I used to think I had a regular sleeping pattern, turns out I actually don't and having done a sleep study through the local hospital, instead of getting what I assumed was 7-8 hours sleep a night, I actually get 4-5 hours of what is called 'good sleep'. Having turned down copious amounts of medication to help me sleep, I prefer to use natural remedies, many of which include lavender, as I find it helps.
This week is the start of National Sleep Awareness Week and the lovely people over at Holland and Barrett sent me a selection of their newest sleep products and some expert tips to see if it would help me get a better nights sleep. Always up for a challenge, my package arrived and I dived right in.
Miaroma Pure Essentials Lavender Bath Oil is just a delight to use. You only need a few drops into your bath water for the aroma to come to life. Lavender is commonly used to calm an active mind and it can also be good for nervous feelings. I always find that something with Lavender in does help with calming and it does stop my mind racing and adding it to my bath water, left me feeling calm and ready for bed. Miaroma Relaxing Lavender Temple Balm, which combines a soothing blend of Lavender, Sandalwood, Chamomile and Patchouli, not only smells incredible, but is perfect for promoting restfulness. With these two products, I found both of them really helpful in promoting relaxation.
This week is the start of National Sleep Awareness Week and the lovely people over at Holland and Barrett sent me a selection of their newest sleep products and some expert tips to see if it would help me get a better nights sleep. Always up for a challenge, my package arrived and I dived right in.
Miaroma Pure Essentials Lavender Bath Oil is just a delight to use. You only need a few drops into your bath water for the aroma to come to life. Lavender is commonly used to calm an active mind and it can also be good for nervous feelings. I always find that something with Lavender in does help with calming and it does stop my mind racing and adding it to my bath water, left me feeling calm and ready for bed. Miaroma Relaxing Lavender Temple Balm, which combines a soothing blend of Lavender, Sandalwood, Chamomile and Patchouli, not only smells incredible, but is perfect for promoting restfulness. With these two products, I found both of them really helpful in promoting relaxation.
Tisserand Sweet Dreams Body Oil is fragranced with calming Lavender, comforting Sandalwood and relaxing Jasmine. In a skin-pampering base of Jojoba and Moringa, this luxurious body oil is rich in nourishing vitamins, antioxidants and Omega 6 & 9 fatty acids. Sleep guru, Dr Ramlakhan suggests creating a special pre-bed routine that helps you feel relaxed. So again, Lavender comes into play with this body oil which is a delight to use and once I have completed my double face cleanse and added my night creams, I now use this body oil, which is soothing and moisturising.
Moving to supplements which are not something I have ever considered using, even though I have always shunned medication. In my package there was a choice of four different ones to try - 5-HTP, Lemon Balm, Passionflower Stress Relief and B6. Each one of these supplements have different ways of working, depending on your sleeping issue.
Valerian Plus is a traditional herbal remedy that calms the brain and body to soothe stress and anxiety so that sleep can occur naturally. I know that if I have got a lot on with work (I have a full time job as well as blogging) with a to-do list that is never-ending, my mind works overtime with the things I have still got to do. Over the past week, I have tried these tablets twice and with success, I didn't fall asleep immediately, but I did feel relaxed enough to fall asleep.
5 HTP (the HTP standing for Hydroxytryptophan) is designed to ensure that the quality of your sleep is improved and it does so by increasing the amount of time people spend in both deep and rapid-eye-movement sleep. I am yet to give these a try but having read a lot of reviews, they come highly rated and will be perfect for when the Insomnia kicks in.
Lemon Balm is a traditional herbal medicinal product used for the temporary relief of symptoms of mild anxiety, to aid sleep and for mild digestive complaints such as bloating and flatulence. Stress and anxiety keep 47% of us awake at night and again the advice from Dr Ramlakhan is to write a worry list, that list should include everything that is bothering you enough to keep you awake with a hope that once it is written down, it is then out of your head.
