5 Steps to Better Sleep

Selfcare; we talk a lot about this over on our Instagram page. To us it doesn’t just mean a pamper once a week and some down time when you fancy it. Instead selfcare is leading a healthy lifestyle that supports your mental health and days filled with self love, from what you feed your body to what you say to yourself in the mirror.

A massive part of this comes down to sleep. A good night's rest allows your body to recharge and repair. For someone that sleeps well you’ll have a strengthened immune system and feel much more alert for the day ahead. I don’t know about you but the nights where I haven’t slept well, the following day my motivation levels are rock bottom and the only thing desirable to do is to curl up on the sofa not talking to anyone!

Now if you don’t have the best routine with sleep or want to start going to bed earlier and waking up easier, you must remember it needs to be gradual. Going from an 11pm bedtime with the TV on in the background to 10pm and no screens will be very hard to adjust to if you try and do it overnight. Instead, like a lot of new habits, it’s best to change your routine step by step. For example week 1 no TV on in your bedroom, week 2 in bed 10 minutes earlier, week 3 20 minutes earlier and so on.

To help you with this process we’ve highlighted the best tips out there that will have you creating the sleep habit you so want (or need!) in your life.

• Sleep spray. Up first is our trusted night time aromas. A spritz on the pillow as you get into bed is a great way of setting yourself for good sleep. Mainly lavender based but a huge choice if you pop into your local Boots, the spray is designed to unwind the mind and body and help you get into a relaxed space. Our favourite at the moment is Feather and Down Pillow Spray with lavender and camomile essential oils.

• No screens. I know it is an obvious one but changing your routine to ensure it doesn’t include screen time will help bedtimes for sure. We put our phone on the other side of the room so we aren’t even tempted!

• Reading. Rather than reaching for the phone which we all fall into the trap of doing, get stuck into a good book. Even if you feel tired, reading for just 5/10 minutes can help switch the brain off and unwind. 

• Gratitude. To fill your brain with the sweet things in life just before bedtime. Life gets in the way - as an adult there are constantly things to do, people to see and little dramas along the way. Overthinking as soon as your head hits the pillow is hard to avoid at times so focusing on the positive can help for a peaceful night. That’s where the app ‘Headspace’ comes in:

• ‘Headspace’ was a game changer for us! I’m sure many can agree, more often than not you feel tired all day and sleepy whilst chilling on the sofa that evening. Try moving to bed and instantly your mind is going 100 miles an hour and it's hard to switch off. This happened to us so often before we used the Headspace app (the sleep series in particular). Focusing on breathing techniques and meditation, this app transformed how well we fell asleep at night. If you haven’t used this App before we think you can still make use of the free trial and there are plenty of other apps similar if you don’t want to pay. 

Let us know over on our Instagram if you have any other tips that help you get the best nights rest. Sleep well!