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Each month we publish a new Spotify playlist designed to help you relax and unwind, taking your sleep hygiene to the next level. 

November's playlist kicks off with a track from one of our favourite musicians and former member of the Bones Brigade (a sick professional skateboard crew), Tommy Guerrero—and it just gets better from there. Tune in and then tune out with this awesome playlist as your nighttime soundtrack. 

WikiSleep

The WikiSleep Wind Down: November

In October's playlist you'll find about an hour of ambient tunes, collected by WikiSleep narrator, Britt Buntain. It's a perfect background selection that you could easily keep on repeat all night...

The WikiSleep Wind Down: October

 is essential to getting a better sleep. Here are 5 simple and enjoyable ways to improve your sleep hygiene and turn evenings into a cozy, restful time.

1: Pick your wind-down hour and stick to it

Set a time that you are going to start getting ready for bed. Even if you’re not tired yet, this is intended to get your body in a wind-down routine. If you’re aiming for 7-8 hours of sleep, work backwards. For example, If you have to wake up around 7am, start to get ready for bed around 10 so you can close your eyes by 11. 


Pick the apps that are the most tempting to doom scroll at night and give them business hours. We recommend any social media, news, dating apps, and games that can be time sucking and mindless being put away hour before your actual winddown time begins, like 9pm. While you’re building this new habit of turning them off, you’ll notice you still go to open them, but now your phone will kindly remind you that you reached your time limit and hopefully, that little bit of friction will lead you to do something else.

3: Incorporate all your senses into your new routine

 and select our Wind Down playlists to begin the routine. These are 1 hour, calming, ambient playlists that can keep you company while you get ready for bed. While you’re on your phone here, pre-select the Wikisleep story from the app that you’ll listen to tonight so you don’t have to spend time on your phone later. This will help reduce the amount of stimulation right before you close your eyes. 

Dim the lights. Whether you are tech savvy and use the IKEA app or Phillips light bulbs, or you have regular old dimmer switches, we highly suggest dimming the lights and turning them to a warmer hue. Installing dimmer switches is a surprisingly easy task, if you’re up for learning something new that will benefit you in the long run. 

If you’re into diffusers or scented candles, we recommend finding something that you associate with calm. Whether that’s lavender, a woodsy scent, or your favourite scented candle, you’ll start to associate the scent with going to sleep. Find something you like and stick to it. 

: Take 5 minutes to signal your body’s nervous system that it’s time to slow down with these two simple yoga postures: Downward Dog and Child’s pose. The benefit of these postures is that your head is below your heart, signalling the parasympathetic nervous system (ie: the one responsible for rest + digest). Having your forehead pressed to the ground in child's pose can also gently stimulate the pineal gland (responsible for secreting melatonin), another signal for your brain to calm down. Think about how relaxed your dog or cat gets when you gently rub between their eyes. This works for us, too! You can do this right beside your bed so you can crawl right in afterwards, start your pre-selected WikiSleep episode, and close your eyes. 

4: Clear the clutter: physically + mental

A big part of getting a good night’s sleep is clearing your mind of stress, to-do’s, and worries. While you are listening to the Wind Down playlist, take 5-10 minutes to make sure that your kitchen is clean for you in the morning, and all clutter is stowed away. It’s been said that the clutter that lives in our home, lives in our mind, so doing a physical clean can help put your mind at ease. 

It may also be helpful to keep a small notepad next to your bed for any stray or recurring thoughts. You can do a little brain-dump at the end of the night to get any impending tasks out of your head and onto the paper. This way, your brain doesn’t have to work so hard to remember them. If you’re the type to wake up in the night stressing over to-do’s (hello my fellow entrepreneurs), then you can write them down in the night, again, giving those ideas somewhere else to land instead of ruminating on them in your mind. 

Commit to doing this for 30 days and see what happens. Making small changes and stacking habits is easier than you think. We’ve all been sold the idea that simply taking a quick fix for something can be the cure all, however, there’s often a payoff or side-effect there. The key to improving your sleep hygiene is being committed to sticking it out for the long run and making these easy and natural adjustments that trigger signals in your body that it’s time to wind down. And if you’re feeling frustrated along the way, or still waking up at night, WikiSleep is here to help deter anxious thoughts and lull you back to sleep. 

