SLEEP WELL - about sleep & healthy sleeping habits

For Danish, please click here

A good night's sleep is important for both body and mind - especially in an insecure time that we are facing right now. Sleep is essential for our well-being, regeneration, and healing, and in fact a good night’s sleep is just as important to our well-being as healthy eating and exercise.

Today, March 18, it’s World Sleep Day - the end of Sleep Awareness Week. A whole week with an increased focus on sleep, and why it is so important.

At CARE BY ME, we aim to prioritize self-loving moments. Taking time for yourself during a busy day, getting your body and mind calm, allows you to be more present for others - family, friends, and colleagues. That also counts when it comes to sleep. Prioritize it, create some nice, calm, and aesthetic surroundings, and try to find a nice sleeping routine, that helps you recharge for a new day. However, it is important that you do not see sleep as a stressful element if you sleep less in periods. It is just important to keep in mind, to find back to the good routine when the time is right, to create a good balance.

Although we are busy at CARE BY ME, it is always in our minds that sleep and self-care mean a lot to our well-being. And without being holy, we each try to prioritize healthy eating, exercise, calm, presence, smiles and a good night’s sleep, in a busy everyday life - all in a fine balance of course.

We hope that with this article, we can inspire you to prioritize yourself and your sleep, sharing tips for nice sleeping habits as well as inspiration for a more sleep- and environment-friendly bedroom.

Sleep tight <3

TEAM CARE BY ME

A healthy & sleep-friendly bedroom

The bedroom is your private space.

This is where you both start and end your day.

It is a space for rest and recharging.

The start of a new day should never be busy or stressful. It is one of those sacred moments that you can spend on yourself. Wake up quietly, feel how your body and mind are doing and give yourself a few minutes to get out of bed and get ready for a new day. Depending on the circumstances, you may get your morning coffee in bed, meditate, do yoga exercises, bathe in the lake, wake up slowly while making lunches for the kids or enjoy a nice bath - all by yourself.

Almost everything is better after a good night's sleep, and it is our wish to help give you just that.

Make sure your bedroom is decorated quietly, without too many disturbing elements. At CARE BY ME, we love the minimalistic, simple, and raw Nordic style. Simple, natural colors, soft nightwear, warm cashmere socks, crisp organic bedding without harmful chemicals, delicious pillows, a good book, fresh flowers and lots of love, light, and fresh air.

GOTS-certified organic cotton

With our luxurious bedding in GOTS-certified organic cotton, you can feel well-rested and comfortable with a clear conscience, without compromising on design, quality, and comfort.

All our cotton - bedding, nightwear and homewear - is made from GOTS-certified organic cotton. This is a much more responsible way of producing cotton compared to conventional cotton. Furthermore, the GOTS certification your guarantee that the product you are holding in your hands, is better for for both people and planet.

The certification means that our cotton collections are made in a way that minimizes environmental harm and takes care of the people involved - from seed to final product.

The nice bedding in your bedroom, the soft nightwear that embraces you and the light dress you wear all summer, are all created with respect for both people and planet -  and that is the most important to us. 

Click to explore our selection of organic cotton

Angelica Daniella Dahlquist - about finding the balance between a good night’s sleep, changing working hours and a busy everyday life with kids

Angelica Daniella Dahlquist, 39 years old and a nurse in a child-intensive care unit. Mother of two lovely children, Josephine at 9 years and William at 1 year, girlfriend to Patrik who is self-employed, lives in the center of Copenhagen, close to parks, the ocean, and the beautiful historical surroundings in Frederiksstaden.

We talked with Angelica about what sleep means to her and why it is an essential element in a busy everyday life as a mother of young children, a career woman in a very meaningful and rewarding job and as a modern woman in a society where you should preferably be superwomen - and finding that balance is very important to Angelica.

What does sleep mean to you?

Sleep you say ...? What’s the deal with sleep and is it that important at all? For me it is. I do not believe in the saying that you can sleep when you grow old. No, I do not want to sleep my retirement away - I want to be as energetic, fresh, and active as my own mother is. It's hugely life-affirming and what I strive for - and therefore I also know that I need to prioritize sleep daily.

From childhood I was brought up with the idea that sleep is the root of a strong and healthy body and of a brain that can receive. When I practiced ballet at an early age, I was for many years the one who got early to bed, and I understand why now. The evenings in my childhood home, very much reflect the one my boyfriend and I give to our children. Regular routines, structure, coziness, and love. We always eat dinner early, and then enjoy the time with the kids. We have always made a lot out of the bathing napping routine. Always enjoyed giving them baby massage, cuddling, and lubricating them into lotion and thereby giving them a feeling relaxation. Since they were little, I have always played calm music for them. I even used the same Goodnight playlist I created on Spotify almost 10 years ago, and still put it on at home.

Sleep is very important to me, and to be honest, sleep also means that I am the best version of myself… LOL. Sleep and rest are for me, to show my body and mind respect.

I have just returned from maternity leave (almost 1.5 years) to a busy and exciting everyday life - and batteries are flat. One thing is to start working again, another is spontaneous to start an exciting new job, in a brand new specialty. It has been and still is challenging – it’s like being back in school once again! In such situations staying calm, take a deep breath and finding inner peace and a good night's sleep is essential to me.

Fortunately, we have been so lucky that both children have always had a good sleeping heart.

What is a good night's sleep for you?

It's getting to bed before 10pm. Often I also end up lying there earlier. Sometimes I need to lie down and listen to a meditation or podcast of some kind, just to get my body calm or after an evening shift. I'm so lucky I do not have night shifts and that is paramount to my health. Podcasts have only just become a part of my world, and I have faithfully listened to all the To The Moon Honey podcasts, Oprah's Super Soul or Meditations Minis.

