Sleep, Glorious Sleep – my tips for getting a good nights rest

Sleep and I haven’t always been the best of friends. 15 years of always having a baby or toddler obviously have meant that my sleep has been pretty much broken every night for a very long time! I’ve also struggled over the years with insomnia, which is incredibly frustrating at the best of times, but when you know the little ones will be waking you up in the night and early in the morning, is even more annoying.

Two years ago, my insomnia returned worse than ever. I was barely sleeping for an hour or two each night, and I felt awful. I got to the point when I resisted going to bed as I knew I wouldn’t sleep, so I’d stay up ridiculously late in the hopes that exhaustion would mean I’d sleep at least for a little, but looking back that only made it worse. These days, I usually sleep like a baby {well, not like my babies who wake up a zillion times a night….}, along the way I figured out the things that help me to switch off and catch some zzzzz’s.

* KEEP A ROUTINE ~ we’re all too aware of the benefits of having a bedtime routine for our kiddos, yet we fail to give ourselves the same chance to sleep well. Getting to bed at the same time every night, and getting up at the same time every morning are the first steps to a healthy sleep pattern.

* CALM ENVIRONMENT ~ a quiet, calming bedroom really does help our minds to switch off, and allow us to relax enough to fall asleep. Clear the clutter from your room, choose calming colours, invest in some soft dim lighting {I love my Salt Rock Lamp for bedtime}, diffuse some essential oils, and keep the room for sleeping only.

* BAN THE SCREENS ~ screen time before bed is a big no-no. Gazing at artificial light confuses our brains into thinking it is still daytime and keeps our minds buzzing. I have a strict no-screen rule in our bedrooms, preferring to curl up with a book once I’m in bed rather than spend hours scrolling through social media.

* INVEST IN QUALITY LINEN~ this is a new revelation for me! I’d never appreciated just how much of a difference quality bed linen could make. I’ve just switched my old sheets for some fantastic Egyptian Cotton Satine sheets from Bedroommood. Oh my goodness! The first night I climbed into my bed, I swore I was never getting out. They are the silkiest, softest sheets I have ever slept in, it felt like climbing into a giant hug getting into bed that night. I love crisp white linen on my bed, as it feels like sleeping on a cloud and these sheets are honestly the best I have ever had – there is no going back to poor quality sheets for me. Even my kiddos commented on how cosy it is in my bed now!

* WIND DOWN ~ for years, I’d keep going and going and going until I crashed inot my bed and hoped to fall asleep. Now I give myself some winding down time in the evening. I switch off my screens at least an hour before bed, I have a warm drink {usually a coconut milk hot chocolate}, meditate, then curl up in bed to read for half an hour. Another thing that I have recently discovered to help me unwind is THC, visit HeraldNet.com to get the low down on the best THC Vape Cartridges.

* WHITE NOISE ~ When my son was a baby, I discovered the wonder of white noise. It was a lifesaver and made a huge difference to his sleep. When he moved into my bed, his white noise came with me and I found it lulled me to sleep. You can download a free app or use a CD – I have an app on an ancient phone that does nothing anymore other than play the white noise!

* SUBLIMINAL VIDEOS ~ I sleep with a subliminal video on pretty much every night – they are a great way of filling your brain with positive affirmations while you sleep, and can help you with so many different issues. When my insomnia plays up, I love this ‘fall asleep fast‘ video, it never fails to work for me.

What are your top tips for getting a good nights sleep?

post in collaboration with Bedroommood. All thoughts and opinions are my own.