5 Ways to Improve Sleep Hygiene & Get a Better Sleep Tonight

Reading a book before bed has shown to improve sleep quality, according to this

Not only does it tire out our eyes without the stimulation of blue light, it’s a nice additional tool in your sleep hygiene quiver. We love stories at bedtime (obviously) and these 5 historical fiction novels are some of our favourites.

5 Historical Fiction Novels That'll Help You Sleep

 
A 2017 finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction, Pachinko is an epic historical fiction novel following a Korean family that immigrates to Japan. Starting in 1883 and running deep into the 20th century, it reveals hidden histories while being expertly written and engaging.  (Also, it has been turned into an Apple+ series if that's your thing).

This book is both beautiful and brutal. Beautiful how Davis wove each of the senses into her writing. Settings were described with scent, taste, sounds, visceral and physical descriptions along with visual storytelling. Brutal in the recoutment of how people endured through trauma and violence. The year is ambiguous in this book, however, it was written in 2005 and since that is nearly 20 years ago, we’re going to call it history. It’s the story of a journalist who travelled and reported in war torn countries before the age of social media and the internet. He lands in Paris and befriends a Lebanese family, also recovering from being displaced by war and another man he knew and survived with in the field. She bases the main character after the true story of a journalist who unsuccessfully intervened to save the lives of a father and son trapped in crossfire in Israel and Palestine. 

I read this years ago and I still feel its visceral impact. Of all the books and movies set in this war-torn period, the imagery I conjured up while reading this one sticks with me. When I finished it, I had to look up the historical figures this book was inspired by: 24-year-old Andrée de Jongh, a Belgian woman who helped aviators, Allied airmen and others escape over the Pyrenees called the Comet Line. In the book, the story tells the differences between this character, Isabell, and her sister.


"With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of World War II and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France—a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime."

This story begins in New Orleans, as any good story would, and takes you across the US during the 60's with a very unlikely pairing of travellers. Both on the run and for different reasons, they encounter troubles and seek fresh starts.  A whole cast of characters keeps you turning the page along the way. 



"Set against the assassination of JFK, a poignant and evocative crime novel that centers on a desperate cat-and-mouse chase across 1960s America—a story of unexpected connections, daring possibilities, and the hope of second chances from the Edgar Award-winning author".

This book has recieved awards and raving reviews from nearl everyone we've talked to. The story is best described by the author himself (taken from Goodreads): 

A Gentleman in Moscow immerses us in another elegantly drawn era with the story of Count Alexander Rostov. When, in 1922, he is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the count is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him a doorway into a much larger world of emotional discovery. Brimming with humour, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavour to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.

5 Historical Fiction Books That'll Help You Sleep

It's not a complicated approach. When you are struggling to sleep or feeling anxious and stuck in a repetitive thought cycle, sometimes what you really need is something to help divert your attention. Deep breathing has long been known to help, but isn't always enough. You may also need or want something more—something interesting, yet familiar and fun. And that's where 

 is designed to be fun. Rather than requiring you to pause, meditate and fight against your busy brain, the app has stories that areieasy to get into and interesting enough to break you free from anxious thinking—but calm and quiet enough that you can sleep. 

Created by folks who personally struggled with sleep for years, our content is less heady than a lot of other sleep tools or apps. We simply provide episodes that we think might grab your attention—like the Life and Times of Bob Ross or Catherine the Great or The Great Train Robbery of 1963. 

 works on the simple principle of diversion. Choose from the ever-growing list of options, press play and sit back. That's it.

WikiSleep Newsletter

WikiSleep works on the simple principle of diversion...

Why WikiSleep Works

There's a reason that people often feel mentally stronger after a good night's sleep. Our bodies and brains need it—but despite what many people might think, you can't just "power through" and catch up on things later. Sleep loss is cumilative, and over time can have a direct link to depression, anxiety, physical health and mood. 

