5 Tips for Avoiding the Morning Rush

Once you hit a certain age, every second of sleep is precious. From hitting snooze multiple times to not wearing make up to work, I will do anything to get those extra minutes of sleep. But I've been getting better at the whole "morning" thing and I boil it down to these few tips:

1. Just wake up earlier. Easier said than done but I find that when I know I have an early morning, I try to get to bed much earlier than I normally would. This means I can wake up fairly refreshed and not have to run around looking for things.

2. Dry Shampoo the night before. If you've been reading this blog for a few months, you'll know my dry shampoo tricks - baby powder brushed through my hair the night before absorbs all oil and, as a bonus, there's no white residue in the morning.

3. Organize your make up and outfit the night before. I can spend countless minutes deciding on an outfit so I try to check the weather and plan my outfit the night before. This saves me from staring at my closet and frantically throwing together something haphazard. Don't forget shoes and any jewellery!

4. Make sure any bags are packed the night before. The worst thing you can do is worry about packing your bag when you're in a rush; you're more likely to forget half the things you need! Keep everything you need for the day all together so you can just grab and go.

5. Quick breakfasts that can be made and kept the night before or are quick to assemble are key to ensuring you don't skip that important meal. Granola bars are a life saver as they're quick to throw into your bag and easy to eat during your commute.

It's all about prep when it comes to being more organized in the mornings. If you work a little the night before, you're rewarded with a few more minutes to sleep in the morning after and that is gold. What are your tips for avoiding the Morning Rush? Comment below or tweet me @SundayWardrobe!

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6 Easy Tips for a Better Sleep

I am one of those people that wakes up several times in the middle of the night. I don't get a proper, deep sleep and I'm always tired. Or at least I was. Lately, I've been fortunate to get much better sleep. I still wake up at night, sometimes, but not nearly as frequently as I used to. I've spent a long, long time monitoring what I do and I've narrowed down my better sleep to six things:

1. Exercise: I'm sure there's a chemical reason as to why exercising helps you sleep better. I also know there's a scientific reason as to why it gives you more energy during the day. But I find that days I work out in the evening, it just exhausts my body and gives me a deeper, more intense sleep.

2. Warm Shower/Bath: Cold baths are great in the morning because it jolts you and wakes you up. Likewise, I find a warm shower or bath a couple hours before bed does me wonders. I feel warm and clean, and I do it so frequently that my automatic response is to go to bed!

3. Warm Tea: Nothing makes me feel warmer, cosier or sleepier than a warm mug of tea (decaf, of course). My favourites include vanilla, camomile and apple cider.

4. No Screens: This means my laptop goes away at least a half hour before bed. The backlight on screens like your computer and phone tell your brain it's time to wake up rather than wind down. I'm still working on putting my phone away before bed but my night owl friends have me responding to texts later than I'd like!

5. Reading: The easiest way to follow the "no screen" rule: I try to read a book in bed. Not only does reading help me sleep, it gets me through my reading list faster!

6. Night Mask: This is probably my favourite sleeping tip as the night mask blocks out any and all lights making sure nothing disturbs me at night. You can get expensive ones on sites like WildFox but I got mine from Michael's for less than $5.

Not getting a proper night's sleep is probably one of the most frustrating things (sleep deprivation is actually a form of torture). I really hope these tips help you - let me know if they do! And leave your tips for a better sleep in the comments below or tweet me @SundayWardrobe!

Image Source: weheartit