A good night's sleep for me is preferably 7-8 hours of sleep.

Why is a good night's sleep important to you?

I am the best mom and girlfriend when I get my sleep. I can also avoid as many migraine attacks as possible, even though they are often hormonally conditioned. I suffer from epilepsy and is on solid medication. I have just rounded 3 years without a single seizure, and I am so happy and proud. My body is pretty cool. But I think one of the reasons, also is the peace and life I have with my little family. Thank you.

My job requires that I have both day and evening shifts. The changing working hours can be difficult to turn the body around. So, when I have evening shifts, I'm starting to have a lot of focus on when I drink my last cup of coffee at work, getting my 1.5L of water during a shift, and not eating dinner later than 7pm - which we never do either at home. When I’m home in the evening my body can always relax and recover after food as well as I can lie down. Obvious, we certainly cannot do that in an evening shift, so I will drink a nice cup of Pukka's Night Time tea.

Do you have a great tip for getting your beauty sleep?

Oh yes! And whether they are working, you must decide, but I can see a difference (Angelica laughs)

• Always cleanse your face before bedtime. I use Bioderma
• Give your skin a nice massage with either a Gua Sha or crystal roller
• Apply a night mask on the face
• Eat good vitamins as a regular part of your routine. Mine are from Puori and Vitaviva
• Keep the bedroom cool
• Exercise regularly. Honestly I’m somewhat behind on that
• Drink water

Bonus: Sex before bedtime is effective as it releases substances in the body that make us relax…

Do you do something special to have peace and good energy in your bedroom?

It's been 8 years since I've had a TV in my bedroom and it's the best I've done. I always make sure that there is good ventilation before we go to bed and that the duvets have been aired and shaken. Until my boyfriend moved in, it was very rare that I made my bed with bedspread, pillows, etc. I felt a bit that my duvets were suffocated in the bedspread and was not fresh when I lay down to rest. But now it is now very nice that the bed is made and looks inviting.

I grew up with alternative treatments, spirituality, and crystals. My grandmother has initiated me when I was very young into her amazing universe of crystals, essential oils, and healing, and I especially love the lavender and peppermint oil that reminds me of her. Just love the thought of her and our wonderful days together - she was an amazing person and I often think of her. When she passed away, it took a long time before I wanted to deal with those things again. But one day in the attic, I found old pictures of her and me as well as a rose quartz she had given me.

That was the start of my regained interest. It is now located in our bedroom on the windowsill and provides good energy. Along with it, lies a rose quartz angel, my newly purchased rock crystal, and another fine angel I have got a good friend who said it would take care of us as a family. And I love that.

Finally, bedding is important to me. The very best feeling for me is when I can lie down in our bed in newly washed bedding after a long, nice bath - right now my favorite bedding is this crispy one in white organic cotton from CARE BY ME, styles with some soft pillows. I dream of an alarm clock as I really want the mobile chargers out of the bedroom. In the winter, I love to cuddle in soft nightwear, I love both my long shirt and pajamas from CARE BY ME.

Do you have a sleep ritual?

I have many good ways to get to bed properly. But I drink a big glass of water and my evening vitamin pills every night; I absolutely love Amalie Reedtz Thott's series from Nurture Vitaviva, Be Sleepful. Warm recommendation from here. They provide a good and restful night's sleep. I also really love to enjoy a cup of Pukka tea on the couch while having fun with my daughter and boyfriend.

I try to brush my teeth when the children need to have their teeth brushed, as I currently have less desire for sweet things and thus more peace in my stomach before bedtime - except for the weekends! On weekdays, we always tug in the children between 7 pm for the youngest and no later than 8 pm for the big one. Before then, there is bathing, puzzling, reading bedtime stories and a few saying goodnight visits. Love and trust is so essential before they go to sleep, and with both children I have always put on soothing music when they were in the bathtub and sang Little Blop for them.

Furthermore, I always kiss my boyfriend goodnight and cuddle close. The best way to fall asleep. Safe and loved.

If you want to follow Angelica's beautiful and self-loving universe, you can find her @angelicadanielladahlquist on Instagram.

Facts about sleep

This happens when you don’t get enough sleep:

• The ability to learn and concentrate is reduced
• The mood and profits drop
• Increased risk of developing anxiety, stress, and depression
• The immune system is reduced
• The risk of life-threatening diseases increases

 When you get enough sleep, it means that:

• The mood improves
• Both the physical and mental surplus are higher
• There is less risk of developing diseases as the body has time and peace to heal and recover
• Concentration and the ability to learn new things increase

Our best tips for a good sleep, which we use ourselves:

• Let in some fresh are before going to bed
• Dress for the night depending on the season
• Reduce screens before bedtime. The blue light from mobiles, iPads and laptops is believed to suppress the release of the sleep hormone melatonin, which can mean that it takes longer to calm down and feel tired.
• Exercise regularly, but not just before bedtime. The body must be able to calm down after the pulse has been beating.
• Eat healthy, varied and not too fatty foods that make you feel bloated and thirsty during the night
• Drink plenty of fluids during the day - but not just before going to sleep, so you need to go to the toilet during the night and thereby disturb the night's sleep
• Avoid alcohol as it has a negative impact on the quality of sleep
• Avoid coffee and other caffeinated beverages before bedtime as it increases energy levels
• Meditate or do a few yoga / relaxation exercises to feel the calmness
• Kiss your loved ones