The right amount of sleep brings vitality to mind and body. Too little or too much affects mood, contributing to irritability and sometimes depression, according to Harvard Medical School research.
Sleep lowers blood pressure and lifts energy. It catapults concentration and overall health and happiness. Simply, it resets us, restores us and can repair rocky relationships.
“If you don’t get sleep, you’ll go bonkers,” says Ken Weizer, a naturopath with Providence Zidell Integrative Medicine in Portland.
Practicing good “sleep hygiene” can help reduce anxiety and make it easier to get a solid night’s sleep, especially during times of crisis.
Portland Clinic Sleep Center experts remind us to have a sleep ritual: Go to bed and wake up at about the same time every day, even on weekends. Keep naps short — less than an hour — and forgo napping after 3 p.m.
Experts also recommend removing clutter and creating a fresh, clean and simple environment that promotes a luxurious night’s sleep.
Being able to step into a blissful bedroom can help you sleep soundly at night, agree Steph and Jimmy MacDonald, founders of Authenticity50 homegoods company in Vancouver, Washington.
The company sells sheets directly to consumers that are made of cotton grown in California, spun in Georgia and woven in the Carolinas. Overseeing the process from farm to fiber to factory to consumer grants the MacDonalds insight on what contributes to a restful environment.
Here are five small changes the MacDonalds suggest that can have a big effect on how it feels to slip into bed:
These days, a bedroom isn’t exclusively used for sleeping. It’s where work or homework happens, where projects come together, or where the clean laundry lands.Authenticity50
Create a boundary. These days, a bedroom isn’t exclusively used for sleeping. It’s where work or homework happens, where projects come together, or where the clean laundry lands.
Marking off an evenings-only area, however, can be vitally important. A bed that is made and clutter-free can be a breath of fresh air at the end of the day.
“We think of our beds and bedrooms as a place where we unplug from everything, where we rest fully,” says Steph MacDonald. “Leave the deadlines and devices at the door.”
Setup a clean sanctuary. There’s no doubt that crisp, clean sheets are a joy, but what’s often overlooked is what the sheets contain before the very first wash. Many, even organic, sheets are treated with chemical anti-wrinkle agents, a toxic element the sleeper comes in contact with every night.
To create wrinkle-resistant fabric, these sheets are treated with a resin that releases formaldehyde, a chemical closely associated with embalming fluid.
The MacDonalds’ company has sheets made of 100% extra-long staple, Supima cotton that has been minimally treated and without formaldehyde.
“We don’t mind a few wrinkles, especially if it means we’re keeping chemicals out of our bodies and beds,” says Jimmy MacDonald.
>Coyuchi has soft washed organic sheets made of 100% cotton
The MacDonalds also recommend a wool duvet: Wool is naturally hypo-allergenic, antimicrobial and antibacterial, it’s also odor-, dust- and mite-resistant. Lanolin is an all-natural, waxy substance found on the exterior of wool fibers. It contains fatty acids and other properties that help avert the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria.
“Many people don’t know about the benefits of wool, but it is actually far superior to down or synthetic materials for sleep,” says Jimmy MacDonald.
>Wayfair has a variety of wool duvets
Good sheets are a game changer. High-quality cotton sheets are made with extra-long staple cotton, a cotton fiber that is 1 3/8 inches or longer. The additional length allows the cotton to be spun into a durable single-ply thread that can then be woven into a softer, finer fabric.
California-grown Supima cotton is the best in the country, beating out even Egyptian cotton, say the MacDonalds. It’s made with a percale weave, which has one horizontal yarn for every vertical yarn in the weave; resulting in a more durable and breathable sheet that can stand up to repeated washing without piling
“Investing in a great set of cotton sheets will truly help you sleep better,” says Steph MacDonald. “You’ll wake up feeling energized, refreshed and ready to tackle a busy day ahead.”
The highest thread count with a percale weave is 350 and 500 for sateen, so anything above that uses multi-ply yarns instead of stronger single-ply ones. An 800-count sheet could really be a 200-count sheet made using four-ply yarn, say the MacDonalds, whose sheets have a 250 thread count.
>The Company Store sells sheets made of Supima cotton
Get the temperature right. Your bedroom should be quiet, dark and cool. Set the bedroom thermostat between 60 and 67 degrees to allow your body temperature to decrease to initiate sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
“Wool has several advantages over down: It’s natural insulating qualities trap dry, warmer air near the skin when it’s cold and helps to pull away moisture and heat from your body when it’s warm,” says Jimmy MacDonald.
Wool can help individuals maintain their own comfortable temperatures even if under the same duvet as their partner, ensuring a great night of sleep for everyone, he adds.
If you prefer a lightweight blanket, the MacDonalds recommend one made of high-quality cotton, which is naturally cool to the touch, and adds a weight to the blanket that can be more soothing at night than a mere sheet. Their company’s Heritage Blankets are made of 100% American-grown cotton and woven in Maine.
>L.L. Bean has organic cotton blankets
Go for soothing colors. Sun coming through the window in the morning can be a great way to wake up, but brightness in the bedroom at night can prevent a smooth transition from the bustle of the day to a calm unwinding.
Dimming the lights and stepping away from the blue light of phone screens can be a great way to signal to the body that it’s time for some much-needed melatonin. Bed linens in calming colors can be part of that.
“There’s a reason the top hotels use white sheets; it evokes a sense of calm, cleanliness and serenity. It also complements any color palette you have in your bedroom” says Steph MacDonald.
>Saatva as organic white sateen sheets
— As told to Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072
jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman
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