It’s no secret that quality sleep is the foundation for feeling your best every day. But why is getting a solid night sleep such a struggle?

I’m not a medical expert by any means, but in my personal experience, I’ve narrowed it down to a few factors. First and foremost is STRESS and anxiety. I think we can all relate here – we live in stressful times. Our body and mind respond to the stressors in our environment. By bedtime, we’re so wound up it can be hard to quiet those racing thoughts.

The second factor is screen time. I am SO guilty of this – I’ll lay in bed watching YouTube or playing on my phone for an hour before lights out. Between the glow and the visual stimulation, it’s near impossible to fall right asleep once I power down.

The third is my routine (or complete and total lack thereof). My life is pretty hectic, so every evening’s schedule looks way different. My bedtime fluctuates all over the place, and I don’t have any kind of a wind-down groove.

With these 3 challenges in mind, I decided to make some BIG changes to my sleep routine, and track the results. I partnered up with Receptra Naturals to try out their new Serious Rest CBD products, which were generously gifted but all opinions are my own.

So, let’s dive in – here’s what I did differently, and here’s how it worked!

Create a relaxing environment

2-3 hours before lights out

Before starting my new routine, I took a hard look at my sleep space. Was it welcoming, relaxing and the type of place where I could easily wind down? Eh, not really.

My bedside table was a hot mess. My bed was rarely made. Clean clothes were everywhere from a load of laundry days ago that never got put away. Stepping into my bedroom made me think “wow, I have a lot of chores to do” not “time to chill out.”

I took an hour to clean and organize, which made ALL the difference. I made it a habit to straighten up my bed each morning. I set my bedside table up with my favorite lavender deep sleep candle and a pillow mist spray (I got mine from Homegoods but shop similar ones here and here).  Already my space felt more calming, cozy and restful.  I vowed to keep things tidy, so I only had to do this every few weeks during my sleep experiment.

Stop screen time

1 hour before lights out

I’m not going to lie, this one was a CHALLENGE. But no pain no gain, right? It felt so strange to set my alarm, plug my phone in and resist the urge to pick it up a full hour before bed. But let me tell you, this one made a massive difference.

It took a few days to get fully used to my personal no-phone policy. But once I got in the habit, I understood what the experts have been saying all along. My digital curfew is now a new way of life, and I swear by it.

Take CBD for Sleep

30 minutes before lights out

Don’t take my word for it – Harvard Medical School says that CBD may help with both falling asleep and staying asleep longer. This was great news for me since with my new sleep strategy, I was hoping to fall asleep faster & snooze better, too. That’s why when Receptra Naturals reached out with info on their new Serious Rest CBD products, I jumped at the chance to test them out.

I added both the gel capsules and tincture to my routine and saw results right away.  Receptra’s Serious Rest CBD tinctures are uniquely formulated to interact with the endocannabinoid system to restore balance and promote a normal sleep/wake cycle.

I loved the flavor of the added terpenes and botanicals. The Vanilla Mint CBD tincture was especially refreshing and didn’t clash with my toothpaste. I found my mind and body starting to calm and relax after holding one dropper of CBD oil under my tongue for 30 seconds. Each of our bodies metabolizes the naturally occurring components in Receptra’s hemp products differently, so start small and build up your dose if you’re brand new to CBD. Without a doubt, CBD is staying on as a key part of my sleep routine.

Read a Relaxing Book

30 minutes before lights out

As my CBD began to gently kick in, I lit my candle, used my pillow spray, and got into bed with a book.  It’s been a goal of mine to read more, so swapping out scrolling Instagram for reading felt like a total win. I also found that what I read before bed directly impacted the dreams I’d have. And, I was dreaming more often and having more vivid dreams. Has anyone else experienced this? Let me know in the comments.

Once I felt ready to drift off, I bookmarked the page, shut off my light, and fell asleep quickly and easily.

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What sleep hacks do you swear by, babes? Let me know in the comments so I can try them out!

Thanks to Receptra Naturals for sending me their new Serious Rest CBD products to try and note that some links above are affiliate links, meaning your purchases support HeyHelloHigh at no extra cost to you.