Top Tips for Better Quality Sleep

Nature's Soft Nurse, aka sleep, significantly helps your body and brain function properly.

Sleep is an essential function that allows your mind and body to recharge, leaving you refreshed and revitalised the next day. Winding down through meditation, practising restorative yoga or simply relaxing on the couch with a cuppa herbal tea before bedtime can all help to calm our nervous system and induce a sleepy state. We recommend the aromatic taste of Pukka Night Time, blended with oat flower, lavender and limeflower to help soothe you into a place of restful sleep! 

Additionally, we love to spritz our pillows (and ourselves!) with Sleep Better Pillow Mist by Tisserand. Perfect for people who struggle to switch off at bedtime. This dreamy blend combines 100% natural pure essential oils of soothing lavender, warm sandalwood & calming jasmine. 

Discover some essential tips below that you can incorporate into your routine to help improve your quality sleep:  

1. Reduce Caffeine.

Some of us can’t get through the day without a morning coffee but did you know too much can affect your sleep? It can take up to 10 hours for our body to eliminate caffeine so make sure to keep your coffee and caffeine containing drinks to before 12pm. Caffeine can also be found in certain teas, soft drinks and energy drinks. Some caffeine-free alternatives include herbal teas, chicory (tastes just like coffee!) or decaffeinated tea and coffee. When choosing decaf alternatives, be sure to choose ones made with the “Swiss water method” as some companies use a chemical process to decaffeinate their products. 

2. Daily Exercise. 

We all know that exercise is good for our bodies but it’s also good for our mood and sleep. Exercising reduces our stress hormone cortisol and increases our feel good hormone endorphins which helps us relax and get a better night’s sleep. Walking in nature is one of the best ways to reduce stress and keeping high intensity exercise to the morning or afternoon so we have enough time to wind down in the evening. Yoga is a great way to wind down before going to bed, as well as gentle stretching. 

3. Journalling Before Bed.

When thoughts and worries are running around in our head it can be difficult to shut them out and wind down for sleep. Writing down how we’re feeling and what is worrying us can be a great way to reduce stress. A problem shared is a problem halved!

4. Reduce Screentime. 

The screens from our TVs, phones and laptops emit what’s called blue light which mimics daylight. Exposure to blue light tells our brain that it’s still daytime which can stop us from feeling sleepy when we need to be. It is suggested that we put away our screens at least an hour before bed, or two hours is best. Another way to limit our exposure to blue light is to turn our devices on “night mode” which is gentler on our eyes. Blue light glasses are also an option, as well as using lamps and candles in the evening instead of harsh overhead lights.  

5. Refrain From Eating Late. 

We all have busy lives and may be eating later than we should be. Eating too soon before bed can have an affect on sleep as we need a lot of energy to digest our food. If we go to sleep without digesting our food completely, it can cause indigestion which may wake us in the night. It is recommended that the latest we eat is 4 hours before bedtime to give our bodies a chance to digest. Keeping our evening meals light and easy to digest gives us the best chance of getting a good night’s rest.

Here at Discount Health Store our experienced team highly recommend Cherry Night by Viridian as a nutritional nightcap, as well as Magnesium bisglycinate, and powerful herbal remedies such as Valerian and lavender oil. 

If you have any questions with regarding this blog or about any of our products, feel free to contact our team at Discount Health Store who will be happy to assist you with any questions you may have! 

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