Sleep W.E.L.L, Live Well

I've been wanting to get this post live for quite some time now but as you know, life gets in the way sometimes. What with the holidays and what seems like illness on top of sick, we are rolling right into 2016 this week, which made me start thinking about what my "resolutions" for the New Year are. I kind of don't like making resolutions because I should want to be better all year long, not just at the New Year but let's be honest, resolutions are a good way to get yourself motivated and make a little "improvements list" for yourself. One thing that I am so glad that I did for myself in 2015 was attending the W.E.L.L. Summit in November. I learned a lot about things I was already aware of (ethical clothing + green beauty) but there were things I wasn't expecting to take away from the weekend that are now on my "improvements list". One of these things was to really take a hold of what my family is sleeping on. It won't be an immediate change but educating myself and others is the first step in sleeping well to live well. Two brands on site at the W.E.L.L. Summit were Coyuchi and Naturepedic, both of which want you to be aware of what traditional mattresses and bedding can contain. Let's not be scared, let's just take control. I had the opportunity to chat with the folks at Coyuchi and Naturepedic about the importance of Sleeping Well so that you could learn a lil' about it too!

Sleeping well is so important to living a healthy lifestyle, but it's not just about the amount of sleep you get but about where you are sleeping and what on. What is the most important thing you think my readers should know about what they are sleeping on?

Eileen Mockus, CEO of Coyuchi says, "It’s important to create an organic bed made with certified organic materials that are safely produced.  Then look for the right fabrics that are best for how you sleep.  Sateen sheets and a warmer blanket are best for those who sleep cold. Percale and a lightweight blanket work best for warm sleepers."

Heidi Baumgart of Naturepedic adds that "Good sleep is necessary for good health! We’ve all heard that cell phones, bright lights, noise, and other factors can impact the quality of sleep, but most people don’t consider the mattress. Conventional mattresses contain chemicals that are foreign to our bodies and may also be impacting the health and quality of sleep. Your sleep environment should be a safe and comfortable place to escape the chemical bombardment of modern day life. There’s enough pollution in our environment, we can at least try to eliminate it from our bedrooms."

What is important to look out for when searching for bedding/home textiles that is healthy for our families?

"Naturepedic mattresses are made with certified organic cotton fabric and filling, organic wool and some models have certified organic latex." says Heidi. "NONE of our products contain flame retardant chemicals or a slew of other chemicals that may show up in mattresses made with more flammable materials such as polyurethane foam. Here’s our list of chemicals we just won’t use!" 

Eileen gives some great (and easy) advice on what to look for in your bedding. "Look for certified organic cotton, processed to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) so there is assurance the product is safely produced.  It’s best to avoid wrinkle free or easy care type finishes that are likely to contain formaldehyde.  Avoid softeners as they reduce absorbency which is a key element to comfort while sleeping."

When asked what their favorite products were, the Sleep WELL duo were happy to make recommendation for my Prim and Propah readers. "My favorite Coyuchi product is our 300 Percale Sheets which are crisp and smooth, and cool to the touch." Eileen says. "I like to pair the 300 Percale with a fashion duvet, such as our Geo Stripe Duvet, with a lightweight down insert. Top the bed with a throw blanket such as our Cozy Cotton throw and there's an extra layer for colder nights. Layering the bed looks great and is a practical way to sleep soundly as the temperatures change each season." 

Heidi has us covered whether the Naturepedic mattress is for Mama or Baby. "My favorite adult mattress is the EOS Organic Sleep System. The EOS has customizable comfort layers for different levels of firmness, so you and your sleeping partners can choose totally different feels! The EOS is shipped Ground in five boxes and you can actually swap your comfort layers within 90 days if it just wasn’t exactly the right feel. And a Naturepedic MUST is our waterproof protector pads made with organic cotton fabrics. We have three different ones for baby, kids, and adults. A waterproof pad is an investment to protect your mattress from spills and more, especially if you have kids or pets in bed."

