Sleepy Sunday Newsletter

Self care Tip of the Month.

 You know how you set an alarm to wake up? Well, Tip of the Month is to duplicate this act for the night! Set an alarm to start your winddown routine around 1 hour before actually going to bed, it'll do wonders for your regularity, which will do wonders for your Sleep, in turn doing wonders for your mood, productivity and general sense of wakefulness throughout the day. (We realise this might also be a Sleep tip, but Sleep = the ultimate Self care)

Sleep Tip of the Month

 One rule to rule them all... The 10-3-2-1-0 rule:
No caffeine about 10 hours before bed.
No alcohol or heavy meals 3 hours before bed.
No straining work 2 hours before bed.
No screens (blue light) 1 hour before bed.
0 snoozes in the morning.
Awfully simple, but possibly life-changing. 

Media tips of the Month.

 Listen: Max Lugavere is a nutritional journalist who dives deep in how the food industry doesn't always have the best incentives to actually preach a healthy diet. Not necessarily Sleep related (although there's some circadian info there!), but full of actionable information. Listen to his conversation with Steven Bartlett on The Diary of a CEO.

 Read: Wolfs, dolphins, bears and lions... Sounds like an odd zoo? Actually it's an interesting theory on your personal preferred circadian rhythm (in human language: whether you're more productive in the morning or in the evening). Dr. Michael Breus tells us all about that and how you can leverage that information in his Power of When.

 Watch: At the risk of being repetitive... but when the 2 greats of Sleep get together to discuss just that subject, we just need to mention this live discussion full of Sleep gems.

What we want to tell you.

As you know, our focus is mostly on rest in the literal way, mostly based on science and science related topics. And we still believe that the physical act of sleeping, essential for the body to recharge and restore, reducing stress, improving mood and boosting our immune system, is the base for a healthy, happy and productive life.
However, there’s about six more ‘types’ of rest that are essential to one’s physical and mental wellbeing. In this edition, we’d like to shed a light on these other types and their benefits.

• Mental rest: where you engage the mind in stimulating, yet not overly demanding activities (think solving reading or solving puzzles). This can greatly improve memory and cognitive functions.
• Sensory rest: our senses are bombarded by stimuli on a daily basis. Taking a break through meditation, walks in nature or yoga is essential to recharging the mind and increasing awareness.
• Emotional rest: taking the time to sit with your emotions and process through therapy or mindfulness can provide immense benefits on self-growth and mental clarity.
• Spiritual rest: not necessarily religious, but connecting with the essential things in life and breeding a sense of belonging can create a greater focus on your purpose and life values. Journaling, volunteering or meditation are great vessels.
• Social rest: taking time to build connections and meaningful relationships with your loved ones can improve emotional well-being and social connectivity.
• Creative rest: finally, expressing yourself through creative outlets such as music or writing can reawaken the awe inside of us. 

8hrS January update in 8 Short lines.

• We’re looking for guest writers for… this newsletter! We won’t bore you with the thoughts of our Founder every month, hence we’re looking for interesting contributors to our highlight section. Feel like you need some more lines to elaborate? A blogpost is also an option! All of this can be sleep related, but we’re open to anything really! Drop us a line at support@8hrsstore.com
• Are you struggling to dial in your sleep or are you just trying to optimize your sleeping habits? Based in the BeNeLux? We’d love to hear from you and possibly try and provide a solution! Send us your specific case at support@8hrsstore.com
• We’re looking for designers and marketeers who want to embark on an interesting adventure with us. Preferably based in the Netherlands or Belgium. Reach out to support@8hrsstore.com so set up a conversation!
• Charity!?
• We’re testing stuff… a lot of stuff!
• Talking to nutritionists, neuroscientists and agencies…
• 5 active compounds, one ultimate goal: to make the world Sleep better and wake up a better version. 
• We know all of this is extremely vague, but please allow us this time in the lab (literal and figurative speech). Things will be clearer later...