The World Health Organization views sleep loss as an epidemic in industrialized nations. An abundance of screen time, distractions in every direction, working from home—they all contribute to altering our natural sleep cycles and make it difficult to wind down at night. A full two-thirds of adults fail to achieve a sufficient amount of nightly sleep, which has knock-on affects in all aspects of our lives and the lives of those around us. 

Around 75% of depressed people show symptoms of insomnia, compared with 10% to 18% of adults in the general population (U.S.). Sleep issues are particularly common in patients with anxiety, depression and ADHD. While traditional thinking says that sleep problems are a symptom of poor mental health, growing evidence suggests that poor sleep may induce or exacerbate issues. It essentially becomes a feedback loop where poor sleep increases mental health issues, which contributes to poor sleep, which affects mental health, and so on. So it's thought that by working to improve sleep, you can also improve mental health.

So what are we supposed to do when the world around us is constantly fighting for our attention? 

There is no silver bullet when it comes to getting better sleep. Rather, it's often a series of tricks and tools, incrimental approaches that help bring us back into a more consistent pattern. Of course, there will always be days in which we struggle, but by taking some simple actions we can help fight against poor sleep. Collectively, this is known as Sleep Hygiene. 

: We've all heard this before, that the mindless scrolling of social media or streaming television makes it hard to sleep. It's true, but don't beat yourself up about it. It's all designed to capture your attention. In our experience, if you set time aside to enjoy screens with a "screen curfew" that you stick to, you'll have some luck in lessening the impact. Basically, try to turn screens off at least an hour before bed—and don't scroll once you get under the covers. 

 Part of the reason many people can't sleep is becase they haven't expended the energy in their bodies. A good workout, especially one that raises your heart rate for at least 20 minutes, can help when it comes time to going to sleep. Not a workout kind of person? No problem. Even a walk outdoors for 20 minutes can be beneficial.

 Reading is very similar to meditation in that it requires you to give your focus over to something other than your day to day. It's very difficult to think about work while you're also reading (of course, that doesn't mean you won't get distracted). It's a helpful tool that contributes to a calming of your mind as you wind down at night.

 research shows that by keeping a routine in which you go to bed at the same time every night, you'll increase your chances of a good sleep. That doesn't mean you need to go to sleep at 8pm, just that whatever time you're doing it, keep it the same night after night. 

Action #5 - Less food and drink before bed

: While some people feel that wine or a snack before bed might help, it actually constibutes to poor sleep. Alcohol dehydrates you and can keep you up needing the bathroom—and while you may be able to sleep initially, the depth of the sleep isn't nearly as deep as recommended by sleep doctors. You can still enjoy a drink, of course. Just try to wrap it up an hour or two before bedtime. Same goes with food. 

Action #6 - Sleep stories (A.K.A. WikiSleep)

: If you're not in the mood for a deep meditation but would like something to listen to as you fall asleep, WikiSleep is the perfect tool. It helps pull your focus away from repetitive thoughts and gently delivers soothing sleep content, piquing your interest while being calm enough that you can slip away to dreamland. 

Building better sleep habits takes time, but with the right intention and consistency, you'll be able to build you sleep muscles just like you build strength at the gym.  

WikiSleep episodes are designed to distract active minds and deter anxious thought patterns...

Sleep & Mental Health

Not being able to sleep because you're mind is too active is a big challenge for a lot of people. There are endless reasons 

 you might have an active brain—and getting to the source of the problem is important—but sometimes what you need in the moment is something to help divert your thinking so your exhausted body can take over. 

 works on the simple principle of diversion. We offer interesting content in a meditative way. No ads, no unexpected bumps in volume, no distractions—just soothing podcast-style content that pulls you in to divert or distract you from your active brain. Our stories, histories, biographies and other fun content is always paced with brainwaves in mind, helping you more easily reach the theta and delta rythms that are part of deep sleep.

While we totally believe that meditation and mindfulness are valuable, in the moment you might just need a diversion. So we've created 

content that speaks to the interests of our adult audience. Can't find something you like? We encourage you to reach out and let us know what you'd like to hear as you drift off to sleepy go bye-bye land... 