One thing is for certain, these brands are paving the way for us to sleep better by making a conscious decision about what we are sleeping on. You can make a quick start by changing up your sheets and set a long term goal for your next mattress to be all organic, you just have to set your mind to making your environment, especially at home, a better one. When I asked Eileen and Heidi what they had in store for the future both made mention that the brands are looking to expand, either in presence or product lines.

"In January 2016, we'll bring some new printed sheets that mix and match with our solid and embroidered sheets. We have some new linen bedding, sheet sets, duvets and blankets" says Eileen. "We love linen for bedding because of its ability to naturally regulate temperature and due to it's great durability for long term use."

"We are very excited about the expansion of Naturepedic Organic Mattress Galleries around the country. Over the past two years we have grown to serve Beverly Hills, Toronto, Dallas, Boston, Detroit, and most recently Silicon Valley." Heidi excitedly tells me. "It has been amazing to open our doors to these communities to provide our expertise about healthier sleep. Naturepedic’s goal is to educate and provide a safer sleep environment for everyone!"

You can find Naturepedic on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Looking to connect with Coyuchi? You can find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, too!

This past weekend, you may have been following my social snaps of a new event in Boston, the WELL Summit. I have been talking about this "conference" for many months now and was extremely excited to have the weekend finally arrive. I guess I would say that my main reason for buying a ticket was that I've been very much into Green Beauty and making sure that there are less chemicals coming into our home and more natural products that are good for the Earth and our Family... but my expectations for the event were blown out of the water. Of course, there were breakout sessions geared toward green beauty and there was even a breakfast panel dedicated towards it but what surprised me the most were the breakout sessions that I didn't know what to expect but ended up receiving some very thought provoking "gifts" from.

On top of making soap with a master, getting my DIY on with a fellow mom, beauty tips from a green pro and learning about herbs for the urban dweller from an actual herbalist, there were sessions geared towards finding your sacred beauty, meditation and following your intuition. I will be completely honest that I wasn't as excited about these sessions as I was the DIY + beauty ones because my goals for the conference were somewhat superficial at the beginning but what ended up happening, was that I let myself be open to the entire experience + what I received was a great gift of self reflection + some thought provoking realizations about my own personal happiness... I need to make my personal world a better place to be.

• Rebecca Casciano helped me look at beauty in a different way and then verbalize it with complete strangers, which was perfect. The insights that others had was amazing and it totally set the tone for the rest of the weekend. Rebecca is a beautiful person, inside and out, and I will always appreciate meeting her in this way. 
• Josh Rosebrook, in addition to being just a plain joy to be around, led a meditation session that really helped me get a grasp on what I wanted to achieve with meditating at home and also find a peace, even if it's only for a few moments a day. Every time that Josh and I spoke over the course of two days, I felt more of a connection. This connection, like all of the new relationships over the course of the weekend, is something to be treasured.
• Rachel Winard, led the last session that I attended and shared her story about following her intuition/gut feelings. Let's just say that her story had me feeling all the feels. She inspired me to be vulnerable, she inspired me to look inside and ask myself what I can do to make myself a happier person and to trust my feelings about all the choices + the trajectory of my life. All of the people in her session shared personal experiences that resonated with me and I thank her for starting the conversation for all of us.

The order with which I took my sessions was no mistake, as it turns out, since I believe that every message I received was one that helped me have some emotional release at the end of the whole thing (yeah, I cried in front of some people). Each step of the way, each person that I talked to, I was looking at myself and my own personal happiness a little more + more. If you were there, you would have seen/met all manner of person who was either working at their happiness/wellness, doing what they were meant to be doing and/or trying to help others do the same. It was a truly multi-dimensional experience where all involved were of like minds and souls (cheesy, so sue me). Authenticity and truthfulness is something I hold dearer now than ever before. There was no competitive, self promotion at WELL Summit but rather a collaborative atmosphere where everyone was learning from one another.

Thank you to everyone who hugged me, encouraged me (I'm looking at you, Tara), listened to me, shared their stories with me, helped me find which room I was supposed to be in and hung out with me in between (Hi Jessica, Quiana and Cam!). Plus, a huge thanks to Gianne of Organic Bath, whose "brain child" came to fruition in the most wonderful way. I am so excited to take part next year and see each and every one of the people that I can now call friends.