Getting a good night’s sleep can be a battle. In store we have lots of fabulous products designed to help you sleep better but a great evening routine will also help to ensure that every night is a restful one too. Here our in store sleep advisor, Phillippa, tells us her top 5 tips to ensure your sleep is restful and restoring, leaving you ready to face the challenges of tomorrow…
Phillippa’s Bedtime Routine
These are my top five tips for winding down and getting a restful nights sleep.
1 Try to avoid caffeine after lunchtime or at least from about 4pm if you still need an afternoon pick me up. In store we have plenty of caffeine free substitutes to try. On days that you feel like you really can’t cope without that extra caffeine fix I like Pukka’s Mint Matcha Green. It’s a firm favourite in the shop.
2 I like snore and peace by Clipper as my pre bedtime drink – it is a relaxing blend of Lavender lemon balm and chamomile. If I’ve had a stressful day and feel I need some extra help I like to add a dose of Vogel Passiflora complex. Passion flower is a lovely calming herb and the added avena sativa gives your nerves some extra support. Pukka’s three chamomile is also a nice relaxing pre bedtime drinks or if you’re someone who needs something a bit sweeter and more chocolatey, then I like yogi tea’s Choco which is a blend of cocoa shells, liquorice and cinnamon, it’s yummy.
3 If you feel restless or suffer from cramp then taking a good quality magnesium citrate supplement in the evening can be great. Magnesium helps to relax your muscles – this can also help you to feel more relaxed in general and achieve a better night’s sleep. You can also get Epsom salts for the bath which are a great source of magnesium and having a relaxing evening bath can be beneficial try adding a couple of drops of Lavender essential oil to give it that extra relaxing scent. If you’re going for the relaxing bath option make sure it’s at least an hour before bed so your body has time to cool down before sleep.
4 We all like to unwind with a bit of TV in the evenings or browsing your favourite sites online, but it is helpful to switch off all screens at least an hour before bed and try and keep all devices away from the sanctuary of your bedroom. If your device has a night mode with reduced blue light, try using this for a couple of hours before switching off your device.
I find reading before bed a good way to switch off from the stresses of the day and without the added blue light of the TV or my phone.
5 It’s great to find something to help you focus and relax and we talk about mindfulness a lot these days. I have found that the headspace app is a great starting point for learning how to breathe and focus, even if you only manage ten minutes a day it’s a great start or you might find a mindfulness class helpful. Contact The Complementary Health Care Clinic at 34 Exchange Street for info on upcoming mindfulness classes.
If you still struggle to get a good night’s sleep then try Dormeasan® from A.Vogel. This blend of Valerian and Hops is designed to help provide relief from temporary sleep disturbances and can help to establish a healthier sleep pattern. 30 drops half an hour before bed will help you to drop off easier and into a good quality, deep and restful sleep. Also, keep your eyes peeled for September’s edition of Your Healthy Living Magazine in store, featuring Angela’s guide to the many different sleep products available to buy.