How to put sleep on holiday shopping lists

This year, give your loved ones what they need most—a good night’s rest

BY LISSA COFFEY

Editor’s note: Savvy mattress retailers want to do everything they can to help their customers sleep better, including offering them sound advice and tips. Feel free to share this great guidance from Better Sleep Council spokeswoman Lissa Coffey with your shoppers (with credit given, of course). The BSC is the consumer-education arm of the International Sleep Products Association.

As holiday time approaches once again, we find ourselves struggling to figure out what we can give our friends and family. What kind of a present will he love and appreciate? What will she not return? What will enhance her life and make her feel good and know how much we care? The answer is simple—yet may take a bit of creativity to execute. The best holiday present is the gift of a great night’s sleep!

Does it fit in a stocking? Can it be wrapped up with a bow? Well, maybe not literally—but we can put together a beautiful package that will help our loved ones settle into blissful slumber.

Here are a few ideas of items that you can include in your gift basket:

• A sleep mask:

There are so many whimsical sleep masks available; find one that suits the personality of the recipient. Sleep comes more quickly when the room is dark, cool and quiet—and a sleep mask helps with the “dark” part of that equation.

• Earplugs:

You can pick up foam earplugs in any pharmacy. They are very inexpensive, and they go a long way toward keeping noise at bay.

• Cotton sheets or cotton pajamas:

Cotton is a great fabric for sleep because it is breathable and natural. And it’s super comfortable! Who wouldn’t love a cozy pair of cotton PJs? If you’ve got someone who prefers to sleep au naturel, opt for the sheets instead.

• Bath salts:

Aromatherapy works wonders for helping people relax and get to sleep. Choose a fragrance like lavender or chamomile that is especially soothing.

• Essential oils:

Dried lavender herb and essential aromatherapy oil

You also can choose essential oils in lavender or chamomile to add to the basket. These can be used in a spray with distilled water to make a light mist for your pillowcase, so you can breathe in the fragrance all night long.

• A new mattress:

If you really want to invest in someone’s health, invest in a brand-new mattress. Most people keep their mattresses far too long. If a mattress is older than five to seven years, it probably needs to be replaced.

• An old-fashioned alarm clock:

So many people use their smartphones as an alarm clock, not realizing that having technology so close while they are trying to sleep is actually interfering with it. Even if the phone is on silent, there are the vibrations that make us aware the phone is there. And there’s the temptation to pick it up and check email or messages before we get out of bed. Phones should be kept off and preferably out of the room altogether, overnight. An alarm clock helps make that possible.

• Tea for sleep:

Just a small cup of herbal tea (no caffeine) about an hour before bed will help bring on that restfulness needed to fall asleep. Chamomile, jasmine, peppermint and valerian are known for helping along the sleep process. You also can look for tea blends that are branded for their sleep-enhancing qualities.

However you decide to package your present, the recipient is sure to thank you for your thoughtfulness. You might want to get two of everything so that you can get a good night’s sleep yourself, too. Happy holidays! 

The Better Sleep Council’s top 15 sleep tips:

1. Make sleep a priority.

2. Maintain a relaxing sleep routine.

3. Create a sleep sanctuary.

4. Evaluate your sleep system.

5. Keep work out of the bedroom.

6. Banish technology from the bedroom.

7. Exercise early.

8. Assess your space.

9. Don’t drink caffeine after lunch.

10. Drink alcohol earlier in the day.

11. Take 20- to 30-minute naps.

12. Eat light in the evening.

13. Keep a worry journal.

14. Set a snooze button quota.

15. Buy an alarm clock.

Lissa Coffey is a relationship expert, author and broadcast journalist. She writes for eight websites, including CoffeyTalk.com, WhatsYourDosha.com and the Better Sleep Council’s site, BetterSleep.org. A BSC spokeswoman, she stars in several videos that offer sleep and mattress-shopping tips for consumers.