Hands up if you're not sleeping very well right now? What with endless homeschooling, stressing about the covid-19 situation and trying to keep on top of the toilet roll situation, it's no wonder many of us are having trouble getting a good night's sleep at the mo. Thankfully, we've been trying and testing some natural sleeping tips for adults, and the result? Slightly less enormous eye bags and definitely a whole lot more zzz's.
1. Lavender spray
Apparently, people more in the know than us, ie: researchers, have found that lavender slows down the heartbeat (essential for good sleep), relaxes muscles and has calming and soothing properties. Yes, it does smell a little bit like old ladies, but it really does do the trick. We've been using the White Lavender Pillow Mist by The White Company, and it's lovely.
2. Magnesium spray, supplements and magnesium-rich food
Obvious statement alert: in order to fall asleep and stay asleep, your brain and body need to be in cahoots and actually relax, and magnesium helps this process. We've been using it in spray form (but supplements also work) and, here's the science bit, magnesium regulates your neurotransmitters which, apparently, send signals to your nervous system and brain. It's a super essential mineral for us humans anyway, but many of us actually don't absorb enough through diet alone. Warning: when you spray it on your bod, you may feel an uncomfortable burning sensation. No need to panic, it's just a natural reaction to your body building a tolerance to it being rapidly absorbed through your skin. Try the BetterYou Magnesium Spray available online via Holland & Barrett.
If you're not keen on taking magnesium as a supplement, then foods rich in this wonder mineral include dark chocolate (woohoo!), avocado, nuts, legumes, wholegrain and seeds.
3. Chamomile tea
People have been drinking chamomile tea as a sleep aid for donkey's years, and it definitely seems to have some good sleep benefits. Interesting fact: chamomile is a mild tranquilliser and it contains an antioxidant called apigenin, which may help initiate a decent night's kip.
4. Milk
More science stuff: milk contains tryptophan which is an amnio acid that helps the human bod produce serotonin. And guess what serotonin does? In turn it produces melatonin which is great for inducing deeper and more restful sleep. Bonus: there's lots of calcium in milk (no prize for stating the obvious), and maintaining good calcium levels helps a person stay asleep.
5. Reading before lights out
Reading before bed can help speed up the time it takes to fall asleep. Why? Because reading is a proven stress reducer, plus distracting your brain with someone else's story and/or new info, helps take your mind off of your own woes/problems/worries. Choose something fairly lighthearted: horror-type stories are probably best avoided close to bedtime!
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