North Carolina native and resident Brent Limer is the national account manager for Hanes Companies. Limer splits his time between the central part of the state and the coast, where he owns a house on Oak Island. When he’s at the beach, he loves having people over for seafood boils and oyster roasts. Outside of hosting and cooking (Limer also enjoys making barbecue), most of his time is spent attending his children’s events — his son plays baseball, and his daughter participates in competitive dance.
BedTimes: Tell us about your bedtime routine.
Brent Limer: I need some unwinding to be able to go to bed. I will catch up on some TV shows after all the household chores are done. Then at 9 p.m. — yes, I am a loser — I will go to bed and usually read a professional book from Jim Collins or Simon Sinek for a little while to relax. I try to limit any doomscrolling on electronics since I know how it affects sleep.
BT: How many hours do you typically sleep?
BL: I usually get between seven and eight hours of sleep a night. I am an early riser, so without an alarm, I usually wake between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. I can function on less, but as I have aged, I prefer to value more sleep than less.
BT: Pets in the bed — yay or nay?
BL: I was handed a kitten one afternoon in 2019 that I told my bride not to bring home. The caveat was that if we would rescue her, then I could name her. So, I named her Maren Morris Limer, although the rest of the house was not feeling my vibe. Maren is pretty much my cat during the day, but unfortunately, when mama gets home, I am second in line. She sleeps on the bed sometimes, but as with most cats, I usually find her downstairs in the mornings, sitting beside one of the doors protecting the house. It’s amazing that cats still have that sense of protection for their loved ones.
BT: What’s on your nightstand?
BL: A lamp because I feel like the softer light is better for unwinding than an overhead light. And let’s be honest, who wants to get out of bed to turn off a light when you can just roll over and turn off the lamp. I also have whichever book I am reading and my phone since it is my clock and alarm.
BT: What’s the best sleep product you own and why?
BL: I believe pillows are the forgotten sleep product. Just sleep in a hotel with a fiber pillow and you will understand. I have a wonderful pillow, and I sure do miss it when I am gone.
BT: What are your best sleep tips?
BL: Make sleep a routine. Most people reading this are probably business travelers and that makes it tough. If you stick to your routine, you will feel better in the morning. Don’t doomscroll or go to sleep with the television on. This is bad for many reasons, including blue light, waking up to turn the TV off, etc. Also, temperature is key for me. I would rather have a cooler room and warm up with blankets than have to be uncomfortable in a warm room. For those who enjoy fans, those are OK too, they are just not my style.
BT: What are your secrets for getting a good night’s sleep while traveling?
BL: Since I am on the road 50% of the time, that is tricky because hotel sleep can be miserable. Temperature is always a guess, and unfamiliar noises are always a problem. Trying to keep the same routine when traveling can equal a good night’s sleep away from home.
BT: Anything else?
BL: Sleep is something everyone complains about, but why? We need to figure out what to do to help everyone get a good night’s sleep.
