Sleeping beauty.
Image by Pierre Toussaint
Insomnia sucks. A lack of sleep can make life stressful and overwhelming. It can cause everything from cavernous eye bags to a compromised immune system.
When I was a child, I could sleep anywhere. Sitting up, sitting down, on a plane, on a boat, through an earthquake or a dinner party. Nothing could stop me getting eight or nine hours of deep, restful sleep.
These days side effects of cancer treatment left me anxious and sleep-deprived but also an expert on how to get a good night of sleep even when all the odds are stacked against you.
Here are my top five tips for getting a long, peaceful night of beauty sleep.
Lavender Linen Mist
Lavender oil is widely recognised as an essential oil that aids sleep. A 2005 study showed it to increase slow-wave sleep, which is the deep, delicious sleep that makes us feel well-rested. I don’t pretend to understand the science behind it, but I know from my own experience that it works.
I like to make my own linen spray and mist my sheets when I make the bed. I bought these glass mister bottles and fill them with clean filtered water and add ten drops of organic lavender oil. If I’m finding it especially hard to sleep, I also use this oil diffuser in my room a few hours before bed.
Deep Sleep Meditation
10 minutes of meditation per day has been shown to reduce stress, aid your ability to sleep and also focus for longer stretches of time. Insight Timer is a free meditation app that has a vast number of meditations. If you find one of the voices annoying then just skip it and try a different teacher. My favourites are the Yoga Nidra for sleep and Deep Sleep Healing. They also have musical tracks that are designed to relax and slow your brain waves so you can skip the voices altogether.
Pillows For Your Eyes
This weighted lavender eye pillow is the best for tired eyes at the end of a long stressful day. I keep mine in the fridge and place it over my eyes while listening to aforementioned sleep meditation. It works brilliantly for a quick day nap to soothe puffy eyes and block out the light.
Box Breathing
Box breathing is a technique used by Navy Seals to reduce stress while in combat. They also teach it to cancer patients to help with anxiety during treatment. If you have 16 seconds, you can try it right now.
Breathe in for four seconds.
Hold for four seconds.
Breathe out for four seconds.
Hold for four seconds.
Breathing this way for even a few minutes will activate your parasympathetic nervous system and produce a sense of calm. You want to learn more about the benefits of slow, deep breathing you can read about here.
Keep Your Cool
A warm bedroom is not always a good thing when you’re trying to get a good nights sleep. The optimal temperature for sleep is 65 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees Celsius. Your body temperature naturally drops to prepare you for sleep, so if the room is cooler you are more likely to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Sweet Dreams x
P.S. None of the links in this story are affiliate links. I don’t get paid if you shop.