All of the experts say that you should get 8 hours of good sleep a night. I am a firm believer in this advice. I like to sleep and I don’t like to feel tired and run down. I know a lot of people who do not get the proper amount of rest and they and the people around them pay for it. They go through the day feeling lethargic and grumpy. Sometimes people don’t get enough rest simply because they cannot sleep well for whatever reason and sometimes they are just too busy to take time out to sleep. I say that is a crying shame.

I have had nights where I don’t sleep well and I am not a nice person to be around the next day, so I tend to do everything I can to ensure good sleep. If I don’t get the required amount of zzzz’s the first thing I do is think about why. The occasional stressful day I can deal with, but if all my days are becoming stressful it is time to make a change somewhere to make sure that stops. Sometimes pain will keep me awake, but again, if it happens frequently, I make sure I do something about it, whether it is to take pain meds or exercise more or whatever it takes. My husband has a hard time understanding this concept, but to me it is natural; I suppose it is because I like my sleep so much. If I am really tired I have no problem going to bed right after work and sleeping till the next morning. Anything I need to take care of will still be there for me to take care of tomorrow.

One of the things I did a couple of years ago was go out and buy a new bed. I got to the point where I was waking up stiff and sore and it lasted all through the day and when I went to bed I was still stiff and sore. It was a never ending cycle and I was not having a good time with it. I was taking Advil or Tylenol on a nightly basis and I know that is not good for me. So I spent some time thinking about it and came to the conclusion that I needed a new bed. I did my research and finally chose a Tempurpedic bed. It was the one that worked for us, but my sister spent a week on it house sitting for us and she hated it. So make sure you pick the bed that is right for you, not what everyone else says is a good bed. Most bed sellers will give you a 30 day trial, so take advantage of that.

Since I like to sleep so much and I now had a comfy bed, I decided to get myself some new bedding also. Now some people won’t understand how important good bedding is either, but let me tell you it makes a huge difference to your quality and quantity of sleep. When you’re in bed, you want to be comfortable. You want your sheets to feel comfortable against her skin and one of blanket that has some substance to it, not a thin little thing that won’t bring you any warmth. Also, for me, I like to have a big thick comforter over my blankets, there’s just something about snuggling down under a nice heavy blanket that made me feel good.

Now as far as feeling luxurious, there is nothing that beats silk sheets. They can literally make you feel like the cats meow. When you wake up in a bed in the morning with silk sheets wrapped around you, you start looking around for your butler to bring you your morning cup of coffee and paper.

So, if you want to give yourself a better outlook on life, improve your sleeping habits. Do whatever it takes to give yourself that more comfortable nights sleep. Whatever it takes, whether it is a new bed, new bedding, or just a new pair of comfortable jammies. Not only will you be congratulating yourself on this choice, but the people around you will be congratulating you too.