If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you possibly already know that sleep has been a struggle for me for a long time. I’ve found it hard to get to sleep, hard to stay asleep, I’ve had poor quality sleep … and it’s a struggle to get up in the morning because I’m bloody exhausted. Sound familiar?
My sleeping habits are by no means perfect, but I’ve found a few things that are really helping me sleep better – and I’m not talking about the stuff you already know like not using your phone before bed and making sure you don’t have a TV in your room and that kind of thing, because TBH I am always gonna use my phone and have no plans to move my television (and nowhere else I can put it). Let’s get real.
Blackout Curtains
There is a streetlight outside my bedroom that is so bright it feels like I’m sleeping on a football pitch, and I put up with it for years. I got some blackout blinds from my local hardware store, put them up and suddenly it’s actually dark in my room at night – bliss! I’ve found that I sleep so much better with the blinds, and I’ve read a lot of research that says darkness is really important when you’re sleeping. If blackout blinds aren’t a possibility because you’re renting or you can’t afford them, you can always get blackout eye masks to sleep in like you’re Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl.
Make Your Bed A Nest
Last year I changed my bed set up – new bed, new duvet, nice sheets etc. I try to make my bedroom a really nice restful space with sheets that feel nice on my skin, a pillow that is super comfy and all of the cosy goodness. Fresh linen on my bed is always so lovely to slip in to, so I try to make sure I have a few sets I love and change them regularly (because fresh sheet day is always a lovely experience even if changing the duvet is a pain). I recently got this duvet cover and it’s so lovely on my bed.
My favourite pyjamas are always from Peter Alexander
Temperature
When it was 30ºC at midnight over summer, I noticed I was having a lot of trouble sleeping – not all that surprising, right? Sleep.org suggests that the optimal bedroom temperature for sleep is 60-67ºF (15-19ºC), so that’s a big difference! Over summer we have been using a fan to cool things down, and in winter I’ve made sure our house is well insulated, plus I resealed the windows using a special doublesided foam tape that I picked up from the hardware store (it was super easy!).
Doug gets super warm in bed all year round, so he’s got one of the Sleepyhead Ventilated FusionGel Pillows to help with temperature regulation and he often throws off the covers. I get cold so in winter I’m more like to use a hot water bottle to warm up my side of the bed, and I tend to wear long pyjama pants most nights.
Bedtime Reminders
A few months ago I found a feature on my iPhone that I’d never used before and it’s been great for helping me get to bed on time. There is a Bedtime feature in the clock app that allows you to pick what time you want to go to bed, and what time you want to wake up. It sends you a reminder that it’s almost bedtime (I choose to get mine 30 minutes before bedtime but you can change that to suit you), and that’s when I start my nightly routine of brushing my teeth, washing my face, and getting ready for bed. At the time you’ve chosen as your wake up time, an alarm goes off, just like a regular alarm would. I usually have my bedtime set for 11.00pm and get up at 7.00am.
Magnesium
Once I’ve washed my face and brushed my teeth, I take magnesium. My nutritionist recommended it to me a few years ago and I’ve taken it ever since and really notice a difference in how it helps me fall asleep (plus it has a whole bunch of other benefits as well). There are lots of different kinds out there, but the one I buy is the GO Healthy Go Magnesium 1-A-Day because it’s natural and I only have to take one pill a day compared to some other brands.
My nightly skincare routine is really important to help me wind down
Sleepy Body Lotion
Y’all know how much I love my Sleepy Body Lotion from Lush! I’ve been using it for around two years now and as lavender is a natural relaxant, it’s great for helping me to unwind at the end of the day. Obviously it also has the benefit of moisturising my skin as well, so it’s a win/win.
Dermalogica Sound Sleep Cocoon
When it comes to bedtime I’m basically all about that lavender life. I have my regular skincare routine and then as the last step in my bedtime routine, I’ve been using the Dermalogica Sound Sleep Cocoon for the last few months and love what it does for my skin (it’s super hydrating and leaves my skin feeling soft). It’s got some other benefits as well – it has encapsulated, motion-activated French Lavender Essential Oil, so when I roll over the lavender scent is released and this promotes deep, restful sleep. I’ve noticed that I sleep through the night more often when I’m using lavender products so this one is a winner for me!
Do you have any sleep tips?
Share them with us below!
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Sleep stories from an app called Calm….hearing stories about fields of lavender with a few drops of lavender oil on my pillow is just about perfect!
Ooh yes, I remember you talking about the sleep stories! I am totally here for a soothing bedtime story, downloading now!
I have major sleep problems too so this article is really helpful!
If it starts to affect how you function the next day I would suggest asking you GP to give you the sleep questionnaire and try and get a night at the Sleep Clinic. Its life changing, I always had sleep apnea but it is much worse since I gained a lot of weight. I went to the clinic and they said I stopped breathing 123 times an hour!! So at night I didnt breathe more than I did! The CPAP machine is a life saver!!
That’s really good advice, always worth talking to your GP! I know a few people who have sleep apnea (of all sizes) and dealing with that is so important. Glad to hear you’ve gotten help for yours 😀
Great tips! After staying in a hotel a couple of years back with the SOFTEST mattress, my husband put a spare duvet down as an underlay I guess…our bed is so cosy now! Nice bedding makes all the difference too 🙂
Ooh that sounds so nice and cosy!!!
Nice read, thank you Meagan.
I am going through issues with sleep at present. I suffer from Sleep Apnea and use a sleep machine. This in turn doesn’t allow me to breath in the aroma, for the likes of lavender or jasmine for a better nights sleep.
I suffer from chronic restless leg syndrome, if I toss and turn and can’t sleep this is brought on and stays for hours on end. I have learnt not to have any caffeine stimulants, high sugar items or anything that reacts with my medications, to ease the restless legs. I take magnesium, have done for many years, sometimes this reacts with certain antibiotics, so have to be mindful to stop magnesium while on them.
I have no issues falling asleep at first, but wake within a couple of hours.
Have been taking Tumeric for joints and gastro-intestinal health, have had to take morning and night now because of the coldness with my joints.
Have started to take high strength fish oil tablets and (Zinc, B6 & magnesium) in one tablet, twice a day.
I decided to take this Nature’s Own Sleep Ezy, it was a big mistake. First night I took one capsule, not a good sleep at all. Second night took 2, not a very good sleep. Third night took 3(limit you can take) and not a good sleep. Didn’t take them last night and I slept for 10 hours. I don’t understand why it affected me like that.
I have learnt with a partner who snores, I couldn’t sleep with that, so every night for 4 years, I have used ear plugs that block out all noise.
We have dark curtains which works well, we are both shift workers.
I had brought a Bambillow pillow 2 years ago, its the best thing ever. I only ever need to sleep on one pillow now and not 2 pillows like I used too(not to be mistaken for the cheaper knock off bamboo pillow).
Wow, sounds like you have a lot going on with your sleep! Essential oils can help even when you can’t smell them, when I can’t smell anything because I have a cold or something I put a few drops of lavender on the bottom of my feet once I’m in bed, and rub it in. Seems to work just as well as having it up near my head! Interesting about the different supplements you take and what does/doesn’t work for you – have you ever spoken to a nutritionist or a pharmacist or a herbalist or someone like that, or did you just decide what to try?