On any given evening I don’t know what the night holds for me. Will I fall and stay asleep or will I be thumb twiddling at four a.m?
I have struggled with bouts of insomnia and poor sleep most of my adult life and having tried various things I now have a routine that seems to be helping and although my sleep isn’t perfect, it is much better than it has been. Whether you are a serial insomniac like me or just suffer occasionally here are a few of my tips for a restful night :
- Bookend your day with exercise: I start the day with a walk in my local area or spend some time on the cross trainer followed by an invigorating flow yoga practice. At the opposite end of the day I like to do a short Yin Yoga practice to help me wind down for the day. I, like most of the world subscribe to Yoga with Adriene on Youtube and have found it to be an amazing resource. I have linked my favourite sequences down below.
- I love coffee and historically was second only to the fictional Lorelei Gilmore in my consumption of it. These days however I limit myself to 2 cups per day, both of which are consumed before 11 am.
- Research has shown that magnesium is important for aiding with restful sleep. I prefer to boost mine by eating lots of lovely magnesium rich foods throughout like Kale, spinach, buckwheat, quinoa, avocados, almonds, cashews, chia and pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate. Legumes (lentils, chickpeas and beans) are also a rich source but I have to be more careful with these as they are high FODMAP and really don’t agree with my tum. Bananas are also an excellent source and are my supper of choice.
- Post my evening yoga practice I don’t have any interaction with screens – phone, T.V or laptop. This is my official wind down that lets my brain know that I am preparing for sleep. In this time I take apply a lavender body oil. Sometimes this will be homemade blend of fractionated coconut oil, a few drops of lavender and either a drop of patchouli or frankincense or a ready made product like the bath and shower drops from The Scent to sleep range by Neom Organics. Once the oil is applied I jump into the shower where the heat and steam helps to release the essential oils that aid a restful night. I then do all the usual skincare ablutions and brush my teeth.
- I jump in to my Pjs (I find natural fibres are better for sleep) and make a warm. I know many people swear by a milky drink at bedtime but they just don’t do it for me and I prefer a herbal tea. I’m currently drinking one from Neals Yard Remedies that has the herbs chamomile, lavender and valerian in it. I do really like it but I also love the super affordable chamomile tea from Aldi and the Pukka Night Time Tea. Valerian, chamomile and lavender are know soporifics and through personal experience can vouch that I sleep better when I have had a tea with them in. I have also read some great research regarding the benefits of lemon balm for aiding sleep, however I haven’t tried it because it interferes with my thyroid medication.
- I pop some lavender essential oil into my diffuser and climb into bed between 9- 10 pm. I like to read for a short spell while I drink my tea. I tend to read fantasy fiction in the evenings because A. it is my favourite genre and B. I have found that it is more restful than other genres; for example If I read non-fiction books my brain tends to whirl all night.
- The last jobs of the night are to turn off my diffuser and to spritz my pillow with a sleep spray. I’m currently using the Deep Sleep Pillow Spray from This works; it was a thoughtful gift from my sister, Victoria and I love it. I do sleep noticeably better and I think that’s because it contains a blend of yummy essential oils rather than just lavender.
If you struggling with sleep – which given the current anxiety surrounding the Covid -19 pandemic isn’t surprising – then just implementing some of this routine might help you too.
I’m aware that I have mentioned a number of proprietary products in this blog and want to reassure you that I am in no way affiliated with any of the companies mentioned. These are the products that I have found genuinely help me and I have supplied links to either good offers and reliable suppliers
Love and light
Stella
Image by Vladislav Muslakov
Yoga with Adriene:
https://youtu.be/RQyX48NtDrQ
Fractionated coconut oil https://mothernaturesgoodies.co.uk/fractionated-coconut-oil-pure-natural-authentic-base-carrier-aromatherapy/
Lavender Oil https://www.nealsyardremedies.com/aromatherapy/aromatherapy-oils-and-blends/essential-oils/2182.html
Patchouli Oil https://www.nealsyardremedies.com/aromatherapy/aromatherapy-oils-and-blends/essential-oils/2135.html
Frankincense Oil https://www.nealsyardremedies.com/aromatherapy/aromatherapy-oils-and-blends/essential-oils/2237.html
Neom Organics https://www.neomorganics.com/products/perfect-nights-sleep-bath-oil
Neals Yard Remedies Herbal Tea https://www.nealsyardremedies.com/wellbeing/herbal-remedies/herbal-teas/8360.html
Pillow Spray https://www.thisworks.com/sleep/sleep-category/pillow-sprays/deep-sleep-pillow-spray-1145.html