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Editor’s Note

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A 3-YEAR-OLD scream and thrash on the floor like something from The Exorcist? I have. Nearly every night. For months.And itwas my 3-yearold.Therewas an unpleasant stretch a fewyears agowhen, almost every night, my husband and Iwould bolt out ofbed tothe sound of our daughter screaming in the throes of a night terror.Wewouldtrytocomforther,usuallytono avail. During extra-violent ones,wewould carry her to the thick living room rug so shewouldn’t hurt herself as shewrithed in apparent psychic agony.We felt powerless and, of course, completely exhausted. Itwasn’t as unnerving as it might have been—we knew my husband had gonethroughtheseepisodesasachild.SoI asked my mother-in-law how many months it would take for our girl to outgrow this phase. “Months?Tryyears,” she said, laughing, and explained that my husband didn’t sleep consistently until he turned 5. I didn’t laugh. Iwas too busy calculating all that future lost sleep.

Fortunately, ourdaughter grew out ofthe phase sooner than that, and now I, too, can laugh atourmisery—whilebeingthankfulit’sover. But sleep can still be elusive; like nearly everyone I know, Iwish I got more of it. Don’tyou? It’s of course essential for feeling and looking your best, andwhen it doesn’t happen, it can throw everything off-kilter. (I blame insomnia for the time I locked the keys in the car…while itwas running.)Andwhile most of us have heard abouttheimportanceofgoodsleeproutines (which iswhy my iPhone sleeps in the kitchen andnot the bedroom),lessattentionhasbeen paid to the positive impactyour bedroom decor can have onyour sleep. In “DesignYour Bedroom for Better Sleep” (page 88),we offer three distinct room styles,with tips for creating a more restful experience.And to help kids of any age get better sleep, check out our story “How to Beat the Bedtime Blues” (page 61).Whenever I don’t sleepwell, I overeat, and I don’t reach for a salad or a nice piece of fruit—crinkle fries call my name. In “Healthy Little Food SwapsThatTaste So Good” (page 82),you’ll find crave-worthyyet nutritious options. Since Februaryweather sometimes means staying in and getting cozy, our food editors bringyou “Staples from Scratch” (page 96),with recipes for basics like chicken stock and hot cocoa mix. Ifyou’re the type of personwho cooks to relax,you may find them especially calming. Enjoy!

SWEET DREAMS On February 8, I’ll be at the West Elm store in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood bringing Real Simple’s sleepbetter tips to life with a panel of experts from West Elm, Leesa, and Mindfresh. For more about this and other events, visit westelm .com, where you can also enter to win prizes such as a $1,000 West Elm gift card.

Follow me on Twitter @lyazel and Instagram @leslieyazel