The new year comes with new resolutions and goals. Maybe your goal is to run a marathon; maybe you want to declutter your home, spend more time volunteering, or get better sleep (this one’s especially important!). Whatever your goal is, there are a few New Year's Eve superstitions that are said to help you keep your resolutions in check and bring good fortune in the coming year.
And we're here to ensure you're the best version of yourself before and after that clock strikes midnight! Starting with getting a good night’s sleep. Follow these tips to get more sleep (and better!) in the year ahead, and learn the truth behind some of your favorite traditions that are rooted in superstitions!
New Year's Eve Superstitions You Can Take a Chance On
Kiss Someone at Midnight
One of the most famous New Year's superstitions is kissing someone at midnight. Kissing your partner guarantees that your relationship will last through the new year, whereas if you kiss someone else, guarantees that the opposite will come true. If you kiss someone when you're single, you might end up in a romance or a relationship with that person soon!
Is it Bad Luck to Sleep Through New Year's?
New Year's Eve is an exceptionally long night for many cultures; if you must sleep, ensure it's right after midnight at the earliest. Sleeping through midnight could trap you in the previous year or taint your luck for the year to come. In the same way, some believe your New Year's Eve habits predict your year, so if you sleep during this time, you're likely to have a less productive year. You may need to take a nap, but remember to set your alarm for before midnight. Just to be safe, keep a horseshoe under your pillow (Some believe that good fortune will follow you in the coming year if you sleep with a horseshoe under your pillow or dream of finding a horseshoe on New Year's Eve).
Keep Cash in your Wallet
According to this superstition, if you desire wealth, prosperity, or financial stability in the upcoming year, make sure you have cash in your wallet by midnight. On the other hand, if you don't have any money in your wallet, you may have a year of misfortune and financial hardship ahead of you.
Carry an Empty Suitcase
Travelers who can't wait to get on the next plane should practice this South American superstition. You must run around your block as fast as possible with an empty suitcase once midnight strikes. As the legend goes, this will ensure a year full of adventures and travel.
If you are traveling frequently, you may want to consider bringing your own pillow with you. You never know when a handy travel pillow might save you from a very uncomfortable alternative!
Eat Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens
A tradition that originated in the African diaspora and is now avidly observed in the southern United States is eating black-eyed peas and collard greens for New Year. Several myths and legends relate to these beans, including their mystical and mythical powers and good luck properties. With collard greens as accompaniment, which are green like money, you are sure to have a prosperous financial year ahead.
Don't Clean Your House
Due to their ominous nature, many people avoid cleaning their houses on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. So be sure you, any guests or housemates, don't do any laundry or sweep your home. Doing the laundry is believed to result in someone dying in your household within the upcoming year. If that wasn't troubling enough, sweeping the house will remove any good fortune you might have built up.
Eat 12 Grapes at Midnight
Another superstition suggests that you must eat 12 grapes to ward off bad luck and evil spirits in the coming year. Grapes represent individual months in the upcoming year. When midnight strikes, a bell will chime, signaling the first grape must be eaten. You will continue to do this for 12 seconds. With every grape you eat, you will have one month of good luck.
How to get better sleep in the new year?
Around the world, there are different cultural beliefs about how to celebrate and manifest good luck in the new year. What is far more universal is the need for quality sleep each night. A lack of sleep may not only be detrimental to your physical and mental health but also negatively affect those around you. We have compiled a list of our top sleeping products to help you sleep better this year. So no matter where your year takes you, we'll ensure you get a good night's rest.
Invest in the right sleep products
It may seem obvious, but to get good sleep, you need the right tools. An ideal sleeping environment is completely dark (this signals to your body it's time to snooze!), about 68 degrees Fahrenheit and of course, comfy and cozy. Here are some of our essentials for a good night's rest:
Blackout curtains and/or an eye mask to make sure it's perfectly dark
A sound machine that plays white noise (or any constant, unchanging noise)
A good mattress that's supportive and comfortable and choose the right pillow for your sleeping position
Comfy, loose pajamas and lightweight bedding (you want to be cozy, but nothing is worse than waking up sweaty!)
Try essential oils for sleep
Essential oils are becoming very popular and have many uses. Some of our favorite scents for sleep include lavender (found in many baby products), valerian (a common ingredient in herbal tea), and bergamot (which has the opposite effect of its other invigorating citrus family members).
You can use essential oils in many different ways, but if you're new to oils, try a few drops and water in an oil diffuser. If the scent is too much next to your bed, place your diffuser across the room. Many diffusers even have timers, so it won't stay on all night.
Create a sleep schedule
Creating a sleep schedule (that you stick to!) can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and get better quality sleep. While it can be challenging to go to bed and wake up at the same time every night and morning at first, it can have major benefits.
One of the biggest benefits is that, by training your internal clock on a cycle, you'll be able to fall asleep faster and get deeper, better quality sleep. Having a sleep cycle can also help you treat symptoms of insomnia by creating a routine that helps you wind down and get in the right mindset for sleep.
Workout regularly
Yep, that's right, a regular workout can help you get better sleep. And, hey! This one might align with other resolutions you have for this year.
Working out not only strengthens and stretches your body, it can also help reduce stress and clear your mind, which may help you fall asleep faster at night and sleep soundly.
Try journaling
It may sound silly, but journaling at the end of every day could help you get better sleep. By keeping a journal, whether you write it all down by hand or keep a note on your phone, you're clearing your head and getting it ready to rest.
Journaling can also help you focus on positivity and practice gratitude, which is another great goal to set for the year. At the end of every day (or whatever cadence works for you, we understand you're busy!), write down 3-5 things that you're grateful for or a few things that were good about your day. Focusing on the positive is infectious and can change your entire outlook on things.
Other tips for better sleep
Of course, everyone is different. What lulls you to sleep may not do the trick for a friend. If you're still not getting the quality sleep you'd like, here are a few more things to consider:
Limit caffeine before bed (and be careful what you eat!)
Limit screen time and electronics around bedtime. Blue light can keep your brain active.
Choose a low or no-motion transfer mattress, especially if you and your partner are on different schedules or you sleep with a furry friend. (Psst! Leesa mattresses offer low or no motion transfer, so you don't feel when they get in and out of bed and vice versa.)
Consider taking melatonin (a naturally-occurring sleep hormone), but chat with your doctor first.
Try an adjustable base. You may sleep better with your head slightly elevated.
There's nothing like saying goodbye to the old and embracing the new at the end of the year. So whether you're downing 12 grapes, running around your house with an empty suitcase, or stuffing your wallet with cash, remember the value of getting a good night's rest. You can make many resolutions for yourself, your loved ones, and your career, but investing in your sleep is the most significant. A good night's sleep allows us to be present with our families and remember to care for ourselves at the end of the day, no matter what life throws at us. So take your time to find the best sleeping routine that works for you, and be diligent about doing it regularly. Your well-being is worth the effort!
