Hey, my friends! I’m Hayley Hobson and I’m so glad you’re here! Welcome to the 10/10 Podcast where I help ambitious women like you, look + feel younger, so you can achieve a 10/10 lifestyle (and unlock financial freedom).
You know those times when you've promised yourself, "I'll catch up on sleep later"?
We've all been there, right? Maybe even this morning! LOL
Well, here's the scoop:
It turns out that "catching up" on sleep is just a myth.
Once those precious Zzz's are gone, they're gone for good.
So, instead of trying to play sleep catch-up, the smarter move to prioritize quality sleep from the get-go.
‘Cause here's the real deal: Sleep deprivation is a MASSIVE issue in our fast-paced world.
And it's not just about feeling tired.
Although, yeah, feeling tired AF makes it hard to get shiz done.
Lack of sleep is actually linked to some serious mental health issues – including depression, ADHD, and anxiety.
Plus, when you’re low on sleep you’re risking weakening your immune system, making yourself more susceptible to viruses and infections.
And viral infections are on the rise RN.
Who has time for that?
And yep, your skin pays the price too, aging faster than you'd like.
No thank you.
So, here's the bottom line: Quality sleep isn't just a luxury; it's a wellness essential.
Now, you’re probably sitting there going, “Yeah yeah yeah, Hayley, I know I need to sleep.
But it’s sooooo hard for me!”And I get it.
While these days I’m a champion sleeper… I wasn’t always.
In fact, I kinda used to suck at sleeping. LOL
To be realz with ya, I was on sleep meds for 15 years. No shit.
And it wasn’t until I dug deep to find alternative, holistic solutions that worked—and that were simple so I’d actually do them—that I was able to get off the meds.
So, I’m gonna drop ya a few hacks that helped me get back on the sleep train track.
The first hack is an oldie but a goodie – and that’s ‘cause it WORKS.
Hack #1 is Lavender.
I’m gonna nerd out on you for a sec about why lavender actually helps your body AND mind relax.
Lavender has specific aromatic compounds that interact with a neurotransmitter in your brain called GABA.
GABA is kinda like a traffic cop in your brain.
Its main job is to help keep things calm and under control.
Lavender compounds enhance the binding of GABA to its receptors, which helps create an overall calming effect on your nervous system.
You still with me? LOL
Lavender is super universal.
You can put it on your skin… inhale it… or even ingest it – and get the benefits.
But here’s the thing: If you’re gonna put Lavender – or honestly ANYTHING – into your body… in any way…
It’s gotta be pure.
So don’t buy the cheap junk you’ll find on Amazon or other places like that.
Trust me – you do not want to mess with the chemical constituents of this molecule.
You want the good stuff.
I’ve actually pulled together 2 of the natural relaxation products I personally use.
The first product is an essential oil blend containing ALLLLLL the best relaxation promoting botanicals.
I’m talkin’:
- Lavender.
- Cedarwood.
- Coriander.
- Ylang Ylang.
- Marjoram.
- Roman Chamomile.
- Vetiver.
- And Sandalwood.
Essential oils like this are actually super universal.
You can put it directly on your skin… or into your diffuser… or simply inhale it by taking a nice sniff from the bottle itself…
The other product in the cart I created for you is a Serenity blend softgel, which you can swallow like you would any other supplement.
Softgels are super great when you’re heading into a stressful day OR when you’re winding down a few hours before bed.
Ok so that’s hack #1.
Hack #2 is Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
This is a technique where you lie down and consciously squeeze certain muscle groups, then relax them.
Typically you start at the bottom of your feet, focusing on one body part at a time – you tense that muscle group and hold it for a few seconds…
Then release that flex.
The reason this hack works for a restful night’s sleep is that it’s hacking your natural stress response.
What happens when you’re in a fight or flight state is your muscles tense up – without you even meaning to.
Your body is literally preparing to run away or fight.
Sooooo many of us live in a perpetual state of fight or flight.
So with progressive muscle relaxation, you’re controlling that automatic muscle response (AKA your sympathetic response) and shifting it into the opposite state (AKA the parasympathetic response – in other words, your rest and digest state).
And as you progressively relax muscle groups, your body literally receives messages that it's safe to switch into a more relaxed state.
Plus, this technique reduces cortisol levels (which is your stress hormone) which allows you to relax your body AND mind… and downshift into pre-sleep mode.
Hack #3 is to create an optimal sleep environment.
Which means cool and dark.
And reducing the visual clutter around you.
For me, I swear by blackout curtains.
And a weighted blanket.
Lots of people love sleep masks but TBH, I can’t do that.
Or rather, my lashes can’t. LOL
Being in a dark room is important ‘cause there’s this thing called the circadian rhythm.
Our bodies have patterns that mimic the natural cycles of light and dark each day.
When it’s light, our bodies wanna be awake and moving.
And when it’s dark, our bodies wanna rest.
So if you’re watching TV or scrolling through your phone when you’re trying to go to sleep, you’re literally telling your brain “Wake up!”
‘Cause as smart as you are, your brain can’t differentiate between daylight and the blue light coming off your electronics.
Many of us live in areas with light pollution.
So it can be super hard to get our bedrooms dark enough to tell your brain it’s time to shut down without some assistance.
Blackout curtains, blinds, and sleep masks are really effective ways to make your environment dark enough to sleep.
Here’s what I love about these hacks…
You can use them all together!
When you pair this with an
evening winddown routine – which I’ve covered in a December 2021 podcast episode (and yes, I’ll link to it in the Show Notes for ya)...
You’re setting yourself up for a night of restful, high quality sleep.
So let’s review those 3 hacks again real quick:
- Leverage the relaxation power of Lavender essential oil – and the Serenity blend I’ve pulled together for ya…
- Try out Progressive Muscle Relaxation… and
- Create the optimal sleep environment – which means a cool, dark room.
I’ll drop this link into the Show Notes for ya too.
I’m obsessed with sleep hacks – so if you have some of your own, slide into my DMs and lemme know what works for you!
Ok, my friends… I hope you have a great day…
And a great night’s rest!
I’ll see ya online.