The Anatomy of a Nightstand
at the intersection of sleep accessories and self-expression
This sleep-themed post is sponsored by Brooklinen! How fun! Their sleep week sale is happening from March 9 - March 15, so if you’re in the market for new sheets (or towels or a robe)… get involved.
Happy sleep week! I bet you all had that on your calendars too.
Call it fate, but I had already planned on doing a sleep-related post when I learned about this important national holiday and Brooklinen’s corresponding sale. Shoutout to the stars for aligning here. You should know that I come from a Brooklinen family — my parents are loyal to their Luxe Sateen Sheets — so I’m making some people proud with this one. Onto the sleep talk.
For some reason, I haven’t felt all that compelled to broach this topic yet, even though good sleep arguably the most important thing we can do for our healths. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t been in the mood to source “expert sleepers” for quotes. More likely, it’s that I find sleep advice annoying, on both the giving and receiving ends. Sorry, I’m just being honest.
It’s always Don’t eat for three hours before bed. Stop looking at screens two hours before. No phone in the bedroom. Keep it below 70 degrees. Wear an eye mask. Use mouth tape. Oh my god, enough.
To be clear, I do a lot of those things (or at least, I try to), but my eye roll is instinctual nonetheless. Sleep-hacking, like most wellness discourse (see: our obsession with protein) is both ugly and sterile. Where’s the personality? The glamour? The fun?!
I want my wellness routines to incorporate at least some semblance of personal taste. To me, that’s the distinction between a way of life and a short-lived, utility-focused phase; a beautifully-designed life that encourages healthy habits feels a lot more conducive to consistency. You could argue that I’m too aesthetically-driven to be as healthy as possible, and you’d be correct. But I’m not after health, I’m after well-being. It’s a lot less technical, and a lot more (apologies) vibes-oriented.
So where does the nightstand fit into the picture?
Like top shelves and fridges, nightstands are a small, potent encapsulation of a person’s artistic taste, interests, medical conditions, etc. They’re intimate enough to be of interest to others, but not too intimate that they can’t be shared on the internet. It should come as no surprise that I’m both curious about other peoples’ nightstands and have opinions of my own.
Now that I’ve accepted the importance of beauty and design in my personal wellness philosophy, I’m of the belief that a nightstand should be equal parts functional and stylistic. The contents of my nightstand reflect the current status of my nightly routine, a process that always remains, though the details look different with every season of life.
I could easily wax poetic about a nightstand being the portrait of a woman, or whatever, but I wasted my passionate monologue of the day lamenting on poor taste. Typical. In any case, I present to you the anatomy of my nightstand. Two nightstands, actually.
Journal(s)
Important. I have 1-2 journals on my nightstand at all times. Because my phone is nowhere on this list, a journal is incredibly useful for nightly reflections, middle-of-the-night epiphanies (I’m not kidding), and urgent reminders for the morning (i.e. strip your bed).
Alarm Clock
Again, phone-free zone. I’m trying to make my bedroom as analog as possible, but I’m a few degrees away with my knockoff Hatch alarm clock. In all honesty, it’s pretty janky (I can’t figure out how to change the time / sound of my alarms?), so I have my eyes on this one from Loftie when I’m in the mood (financially) to upgrade.
Lip Balms
My favorite topic of conversation. You may recall that I have a lip balm stationed in every corner of my apartment. The current nightstand designee is Le Chouchou (it’s also the most purchased product I’ve ever mentioned in this newsletter). I can’t imagine it’ll ever get ousted. That being said, if I need even more support, I top it with Doré’s Le Baume, which serves as a non-petroleum occlusive.
Hand Cream
Ha, you thought I would be done talking about Theraplush. Wrong. My hands are Benjamin Button-ing. If, by some chance, you’re not interested in hand retinol, I’d recommend Flamingo Estate’s Manuka Rich Cream. It’s sticky but it holds the record for softest hands the following morning.
Books
If I’m being honest, I have an entire nightstand dedicated to books and it’s starting to get out of hand. It’s somewhat of a reading purgatory, where the book is either in my rotation, or I’ve ‘temporarily paused’ it which means I’ve put it down but haven’t fully committed to putting it back on the shelf yet.
Lamp
As you can see, I’m still dying on the physical-book-over-Kindle hill, although I understand logically how much easier my life would be if I made the switch. For this reason, a bedside lamp is an obvious necessity. I can’t say I have strong opinions on nightstand lamps at the moment, although my interior decor Pinterest board might argue otherwise.
Sleep Mask
I’m testing a few of these out, including a weighted option from Lunya, and will report back if I find anything of note.
Room Spray
I’ve developed a Pavlovian relationship with Abel’s Scene 02. It started off as a soothing ritual I created for myself, spraying the fig and cedarwood scent near my pillow to make it feel like a spa. Now I’ve come to associate the scent with bedtime, and it genuinely makes me excited to get under the covers and go to sleep.
Sleep Supplements
Probiotic, magnesium, and other medications. Well, magnesium isn’t technically on my bedside table (it’s in the kitchen) but it’s a mandatory nightly supplement. If I’m in for the night, I’m sipping on Moon Juice’s Magnesi-Om. If I’m not in the mood for a whole beverage, I’ll do a Cymbiotika Magnesium L-Threonate marathon-esque goo pack.
Noise Machine
The reason I didn’t show anyone my Spotify Wrapped in 2023 is because it was annihilated by white noise box fan sounds. That, in conjunction with my anti-bedroom tech crusade are the reasons I purchased this machine.
Honorable Mentions in the Sleep Department
They may not have dedicated nightstand real estate, but these items still have a place in my sleep routine.
Good sheets
Come onnnnn, Brooklinen or bust. Sponsorship aside, it is important to have organic (and OEKO-certified ;)) sheets on your bed. Not to fear-monger, but think about how much time you spend touching your bed linens. Now think about the weird shit that happens in fabric manufacturing. It’s a pretty easy investment in your longterm health that can double as an everyday luxury.
Weighted Blanket
A year or so ago I caved and bought a weighted blanket when I was experiencing some uncharacteristic pre-bed anxiety (my anxiety comes in other forms, trust). Not sure what that was all about, but the weighted blanket solved it instantly.
Red Light Mask
This is how I’d imagine it feels to have a dog in that it somehow ends up sharing the bed with me. This mask is my prized possession. I usually multi-task and throw it on if I meditate before bed, although that requires me to get out from under my covers in order to finish my skincare routine, so… pros and cons.
Oura Ring
This is not a nightstand essential, but it deserves at least a mention in this sleep conversation. I don’t remember to look at my sleep data every single night, but I do find it interesting to compare the nights I eat too close to bed to the nights when I self-proclaim A+ sleep hygiene.
Mouth Tape
This is haunting me from the bottom drawer of my nightstand. I’m trying to find the courage to actually use it.
That’s all for now. Big thank you again to Brooklinen for sponsoring this post. In case you’re interested in my sleep sale picks, I’d recommend the Luxe Sateen Sheets, or at the very least, a Super-Plush Robe. As a very wise man once said, treat yourself.
currently wishing I was that girl. love this
So helpful with so many good recs! Love our Brooklinen sheets and our Loftie clock!