How to improve your sleep routine in six easy steps.
We are often asked at Healing Alternatives what is the one thing we can all do to improve our wellbeing and health and our answer is always the same - Work on improving your Sleep!
On average we spend a third of our lives sleeping but more and more of us struggle to get a good night's sleep. If this is you, don't worry you are not alone. In the UK the number of people that struggle with sleep is a staggering 1 in 3. If you are one of those people help is on its way! In this guide, we will discuss some tips that will help you sleep better at night. We will also introduce you to our Sleep Easy Collection, which can help you get the most out of your sleep experience. So what are you waiting for? Get started on improving your sleep today!
Let's start with the magic numbers - as we age the amount of sleep that we need gradually reduces from 14-17 hours as a newborn to just 7 or 8 hours as an older adult. How much should we actually be getting - let's break down the numbers.
So what can we do to improve our chances of getting a good night's sleep and hitting those magic numbers night after night? Follow our Healing Alternatives list of tips to find out.
Step 1
Establish a healthy routine designed to help your body and mind prepare for sleep before bed and stick to it. This is easier said than done, our brightly lit, wirelessly connected lives offer a myriad of distractions. From late-night binge-watching of TV to catching up with friends on social media. If you want a good night's sleep you need to be disciplined.
Step 2
Prepare by: Aiming to have dinner at least four hours before going to bed. If this is not feasible then make lunch your main meal of the day and have a light supper. Indigestion and restless nights are old bedfellows. Try one of these sleep boosting snack suggestions; a cup of warm milk with turmeric & cardamon, a banana or a handful of almonds an hour before bed.
Step 3
Prepare by: Cutting down on TV, Smart Phones & tablets before bed. Screens disrupt the production of melatonin our sleep hormone. If you must, then add some Izipizi screen glasses to filter out 40% of the blue light that disrupts sleep. Read “How to Break up with your Phone” by science journalist Catherine Price. You won’t have to break up with it forever but you will be more mindful of how you use it!
Step 4
Prepare by: Making sure your sleep space is fit for purpose. Keep your room dark, make sure all your tech is in night mode, and use our H:A Sleep Easy Pillow Spray on your pillow. Our all-natural Sleep Easy Pillow Spray is the perfect way to ensure a restful night’s sleep. The carefully balanced blend of Peppermint and Lavender supports deep relaxation overnight to set you up for a positive and productive start to the day. Just two quick sprays on your pillow will help to improve your sleep pattern and help you to wake up refreshed and reinvigorated.
Step 5
Relax: Take a warm bath with either our H:A Sleep Easy Bath Salts or Sleep Easy Bath Oil before bed. They are the perfect way to end a busy day, created to calm the mind and relax the body. Our Bath Salts are made using all-natural Dead Sea Salt Flakes which are rich in minerals including magnesium, infused with Lavender and Clary Sage. Our Sleep Easy Bath Oil comprises a blend of all-natural Lavender. Just add a few drops of the Sleep Easy Bath Oil or a couple of decent handfuls of our Sleep Easy Bath Salts to help calm and relax the body while preparing you for a deep and restorative night's sleep.
Step 6
The Final touches: Now you are feeling relaxed it's time to climb into bed, you may still be finding it hard to drift off so for the final touch we recommend using either our Our Sleep Easy Roll-On the perfect combination of all-natural Oils, Lavender and Marjoram or our Sleep Easy Balm, Oil, Lavender and Orange. All our topicals have been created to release their calming scents throughout the night and to help you drift off into a deep sleep, leaving your mind and body refreshed and ready to take on whatever life has to throw at you.
