Michael Faus is senior vice president of sales and marketing at Carpenter Co. and has been with the foam supplier since 1982. Outside of the bedding industry, you can either find him doing his daily exercise, playing tennis or taking in the scenery at various vineyards. He also loves culinary experiences and keeping up with fashion and design trends. Check out our new Nightap Q&A With Michael Faus below.
BedTimes: Tell us about your bedtime routine.
Michael Faus: To wind down, I try to turn all smart devices off around 8 p.m. I like to listen to relaxing, romantic classical and jazz music while sipping a great red wine varietal. We have candles throughout the house. The primary bedroom is set up like a spa environment, and I focus on self-care with a deep-dive hygiene routine.
BT: What’s on your nightstand?
MF: A photo of my wife, Daryl, and me on the beach in Encinitas, California; a perfectly formed heart-shaped rock that we found on Moonlight Beach just after getting engaged there; and an iPhone docking station.
BT: What is the best sleep product that you own and why?
MF: My Apple HomePod. I grew up in Southern California, so using my HomePod to fall asleep to ocean sounds can’t be beat.
BT: What are your best sleep tips?
MF: The best tip I can give is to be consistent with what time you go to bed and what time you get up in the morning. And I think that making sure the environment is set properly with temperature and lighting is important, too.
BT: Where is the last place you got a great night’s sleep that wasn’t your house, and what made it great?
MF: A resort and spa in Del Mar, California. I had the coastal doors open and the sea breeze was coming in. You could hear the ocean waves in the background. In the morning, you could hear seagulls and all the beautiful sounds of nature. I woke up to that, and I had the best night’s sleep.
BT: What are your secrets for getting a good night’s sleep while traveling?
MF: For me, it’s staying hydrated with plenty of water, keeping up with my daily exercise routine and a quality hotel pillow. I also like to take a hot shower after I’ve been flying.
BT: What do you do that breaks the traditional sleep rules?
MF: Sometimes I drink too much water before bedtime. If I’m entertaining at my home and there’s great conversation paired with a nice glass of wine, I’ll stay up too late. I love doing that, but it throws off my routine.
BT: What do you do when/if you have insomnia?
MF: I’m fortunate not to have trouble sleeping very often because I think I take a lot of preventive measures with exercising and meditation. If I do wake up in the middle of the night, I try to think happy thoughts, do some deep breathing and focus my mind on being grateful for the peaceful things in life.
BT: Now for a game of “What would you rather?” Sleep mask or sound machine?
MF: Sound machine.
BT: Physical book or Kindle?
MF: Physical book.
BT: Before bed – read a book, watch a show or listen to a podcast?
MF: If I had to pick one of those three, I’d choose to read a book, but listening to relaxing music is more my style. I enjoy podcasts, but I typically save those for my workouts.
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