Sleeping Beauty is just the dream isn’t she? Not only does she have the perfect, uninterrupted sleep, but she’s woken up with a kiss by a prince. Now why isn’t this the case for us all!?
Nowadays we all lead such busy lives and our sleep is the one thing that’s suffering because of this. Working 9-5 you say Dolly? You forgot to mention the overtime and our commute…so we’re looking at 12 hour days nowadays girl! Although that wouldn’t have quite the same ring to the song I guess, would it?
Working longer hours, means finding time to socialise and do the things we love, so how do we find that time? Oh yeah, we push bedtime back and get less sleep than we should.
The recommended amount of sleep we should get each night is between 8-10 hours, but I wonder how many of us actually get that?
A problem I have, is switching off after a long day and being able to fall asleep, as well as staying asleep throughout the night, as I always tend to wake up, too. I’ve got into the habit of doing a few certain things in the lead up before I go to bed, which seem to be really helping! So I thought I’d share a few tips on what I do religiously, to get a better nights sleep.
1 – Pukka Night Tea
I make a cup of this lovely little blend every evening.
I’m a fan of herbal teas anyway but this one is really nice and drinkable, which is the most important thing! It combines ingredients such as lavender and chamomile, which are both known for their relaxing notes and so it’s perfect to have in the evening when you want to wind down before bed. You can get these in pretty much all local supermarkets and health stores and it costs around £2.50 for 20 bags which is pretty reasonable if you ask me.
2 – Nip and Fab Yoga Blend Body Wash and Body Lotion
I always use lavender based products when I bathe/shower of a night time; again for the relaxing purpose of lavender and these Nip and Fab ones are my absolute favourite. The ‘yoga blend’ scent is a mix of lavender, soft rose and coconut which is so dreamy and Nip and Fab state that the fragrance is to soothe and de-stress – perfect for that pre-bedtime shower!
As I mentioned above, I can struggle to fall asleep and so I really focus on winding down of an evening, which is why I use lavender based products to wind my body down before bed. It’s something very little but I feel it just makes sense, as opposed to using a fresh zesty fragrance that is more ‘wake up’ than ‘sleep’.
The bottles featured in this picture here are actually from part of a set so are smaller than if you were to buy them separately. You can buy the full size products from ASOS, for around £10 each, which does seem expensive, however that is for 500ml and if something works for you, I think it’s definitely worth paying out for.
Of course, there are cheaper alternatives, like the Original Source Lavender and Tea Tree Shower Gel which you can pick up in Boots for £1.
3 – Scented Candles
Scented candles are everywhere in my house but the ones I keep in the bedroom are again, more relaxing scents. Every night, I light a candle 30 minutes before I plan to go to bed, just so that the room is smelling lovely before I settled down for the night.
The one I’ve got here is Lavender and Lemon and it was a gift so I’m not sure where it’s from, but Yankee Candle do a lovely Lemon Lavender one which you can pick up in a votive size for about £1-£2 (depending where you buy it) or in the different size jars, which you can see here.
It’s important to note that you don’t want one that’s very overpowering, as that might stop you from sleeping, you just need a little subtle fragrance. Oh and DON’T blow the candle out in your bedroom or the lovely fragrance will be covered up with a smokey smell! I take mine into another room to blow out, just before I get into bed!
4 – No technology!
I’ve got into the habit of not looking at my phone, or using my laptop or ipad, for at least 15 minutes before I go to bed. My phone is literally stuck to my hand all day long so this was actually pretty difficult to start with (sad, I know!) but it got easier! I do this just so my mind isn’t buzzing with what my favourite bloggers are wearing, stressing over emails or looking at endless memes and vines that crop up on my social feeds! As well as this, there is of course a lot of attention on the ‘blue screen’ of mobile phones that apparently ruin our sleep, so not having my phone just before bed stops this. On an iPhone, there is also something called ‘Night Mode’ which I set to turn on between 10pm – 5am, which gives the screen a crimson shade, instead of blue. So if I wake up in the night and check the time, I’m not seeing that blue light.
Again, it’s something simple but it works.
5 – This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray
I have been using this product for years now and I think I always will!
This Works have done extensive research into sleep and this pillow spray is clinically proven to aid you to fall asleep quicker and wake up feeling more refreshed. They have a whole range of products to help us get a better nights sleep, so it isn’t just limited to pillow spray.
I just love this because not only does it work, but it’s so simple to use as well. All you have to do is spritz it on your pillow before you go to bed and breathe in the gorgeous aromatherapeutic scent. It’s a blend of lavender, vetivert and chamomile and it’s not too strong which is always great. I even bought this for a friend who hates the smell of lavender but even she says it’s not overly lavendery and she uses it every night now!
I absolutely LOVE this and really recommend it. You can pick this up in bigger boots stores, John Lewis and online stores like Net-a-Porter and Feel Unique. It’s £16 and lasts ages so it’s well worth investing in.
That’s about it for my night time routine and I really hope this helps any of you that struggle with sleep. Even if you’re lucky enough sleep perfectly, there are at least a few things that you can all think about from the post.
I know sleep isn’t particularly something that gets spoken about but it’s such a vital component in our well being and so I think it’s something we need to start talking about. Realising you’re not alone is one thing and helping each other out is another.
Granted, what works for one won’t necessarily work for all, but if you never try, you’ll know, right? It took a long time to figure out what works for me, so even if these things don’t help you, it might get you exploring more things until you do find what’s right for you.
At the end of the day, I’m just glad to have spoken about something meaningful and I hope you’ve enjoyed as much as I have, writing it.
I hope you all get a lovely sleep this Sunday night so that you’re feeling fresh to take on what Monday holds for you tomorrow.
Court x
Court-InTheMoment 
Great tips x
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