Lemon Balm is a traditional herbal medicinal product used for the temporary relief of symptoms of mild anxiety, to aid sleep and for mild digestive complaints such as bloating and flatulence. Stress and anxiety keep 47% of us awake at night and again the advice from Dr Ramlakhan is to write a worry list, that list should include everything that is bothering you enough to keep you awake with a hope that once it is written down, it is then out of your head.
If Lemon Balm doesn't sound quite right for you, then Stress Relief Passionflower tablets are again a traditional herbal medicinal product used for the temporary relief of symptoms associated with stress, such as mild anxiety all of which should help make it easier for you to sleep.
B6 is said to help replenish your B6 levels because a deficiency in it can lead to sleep problems. So for me, when I next get my bout of insomnia, I intent to try the Bedtime B6 capsules to see if it helps make a difference.
Caffeine is also said to be an ingredient that has long since been associated with irregular sleep patterns or the preventing sleep in some cases. I cut caffeine out of my life almost 2 years ago now, more because I became a little too reliant on it. So now, if I want a treat, I might go to Starbucks, otherwise it is decaf or fruit teas.
In my little package I have three different drinks that I have tried. The first is Creamy Chamomile with Cocoa. As a child if I couldn't sleep, I would be given Horlicks or warm milk, both of which I still drink occasionally. This drink uses Chamomile which is traditionally valued for its soothing abilities and when drunk it promotes relaxation and reduces stress. Adding the Cocoa and Lemon Balm, makes for a really tasty drink and one that is perfect for bedtime.
Dr Stuart's Virtuous Valerian is a product that you will either love or hate, it takes a bit of getting used to because I found it to be quite bitter tasting but again with the added Valerian, it does help you wind down and relax and is perfect for drinking as your last drink before bed.
The final item is Higher Living Chamomile and Vanilla, as a brand I am a fan of Higher Living teas, especially the green tea coconut. Chamomile and Vanilla is quite fragrant but perfect for drinking at any time of the day, the vanilla just adds a bit of sweetness to the Chamomile, which can again be quite bitter.
Knowing that I am not alone in not getting enough sleep, infact 70% of Britons are said to be in the same statistic, is quite reassuring and knowing that I can pull my head out of the stand and try products that are of a herbal nature to help reduce stress, anxiety and worry to help me sleep better is comforting. Holland and Barrett have given me food for thought when it comes to my own sleeping pattern and with a number of products still to make my way through, I know that Lavender is something I associate with calming and restfulness, so it is something I need to ensure I have when sleep doesn't come.
Over the past 7 days, I have slept better than I have done in a long long time. The regular use of Lavender, the Creamy Chamomile with Cocoa and the Valerian Plus, have all ensured that I feel rested and raring to go when my alarm rudely awakens me the following morning. If you are trying to decide what works best, it is simply a case of trying what you think might help, working out what it is that is making you restless and taking it from there.
All of the products mentioned within this post can be found in Holland & Barrett stores and online.
Over the past 7 days, I have slept better than I have done in a long long time. The regular use of Lavender, the Creamy Chamomile with Cocoa and the Valerian Plus, have all ensured that I feel rested and raring to go when my alarm rudely awakens me the following morning. If you are trying to decide what works best, it is simply a case of trying what you think might help, working out what it is that is making you restless and taking it from there.
All of the products mentioned within this post can be found in Holland & Barrett stores and online.
What would you recommend most out of these things to help with sleep? I don't think I get anywhere near as much as I need x
ReplyDeleteAnything Lavender helps me, but it is a personal choice as to what you feel will work for you x
DeleteI might try some of these as I struggle to sleep! Thank you for sharing x
ReplyDeleteI do like lavender products but on their own they just aren't enough. My sleep is so awful :( I will look at some of these, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely don't get enough sleep, I'm terrible - prior to starting my antidepressants I used to use 5-HTP and after a few weeks did find them effective; let us know if they work for you!
