I struggle with my sleep. I have a disability that delivers a lot of pain which disturbs my sleep, my mental health can get in the way of sleeping peacefully too, and living around screens and being on them the majority of my day probably doesn’t help. There have been a few points in my life where I’ve had no other choice but to take sleeping pills. Let’s just say more than one ugly day spent on no sleep or maximum 3 hours really puts life into perspective. I’m always trying to work on other ways I can help myself sleep, so here’s a list of 6 products I am trialling, I thought I would share in case anyone reading is in a similar situation.
1 Lavender essential oils
I’m big on aromatherapy so a few of these items will technically come under that, but let’s start with the O.G. Essential oils can be used in a variety of ways: you can use an oil burner, put a couple of drops on or next to your pillow, a couple of drops on your wrists, even a couple of drops in your bath. These are pretty accessible, you can buy it online if you’re at a loss for a shop that would supply essential oils.
2 Magnesium supplement
So I’ve written up a whole post dedicated to magnesium but it’s definitely a huge part in getting better sleep. Most of the western world is deficient in magnesium and most of us suffer with poor sleep and anxiety. If you want to know more details on this, please go read my previous post with a lot more details. Holland & Barrett are who I buy from, but you might be able to buy them on other websites or similar retailers in other countries.
3 Magnesium oil spray
If you’re not great with pills, you can use a magnesium oil spray (there are also magnesium creams but I’ve been told the oil is better), it’s also true that it’s difficult to absorb magnesium through your gut and you’re more likely to soak more in through the skin! So this might be a better option anyway. I got this from Holland & Barrett as well.
4 Rescue Night tongue spray
I’m not sure where I picked this up or what exactly it is, but you spray it under your tongue before bed. It tastes like sweet flowers, very weird. During my research, on the website under How Does It Work? It says, ‘The Bach Flower Remedies is a safe and natural method of healing. They gently restore the balance between mind and body by casting out negative emotions such as fear, worry, hatred and indecision, which interfere with the equilibrium of the being as a whole. The Bach Flower Remedies allow peace and happiness to return to the sufferer so that the body is free to heal itself.’ Bit vague. I can’t find anywhere anything more specific. But if you’re struggling to sleep, it’s worth a shot. You can buy the Rescue Remedy products on Amazon. You may find a slightly different product would be better for you.
5 Sleeptherapy bed linen spray
This is one of my favourite products. I’ve been using this on and off for over ten years. It smells super nice and calming, I love giving my bed a good heavy spray in the evening before bed and letting it waft and mix with the lavender oil. I actually need to get myself a refill. This is from Avon.
6 Sleeptherapy wrist balm
Same brand as #5, this is a balm you rub onto your inner wrists. It has a really subtle smell. Apparently you can rub it onto your temples too, I’d say it would make a good massage type product for temples but I’ve never used it there. This is good for travel as it is small, you don’t need to use much, and you can have it in your carry on. I’ve also bought other essential oil balms, Rosehip oil, hemp/CBD oil, and a stronger lavender oil. You can also create your own with coconut oil and lavender oil mixed together in a little jam jar.
Other items I’ve tried and recommend: Iron supplements if you find you have restless leg it has been found to help, Vitamin D has also been found to help quality and quantity of sleep and most of us are deficient, turns out a lot of vitamins actually so have a read of this article here, Herbal tea I’ve used a lavender one which doesn’t taste great but helps to trigger relaxation, Bath salts normally Epsom salts but also Dead Sea salts but really anything with Magnesium in! Relaxing muscles by getting through the skin quicker. Try calming lights leading up to be or at night, salt lamps are popular choices it’s similar to having your phone change to the more yellow screen light before bed.
Get some plants for your room! I’ve read that they help to clean the air in your bedroom which then helps you to sleep at night. I personally have a snake plant that sucks toxins out of the air during the day and releases oxygen at night, it’s also easy to care for with the light I have and doesn’t need much watering, and a peace lily which thrives in low light and increases humidity of a room helping you breathe at night. There are plenty of plants to choose from, you just need to find on to suit your bedroom needs. Check out this list here.
These are all products that can help you make a healthy bedtime ritual even if it turns out the products don’t technically do much. But once your body understands that a certain smell and rubbing a soothing balm on your wrists means it’s time to wind down and go to sleep, that’s the important thing.
Let me know in the comments if there are any products you use that help you sleep, I’m always looking for more to try myself, and I hope you get a good night’s sleep.
~Artie
ArtieCarden 