Back To Basics: Sleep
Summer travel, late nights, and shifting routines can easily throw us off track if we don’t have a strong foundation in place. Let’s get back to the basics—the core pillars of wellness that make the biggest impact on our overall health and well-being.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a series focused on our core pillars, starting with sleep. Because when sleep is off, everything else tends to feel off too. Quality sleep starts long before your head hits the pillow.
We can prioritize sleep by building a consistent wind-down routine 60–90 minutes before bed. Below are a few simple habits that can improve sleep, along with some of my favorite products and tips that support each one:
Prepare your body and calm your nervous system before bed.
Take any supplements and sip a warm, non-stimulating beverage like tea or hot cocoa. Avoid eating after 7pm when possible to support overnight digestion and recovery.
In my experience, the best supplement for quality sleep is magnesium—not melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone your body naturally produces to signal sleep, but many supplements use doses above natural levels, which can leave you groggy and may disrupt your natural rhythm over time.
This sugar-free berry drink mix uses magnesium bisglycinate, a highly absorbable form that helps calm the nervous system and support relaxation, plus tart cherry for added sleep support.
I take it about 30 minutes before bed as part of my wind-down routine. As always, check with your healthcare provider before adding any new supplement.
2. Pique Ginger Digestion Elixir
A warming herbal blend I love after dinner or as part of an evening wind-down routine. Made with ginger and digestive-supportive botanicals like mint, licorice root, and fresh citrus peels to soothe digestion, ease bloating, and support the body’s natural digestive process before bed. Warm herbal tea or hot cocoa is part of my nightly routine—it signals the body to slow down and supports a calm nervous system before bed.
Reduce stimulation + light exposure.
3. BodyGuardz Red Light Converter for iPhone 17 Pro Max
Blue light from phones can disrupt melatonin production and overstimulate the nervous system at night. This helps shift screen exposure into a more sleep-supportive light spectrum.
4. Exclusive Slip x Skims Contour Sleep Mask in Sienna
My new sleep mask—I've used Slip masks for years. I love that it’s made from 100% pure silk, and this one comfortably blocks out early sunrise and ambient light without putting pressure on the eyes or face.
Light is one of the biggest disruptors of deep sleep, especially in summer. A sleep mask like this can be a game changer when your room isn’t fully blackout or when you’re traveling.
Optimize your sleep environment.
Your bedroom should feel cool, dark, quiet, and comfortable. Aim for a room temperature of 65–68°F, use blackout curtains, minimize light exposure, and add white noise if needed.
While sleep isn’t always easy for us—especially in this phase of life as parents of young kids—we take it seriously and have made a big investment in our sleep environment, with essentials like a supportive mattress, comfortable pillows, silk pillowcases, and breathable organic sheets. Small upgrades to your environment can meaningfully improve sleep quality.
5. Slip Pure Silk Pillowcase, King, White
One of the simplest upgrades you can make to your sleep environment. Real mulberry silk is naturally temperature-regulating—cooler in summer, warmer in winter—and creates far less friction on skin and hair than cotton. Fewer sleep creases, less hair breakage, and a noticeably softer sleep experience night after night.
6. Boll & Branch Percale Sheet Set in White
Crisp, breathable, and made from GOTS-certified organic cotton. The percale weave has that cool, hotel-quality feel and gets softer over time without losing its structure.
I start my day by making the bed every morning, and I don’t like getting into an unmade bed—there’s something about a crisp, clean bed and tightly tucked-in sheets that sets the tone for everything else.
7. Naturepedic Halcyon Elysium King Organic Mattress
Your mattress is one of the most important wellness investments — we spend about a third of our lives sleeping.
Ours was over 15 years old and starting to sag, so after researching and testing mattresses in person, my husband and I recently bought the Naturepedic Halcyon Elysium in Medium from their Atlanta showroom at The Buckhead Exchange Shopping Center. It ships in about 3 weeks with free delivery and old mattress haul-away included.
We’ve trusted Naturepedic for years, from crib mattresses to kids mattresses and pillows. Their luxury Halcyon collection uses certified organic materials like wool, alpaca, cashmere, and latex, with a dual coil system and no polyurethane foams or chemical flame retardants. It’s the perfect balance of plush comfort and support, while still feeling breathable and temperature-regulating. Their Halcyon collection is only available in store.
Naturepedic is currently offering 20% off in-store and site-wide during their Memorial Day Sale.
8. Naturepedic Adjustable Organic Latex Pillow
My favorite organic pillow for back and side sleeping. Made with GOLS-certified latex and a breathable organic cotton cover, it provides responsive support to help keep your head, neck, and spine aligned while staying cool throughout the night.
You can customize the height and firmness by adding or removing shredded latex fill for personalized support. It feels plush yet supportive, holding its shape all night without flattening like traditional foam pillows.
Currently 20% off sitewide and in-store during Naturepedic’s Memorial Day Sale linked here.
Anchor a consistent sleep/wake rhythm.
Try to be as consistent as possible with going to bed and waking up at the same time every day—even on weekends. This helps stabilize your circadian rhythm and improve overall sleep quality. While it’s not always possible, the more we anchor our rhythm, the better our sleep will become over time.
A repeat from an earlier list because it’s one of my most impactful sleep investments. It helps support a more consistent sleep/wake routine. The sunrise alarm, sound machine, and guided wind-down features help cue your body when it’s time to sleep and wake, while keeping your phone out of the bedroom. Waking up gradually with light instead of a loud alarm has been a total game changer.
Downshift your mind before bed.
Before you settle down to sleep, try doing some light stretches, foam rolling, red light therapy, journal, read, meditate, or do breathwork. Box breathing is an easy, simple way to center yourself, lower your heart rate, and reduce anxiety before bed.
Box Breathing: 4-4-4-4 Exercise:
1. Inhale for 4 seconds
2. Hold your breath for 4 seconds
3. Gently exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds
4. Keep your lungs empty for 4 seconds. Repeat for a few cycles.
Kid’s Sleep Support
Sleep habits start early—and consistency matters even more for kids. These are some of our favorite investments we’ve made in our kids’ sleep.
10. Naturepedic Organic Verse Mattress
My son has two of these for his twin beds, and I sometimes sleep on the other one—I love it. It’s firm and supportive, but still comfortable, which is exactly what kids need.
Designed for kids but strong enough for adults, this is the ultimate organic kids mattress. A glue-free encased coil system provides firm support and a smooth feel with minimal motion transfer. Made with 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton and wool, it contains no glues, adhesives, polyurethane foam, or chemical fire retardants.
Currently 20% off sitewide in Naturepedic’s Memorial Day Sale.
11. The Hatch Rest+ Baby & Kids
We use an older version fo this for our kids. A sound machine, nightlight, and ok-to-wake clock in one. Consistent light and sound cues help children wind down more easily, especially in summer when it stays light later.
12. Naturepedic Organic Kids Pillow
Proper support matters even more for children. This organic pillow is made with GOTS-certified materials, free from synthetics and off-gassing, and sized appropriately for growing bodies. It supports healthy alignment and safer sleep positioning.
Currently 20% off sitewide in Naturepedic’s Memorial Day Sale.
