It's no secret we love our slippers and nightwear, our beds and of course, our sleep! So naturally, sleep awareness week is something we want to address and celebrate! Best of all we get to do that from the comfort of our beds, without being judged, which makes us immensely happy.
Gone are the days when it was thought to be 'cool', to be so 'busy' that you had to stay up most of the night, drinking coffee, working relentlessly and wearing eye bags as though they were a badge of honor... Needless to say, we have never been classified as cool and we have never not indulged ourselves in, much needed and much wanted sleep. Instead the tables have turned, and now having a thorough self love pampering night routine is what we all aspire to.
However what if you struggle to sleep? With the National Sleep Foundation campaigning the important of sleep for general wellbeing, both mentally and physically, for this year's 'Begin with sleep' campaign, now is the time to get our nightly routine and sleep pattern perfected.
1. Turn off the tech! We know, we know, we all love our phones, our TVs and laptops, but the hour before we are ready to go to sleep is time to unwind without lights beaming in our faces.
2. Melatonin, often referred to as the 'sleep hormone' is what signals to the brain that it is time to sleep, however it is drastically disrupted when we have any lights infiltrating our sleep environment. This problem is easily solved with a glamorous eye mask, that will ensure you are engulfed into complete darkness. P.S. a silky one will also help to keep all of your face and eye creams in place to soak in!
3. Relaxing, unwinding and calming your mind are all important to get that deep sleep we desire. Taking a nice relaxing bath with epsom salts, that are scientifically proven to help your muscles relax also, is the perfect way to take a little time out and relax before bed.
4. Warm yourself through into blissful cosiness with a hot drink before bed. It goes without saying, that this is a no caffeine zone, instead, have a lovely herbal tea such as chamomile or lavender to relax. If they aren't your thing, then we give you permission to have a warm milky cocoa, grandma style. There is also studies that support the concept of not drinking any caffeine after midday... good luck to us all with that one!
5. Scent matters, so invest in a 'sleep spray'. Some are obviously fancier (*cough* more expensive!) than others, but even febreze do a great 'sleep serenity' range that includes lavender, jasmine and milk and honey scents. Lush also do an amazing body lotion that I am sure you are all probably familiar with, called 'sleepy' that is said to help you drift right off.
6. Do not take naps! I know that majority of us work a 9-5 so this is impossible to do during the day anyway, however I think we can all admit we are guilty of getting in straight from work and falling asleep on the couch... (we swear we aren't old!). And whilst these 'power naps' make us feel a bit more awake to get on with our other nightly duties such as dinner, showering, etc. that is because that tired feeling has been satisfied, making it that much more difficult to fall asleep properly come bedtime.
7. Set the right temperature. I know a lot us love having the heating on full blast, however studies have shown that a cooler sleeping environment is actually much better for us. Ideally your bedroom should be around 18.5 degrees and you get warm and cosy through the use of blankets and duvets... hello hygge!
8. Get yourself a good book. Immersing yourself in another world for 1-2 chapters is the perfect way to unwind right before you are about to fall asleep. It also helps you introduce ideas to your subconscious, making you much more likely to dream about something you want to dream about, as opposed to worrying about the stresses of normal life.
9. Now that we have covered all the other senses, last but not least is sound. We love listening to some nice relaxing spa music, or raindrops on the window, who doesn't love that sound curled up all warm in bed? No one. However if you are someone who needs absolute silence, then earplugs should serve you well.
10. Lastly try some sleeping techniques. There are tons all over the internet that you can research and give a go, however our favourite is simply get into a super comfortable position and stay very, very still, do not move. The hardest part of this is ignoring the little itches you get - your body is doing this to see if you react and move, therefore signalling that you're not asleep. Let you mind wander wherever it wants to, hopefully somewhere lovely, and after a while, you tend to drift right off without even noticing. If this is the part you struggle with, instead concentrate solely on your breathing, keeping it slow, until you fall asleep.
Of course, having a good pair of pyjamas is also really important in your nightly routine so that you feel comfortable. Our new Pretty You bamboo nightwear collection is amazing for sleep, it is hypo-allergenic, temperature regulating and made from one of the softest fabrics in the world! You can shop the collection here > Nightwear.
Let us know in the comments below some of your favourite things to do for a better nights sleep!
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