Your whole family can get better sleep with one simple tool that works for everyone.
It had been about 5 years since I had a good night's sleep when I realized something needed to change. I had always been a great sleeper but pregnancy insomnia, then newborn twins (one of whom didn't sleep through the night until he was almost 2), and mom worries had totally wrecked my rhythm. Now that my boys were pretty good sleepers, I needed to do something to get better sleep. I found a solution that really works and it's made a difference for my entire family. Want the secret? Keep reading.
I received a free mattress from Eight in exchange for my honest review. This post also contains affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for details.
A Simple Tool to Help Your Family Get Better Sleep
There are a few widely accepted best practices that will help you to get better sleep. Things like avoiding electronics, watching what you eat and drink before bed, and creating a relaxing sleep space among them. But as I learned when my twins were born, even the best advice doesn't work for everyone. So how do you know what to do?
My husband has never been a good sleeper. Every doctor that he has seen has always started with one thing - a sleep diary. Tracking your sleep is the most important thing that you can do to help you sleep better every night. Why? Because we are all different, and what helps us to sleep is no exception. The only way that you can improve your sleep is by first figuring out what triggers are keeping you awake and what behaviors are working to give you a good night's sleep.
When I was ready to commit to better sleep, I created my own sleep diary, and I'm including it here as a free printable to help you too! Simply click the Get It Now button below to grab yours.
FREE
Using a Sleep Diary
Using a sleep diary is simple, but it is the key to improving your sleep. You can use one for every member of your family anytime that sleep is an issue. Start by filling out the top half at bedtime. Record when you're going to bed, when you've turned off your electronics, and your bedtime routine. Be honest - this is a tool to help you.
Keep the diary by your bedside, and in the morning, record what time you wake up, how you're feeling, and how you think you slept. Do this for several days, and see if you find a pattern emerging. You can even keep one for your kids when they are having a rough patch with sleep - this was a huge help to us in getting back on track after changing the clocks for Daylight Saving Time.
When I started keeping a sleep diary, I found a few things that were triggering my bad sleep nights. As much as I enjoy a glass of wine before bed, if I have one too close to bedtime it was actually interfering with my sleep. I love to read before bed, but when I read on a tablet I have a harder time going to sleep. Switching to a Kindle Paperwhite made a huge difference, as it's more like a printed book (I still read those too).
But my biggest issue was that every morning, I was waking up achy and stiff. I had a feeling that our mattress was to blame - it was old and I think supporting me through 9 months of a twin pregnancy had done it in. So when Eight offered me the chance to check out their new mattress I jumped at the chance. Could this be the missing piece that I needed to get a good night's sleep? I couldn't wait to find out.
When my new mattress arrived, I was first amazed at how they managed to get a California King mattress into a box that I could actually wrangle inside the house by myself. I did need my husband to help me set it up though. It fit perfectly into our platform bed (it works on any foundation) and within an hour or so the foam layers (there are four!) had plumped up and I could already tell a difference from our old, worn out spring mattress.
The difference in my sleep with our new Eight mattress was immediate. The first morning I woke up without feeling aches and pains in my back. My husband slept better too. I had never noticed how much our old mattress made you feel every time someone moved in the bed (hello dogs jumping on and off) and with the new one we hardly felt any motion. Our new bed is soft, comfortable, and molds just to our bodies for the best sleep either of us has had in a long time.
Smart Sleep Tracking
The coolest part of an Eight bed is that it takes sleep tracking to a whole new level. Eight has a sleep tracker that works either with their mattress or your mattress at home. Simply put it on like a fitted sheet and it records your sleep data, sets your ideal temperature, and integrates with your home automation. How awesome is that? Used with my sleep diary it is the perfect solution to figuring out how to make every night a great night for sleep.
Ready to give it a try? Eight has given me an awesome coupon just for you! Use the code SUNNYDAY for 15% off any order. Check it out today!
Watch the video below for more:
Ready to give it a try? Eight has given me an awesome coupon just for you! Use the code SUNNYDAY for 15% off any order. Check it out today!
Watch the video below for more:
What's your biggest challenge when it comes to getting a good night's sleep? Start tracking tonight and find out!