5 Ways to Have a Better Nights Sleep*

I’ve suffered from insomnia since I was thirteen and I’ve gone into it in more detail in some other posts on my blog. However over the years i’ve found a few ways to help get a better nights sleep. Yes, I’ll probably always have insomnia but that doesn’t mean I’ll never have a good nights sleep again. Here are a few ways I can make that happen.

Invest in a Decent Mattress
Not only does a bad mattress mean an uncomfortable nights sleep, but it can also stop you getting sleep at all if you’re tossing and turning trying to get comfortable. Yes, a mattress can be expensive especially as it’s recommended you should change yours every 8 years but it’s a sound investment. You can look out for discounts or check out Groupon for great quality mattress deals.  This means you can still stay in your budget and I can guarantee it’ll mean a better nights sleep.

Take a Bath
I take a bath pretty much every single night in an attempt to chill out before crawling between the sheets. If you go with a specially formulated for a good nights sleep bubble bath liquid, that’s even better. But usually the steam from the water is enough to make me sleepy. Especially if I burn some scented candles or oil at the same time. A hot bath before bed is one of the age old remedies for not being able to sleep, they even recommend bathing your baby before bed as part of their night time routine. On night I’ve really struggled to sleep I’ve seen myself taking a bath at 3am, and 9 times out of 10 it works.

Have a Hot Drink
I’m not actually one for hot drinks, I prefer both my tea and coffee cold but when it’s not long until bedtime, or even once i’m in bed, I think nothing is more relaxing than settling down under a blanket clutching a warm mug. My best friend Bee swears by tea when she can’t sleep, and my mum too actually but I find anything with caffeine in and i’m bouncing off the wall. Instead I opt for hot chocolate or flavoured tea that is caffeine free, I love the spiced pumpkin one I have at the moment but apparently chamomile is the best if you need to get your shut eye.

Use Some Specially Formulated Sleep Better Products
There is so much on the market these days in the way of natural products to help you get a better nights sleep. From pillow sprays, to pulse point roll ons. I remember when this insomnia first started you could only really get the pillow sprays and they actually made me sneeze, so I get on much better with the roll on for my pulse point. Neom have some amazing ones. The blend of essential oils is supposed to lull you into a natural sleep. Of course if you prefer to take something orally, I can’t recommend Kalms enough, they really got me through my GCSES.

Read a Book in Low Light
And i’m not talking so low it strains your eyes but by lamp rather than the over head light. For some reason there is something about reading a book that makes me sleepy, whether it’s staring at the page, or just the fact it’s like having a bedtime story read to you which makes you feel like a child. I love nothing more than reading with only my fairylights on, then it’s not a big deal if I fall asleep before turning them off as the low lighting doesn’t wake LM.

My best piece of advice is don’t stress. I used to get myself so worked up when I couldn’t sleep but now I simply follow these tips and even I don’t fall asleep straight away I remain calm until I can naturally drift off

How do you get a better nights sleep?