We love sleep here at OLLY— but not just any sleep. Quality sleep. The dreamy, REM packed, I-am-a-ball-of-melty-cheese sleep. You know the kind, where you wake up in a cocoon of warmth and feel like a cozy little pile of success ready to take on whatever the world throws your way.
The Goods Inside
- Celebrating Sleep
- OLLY’s Real World Sleep Hacks
- Personalize Your Bedtime
Over time, not getting enough sleep can raise your risk for chronic health problems like coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and stroke.1
Our precious Zzz’s play a vital role in our overall health and well-being and can affect how we think, react, work, learn, and get along with others. In other words, the time you do (or don’t) spend snoozin’ can directly impact your awake life.
It’s time to give your evening routine the same daily love and attention that your to-do list gets. We’re talking mood lighting (or no light), woo-woo tips, deep breathing, binaural beats, whatever gets you in the mood to snooze.
OLLY’s Real World Sleep Hacks
Since we spend one-third of our lives sleeping—or attempting to—we reached out to a few OLLY employees to hear what hurts (or helps) their slumber. While we love scouring the research depths for data-backed, scientific sleep tips, sometimes the practical, no-bullshit, real-talk advice from normal people is what hits the spot.
Curtain Control
“I need it to be pitch black. That’s it. No lights. No night lights. Black out curtains and a sleep apnea nightguard.”
- Chris K., Not Actually a Vampire
Comfy Content
“I read fiction and often something very light and silly that'll make me laugh. Like right now I’m reading a series about a girl who fell into being an assassin who only kills really bad people (and usually accidentally) and she can communicate with animals. It's so ridiculous but I can get lost and not think about anything else.”
- Summer J., Commander of Ridiculous Realms
“Once the clock hits nine, the thrillers go off, and the comfort shows come on. It’s my personal version of sleep-friendly TV."
- Vanessa J., Queen of Thriller to Chiller
“I do this thing when I go to bed that I call 'watching tv with my ears' — so, I basically put a show on that I have seen a million times and I don't watch it, I listen to it and then imagine or try to remember the scene playing out in my head... I end up falling asleep pretty fast and don't remember anything about the scary shit I watched earlier.”
- George M., Director of Imaginary Scenes
Mindful Moves
“I have to do some yin yoga or mobility before bed because if I just plop right down, I will fidget all night and wake up sore just from sleeping.”
- Tylyn R., Resident Stretch Strategist
Tackling To-dos
“I try to not work on my to-do list in bed. I find that when I do it in bed, while my partner is sleeping next to me, it will continue running through my mind and never end. By doing it in another room it's almost like the task stays there in a place not tied to sleep.”
- Tisha W., Ultimate Boundary Setter
Personalize Your Bedtime
There’s no one-size-fits all routine. And while no screens before bed and a grounding meditation theoretically sound ideal, we’re all just trying to tune out the noise for a minute before we can tune into dreamland for hours.
Whether you need to word vom your to-do list, sleep in a Dracula-like tomb of darkness, move your bod, or avoid murder mysteries before slipping into sleep—it’s all worth exploring. Try something small tonight and see if it has an impact on your sleep. If it works? Hallelujah. If not? There’s always tomorrow night.
References
1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Why Is Sleep Important?. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/why-sleep-important - New Window
