote island relaxing, even if noise from living in a city or noisy neighbors is preventing you from slumber. Plus, they’re très fashionable so you’ll look great just in case you end up in your wildest dreams while listening.

During the day, trade your coffee or black tea for a Matcha tea or Matcha-infused drink. Matcha will provide a sustained energy throughout the day to prevent surges of anxious energy that can often prevent you from sleeping at night.

4) Have a drink

No not that kind! Alcohol actually can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Alcohol gives the sensation of relaxation, but in fact the quality of sleep suffers (think: waking up several times during the night). A nightcap usually does anything but cap the night. Come on, who decided that brandy, bourbon or an Irish cream was a good idea before bed? (Under no circumstances will the human body ever be happy about digesting whiskey, heavy cream, milk, sugary chocolate syrup and coffee directly before getting into bed.)

Herbal teas, however, can gently soothe the digestive system, making it easier to fall asleep.
Relaxing herbal teas like chamomile, lavender or lemon verbena are a great way to unwind. If you can find fresh leaves, très bien, otherwise look for whole leaf varieties in biodegradable sachets like Teapigs.
Don’t drink too much liquid or you’ll be waking up to rush to the bathroom, but a comforting hydrating drink at night will fuel the body, ease digestion and calm the mind. Try my recipe for a LULLABY LATTE (HERE)

During the day, trade your coffee or black tea for a Matcha tea or Matcha-infused drink. Matcha will provide a sustained energy throughout the day to prevent surges of anxious energy that can often prevent you from sleeping at night. It helps to focus, concentrate and also to relax. I don’t recommend caffeine too late in the day, but try starting your morning with some Matcha or having just a bit later in the afternoon if you need a boost.
Make sure it’s a high quality matcha from a reliable source – I like Panatea.

5) Meditate

Oh yes, I just used the “M” word. Sick of hearing about your Zen friends and their hippy dippy meditation techniques?
From one monkey mind to another, I hear you. Try not calling it meditating. Call it anything you like, but take some time to go on a hot date with your own thoughts.
Sitting in a quiet room for 20 minutes twice a day is ideal, but even once a day or for a few minutes will help to relax your brain.
I recommend the David Lynch Foundation’s Transcendental Meditation – it’s meditation for people who don’t have time to meditate or who (think they) “can’t” meditate.
Plus, when you learn, proceeds are used to teach meditation to people who need it like veterans, battered women and other victims of trauma and toxic stress.
It’s the most “OM-mazing” way to prep yourself for a good night’s sleep…without prepping yourself for a good night’s sleep.
Over time, meditation will help to relax your mind and body, making sleep easier and deeper.

As they say, April showers bring May flowers. May is the perfect time to shower yourself in flowers, thanks to my favorite Lotus Wei scents.

6) Lay you down in a bed of roses.

Sleep and smell the roses!
As they say, April showers bring May flowers. May is the perfect time to shower yourself in flowers, thanks to my favorite Lotus Wei scents.
These are flowers at their finest – liquid energy from pure flower essences that influence mind and body through acupuncture meridians.
Try their “quiet mind” or “inner peace” elixirs, mists, oil or perfumes or their limited edition “healing sleep” oils to blossom your way to bed.

7) Plug in

Sure, everything you read about tells you to unplug, i.e. step away from your computer and turn off your iPhone …and iPad, second work phone, your new Apple watch, your – ok you get the idea.

We live in a world that is plugged in 24/7 and since this can mess with sleep for many reasons (scientifically-based, but we don’t have time, you need your beauty sleep!) , it’s best to unplug whatever electronic devices you can before your go to bed.
That said, plug in to some of the latest devices in sleep technology (see? You’re not alone. There’s an entire industry around this.)

Try sleepphones, aka “pyjamas for your ears” that block out noise and snoring. Or try the “sound oasis,” a “sleep therapy mask,” aka funny-looking goggles that calm brain waves by blocking out light to allow your body to produce melatonin and ease you to sleep.
A humidifier like the Satechi portable humidifier will make sure you don’t wake up from dehydration. Or allow your nose to lure you into sweet slumber with an aromatherapy diffuser like the Serene House Angel ultrasonic scentilizer aromatherapy diffuser (or just practice saying that 10 times and you’ll likely fall asleep in no time).

It’s about time…that somebody invented a charmed sleep bracelet that miraculously placed you into a deep sleep with no effort necessary. Philip Stein’s sleep bracelets are created to pick up electromagnetic frequencies that naturally improve the quality of sleep.

8) Watch out!

When all other options fail, try a little bit of magic. Yes. Hear me out.
It’s about time…that somebody invented a charmed sleep bracelet that miraculously placed you into a deep sleep with no effort necessary. Philip Stein’s sleep bracelets have an antenna that picks up frequencies to naturally improve the quality of sleep.
These bracelets are the epitome of green and chic but they’re actually working all day and all night to bring your body and mind back into focus and balance (see? I told you, it’s all about balance) It’s like drinking a magical sleeping potion… in the form of a glamorous piece of jewelry.

The technology is based on the idea that there are natural frequencies all over the planet that help to keep us in balance.  The sleep bracelet is like a magnet, pulling these frequencies into your body to help you sleep and wake up refreshed. Sounds crazy, but it’s science. Very fashionable science for that matter.
They are slumber-specific, but the brand’s other products are all designed to help you relax and focus all day long so that, when bedtime rolls around, you’re ready to hit your own personal (and hopefully eight-hour) snooze button.

9) Light up.

Light a candle! I love Diptyque’s “Feuille de lavande,” “Verveine” or “Rose” scents in particular. Lavender has always been a popular folk remedy for sleep and relaxation.
It’s one of the best natural sleep aids around. Scientific studies prove over and over again that lavender can facilitate slow-wave sleep (the really restorative phase of sleep!)
You can add some drops of lavender essential oil to your pillow, but I prefer to infuse the entire room with the amazing smell of a candle.
Diptyque candles in particular burn for a long time and really infuse the room – and your entire body and mind – with their subtle yet effective aromas.
Plus, every candle is individually hand-crafted with French experts in white gloves – does it get more chic than that?

Bon voyage to the most stylish sleep of your life!
See you on the other side (aka the morning).