Thank you to Time4Sleep for my lovely bedtime goodie box*: Anatomicals mask, This Works – Stress less, Sleep Easy Pillow Mist, The Dream Dictionary and Dr.Stuart’s Valerian Plus
I’m not someone who finds it easy to fall asleep at night. Even when I was very young I’d stay awake late reading or making up an imaginary world with my teddies. Things haven’t changed much, even the teddies are still knocking about. My sleep fluctuates throughout the year depending on work and life. Recently it’s been pretty bad so I’ve been taking some steps towards improving my night time routine, especially on a Sunday.
Sunday’s are the one day of the week that I now try and do as little work as possible. It doesn’t always happen, it can be hard to filter in time to yourself when you’re self-employed but at least I’m trying. I’ve put together a list of things I’ve been doing to wind down and relax on a Sunday night:
– Prepare for the week ahead – I like to decide what I’m going to wear, put my gym bag together and write a short to do list with things that must be done on Monday. Doing this makes me feel relaxed. I know that I wont have to rush around looking for an outfit, forget my gym socks and I’m prepared and ready for work.
– Tidy and clean – I like to clear the clothes from the chair in my bedroom, tidy up my make-up box and neaten up my bedside table. If my bedroom isn’t tidy I can’t relax and end up feeling uncomfortable in bed.
– Skincare – On Sunday I enjoy using intensive hair, face and hand treatments. It’s a relaxing process and at the end of the week my hair and skin has been through a lot. A few of my favourite products for this are; Hangover Hair from DGJ Organics and Repairing Night Cream from Mavala. I don’t have a favourite face mask at the moment so feel free to point me in the direction of any you like for dry and sensitive skin.
– Tea – I love a good cup of tea at the end of the night. At the moment I’ve been going for peppermint or anything filled with chamomile, lemongrass or valerian. I’ve particularly been enjoying Sleep Easy and Valerian Plus, although my cupboard is filled with many more varieties and Chash Tea do an excellent chamomile.
– Read – It’s all too easy to spend an hour or so on the phone before bed and I’m always guilty of this, are you? I’m trying really hard to replace that hour with a book. At the moment I’m reading a book via my iPad and although a real book would probably be better for my eyes, it’s a start. Reading helps me to cut off from worries about the week ahead and also gives me the chance to start winding down before sleep.
– No laptop, tablets or phones – This is an important one. I try as hard as I can to avoid using electronics throughout the evening. If I pick up my phone or start reading blogs I can be there for hours and as much as I enjoy it, it keeps my brain active and awake. Does anyone else start writing blog posts in their head if they can’t sleep?
– Eye mask – If you share a room then investing in an eye mask can help you to block out the bright light and avoid getting laptop time envy. I was recently sent one as part of the #BeatTheFear bedtime goodie box and I’ve been using it much more than I originally expected.
– Yoga – A few basic stretches or 10 minutes of meditation is a good way of introducing some quiet time into the evening. I personally try to do 15 minutes of stretches before I get into bed. I’ve recently started to follow various guides over on YouTube and they’ve also been helping with my back pains.
– Stress Less from This Works – Yes, I was sent this as part of my bedtime box but I wasn’t asked to review it. However, I think I will be talking about this in another post, I absolutely love this stuff and I’m keen to try more from the brand. I’ve been rolling the product onto my wrists every night before I fall asleep. I take a little time to breathe in the eucalyptus and lavender scent and try to focus on my breathing. I’ve found that Stress Less helps to clear my head and feel more calm. It also works really well if you’ve got a cold.
Time4sleep are running the #BeatTheFear campaign and are determined to help everyone to embrace Monday mornings and learn to relax on a Sunday evening. They’ve been sharing some useful tips and advice over on their blog so be sure to take a look.
What are your tips for a relaxing Sunday night?