ReplyDeleteSammy xo.
www.littlefickle.com
I love the look of all their products! I probably would end up not waking-up in time to get my daughter ready for school :)
ReplyDeleteI sleep very well and quite deeply - high winds and storms don't wake me! I don't don't coffee and most of the tea I drink is either decaff or fruit tea. My husband though often says he doesn't sleep well so I think I shall subtly try to implement some of these remedies.
ReplyDeleteI don't sleep 4 to 5 hours a night let alone be able to guess how much of my sleep is good sleep. I think I am just used to being totally shattered all the time. Tbh I think I've tried everything you suggest here and more. Guess I'm destined to be tired
ReplyDeleteI haven't had one single night of continuous sleep for the last 20 months (that's since my little one was born) but even in the nights when she goes a couple of hours between awakenings, I struggle to get to a deep sleep. I think I might need to try some of these products and see how it goes! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post and very informative! Will look out for those products and do some research. :-) Afshan.
ReplyDeleteThe lavender temple balm sounds perfect for me as I get headaches and have trouble sleeping too. I would love to try this out.
ReplyDeleteoh this looks a fab book I dont sleep at all so am desperate to try anything
ReplyDeleteOh what a great range of products - I love lavender it is so effective. Kaz x
ReplyDeleteI don't sleep much either, So i might try Relaxing Lavender Temple Balm. See if it helps. I used 5HTP when I had PND as an alternative to AD
ReplyDeleteA sleep challenge sounds like my kind of challenge, haha. Those teas sound amazing!
ReplyDeleteI love anything lavender and also camomile tea so thus sounds right up my street. At the moment I can't sleep because if severe SPD plus a toddler who doesn't always sleep through, but once those things are under control I'd like to improve my sleeping habits xx
ReplyDeleteThe chamomile and cocoa drink sounds lovely. Sadly none of those would work for me with a toddler waking through the night :( maybe we should try lavender in his room ... Anything is worth a go!
ReplyDeleteThey obviously have helped you then, I might give these a go as I am a terrible sleeper and always have been
ReplyDeleteI too struggle too sleep and although it's productive for blogging lol it's not for sanity haha. I love the idea of doing it the natural way I too don't want to medicate myself, I really don't think that would be the answer. Really useful post x
ReplyDeleteOhh I had no idea it was National Sleep Week! How ironic - I've been really struggling to sleep this week!! I'm definitely going to try out some of these. x
ReplyDeleteJodie
alajode.com
I must give this a go. I've become a really bad sleeper.
ReplyDeleteAHHHH this post is like the answer to all my prayers at the moment - I'm 30 weeks pregnant and really suffering with bad sleep. I've half a mind to head to Holland and Barrett tomorrow and buy all the things you mentioned. I may have to just settle on picking a couple of products though and will definitely try out some of the lavender products. I LOVE lavender and anything that helps calm me down has got to be a good thing. Thanks for such a wonderful review post - so nice to have such a large range of products all helping towards the same thing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea. I have no trouble getting off to sleep it is just that once I am, if I wake up I struggle to get back of and end up getting up around 5 if not before.
ReplyDeleteI've been struggling to sleep decently and continuously and so this post came out. what a timely article! the products look really relaxing and the varieties they have.
ReplyDeleteI need this post! I've bookmarked it and will return regularly because my sleep pattern is messed up. Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sleeping well recently. I'll have to try and mixture of products.
ReplyDeleteMy husband uses valerin but I'm not too keen but have been using kalms which works a bit.
I suffer from insomnia and i refuse to take medication for it i am always looking for natural products i need to check out holland and barrett.
ReplyDeleteProducts with lavender in it always relaxes me and I get great night sleep :) Great post hun x
ReplyDeleteLaura
Öku Möku
H&B are releasing some great new products at the moment. I love it. Great post lovely. xxx
ReplyDeleteLavender always helps me doze off, as does a good bath! I really don't like the taste of chamomile but I need to change my taste buds!
ReplyDeleteJodie @ Jodetopia x