As one of the most essential components of your health, the space where you sleep deserves some TLC. Consider these 4 ways to make your restful nights better.
BY: RACHEL HARVEST, MS, RD, CDN
Let’s talk about detoxing.
But rather than a diet detox, have you considered detoxing your sleep environment and make room for wellness, growth and a space to create?
Let’s consider the place you’ve made to rest, and find a way to give it that nice deep clean and some Feng Shui in one.
It’s no secret that sleep is important for your health. Even if you get only 6 hours each night, you spend 91.25 days in your bed each year. That is a lot of time to spend in one (potentially filthy) space.
And keep this in mind: the average person lets out a pint of sweat each night.
I’m going to stop there. I think you get my drift by simply stating that.
Here’s your to-do List for creating a nourishing place for rest:
EACH DAY
Get up and make your bed immediately. There are things that you can do to create wholeness and integrity easily. Leaving your bed unmade speaks volumes.
“Hello universe, I’m starting my day lazy. Hello universe, I’d rather not have somewhere to return to to find comfortable sleep. I’d rather leave this disarray, live it out throughout my day and then return to last night’s mess.”
Not a healthful loop, now is it?
EACH WEEK
Wash and clean your sheets and pillow cases. Clean sheets are there to warm you, snuggle you and support you off into the peaceful place of dreams and releasing the day. They are there to allow you to soften.
Get two sets of sheets and rotating them each week, launder them to remove the stuff you sweat out, and let go while you rest. Now you know that you’ve taken care of a nourishing, supportive act for yourself that is easy to accomplish.
EACH MONTH
Take your pillows and comforters for some eco-friendly dry cleaning. A chemically-toxic environment, which regular dry cleaning is known to promote, creates an unhealthy impact on you at a personal level by creating a toxic space for you to move, breathe, and sleep in. A regular dry cleaner’s chemicals on your comforter and on the place you lay your head has you breathing in and absorbing toxicity through your skin. Pay the extra few dollars and make this type of cleaning a monthly ritual.
Vacuum the mattress, and deodorize the mattress by sprinkle baking soda and letting it set for 30 minutes before you vacuum again. And don’t forget to dust under your bed and along the frame.
EACH YEAR
Replace all pillows. Let what you laid to rest go and start anew. Make this week Day 1 and next year, you can spring clean into a fresh set again.
Get everything out from underneath your bed. Storage under your bed blocks air and energy. Keeping this a free flowing zone can allow you to be less stagnant.
Rest easy, my love.
Adapted from the original article.
Rachel Harvest, MS, RD, CDN is a NYC-based Registered Dietitian, behavioral health nutritionist, and wellness coach. With her philosophy centered around the love we need to give ourselves before finding our health and happiness, Rachel is on a mission to help you dig deep within to create the life you want for yourself. To work on you with somebody who loves you no matter what, visit Rachel at The Harvest Method. And try 21 days of the Harvest Method by signing up for the Be Nourished Lifestyle Program.