Sleep Solutions

You know you feel better when you’ve had a good sleep, and yet sleep can be elusive for so many of us. Whether its difficulty falling asleep or that pesky wake-up in the early hours that you can’t resettle from, be assured there is herbal help at hand to support you to a sweet slumber. We’ve also included our top lifestyle tips for improving sleep quality. Too Much of a Good Thing: Avoid over-indulging in caffeine, coffee, tea and even dark chocolate. These can all keep you awake, especially having them after 3 pm. Turn Down the Stress Right Through The Day: Use mindfulness techniques right throughout the day to calm your nervous system and re-set the stress button. Expecting your body to switch off after a frantic day is often too much, you need to keep it calmer throughout your waking hours helps us to rest easier at bedtime. Utilise a strong quality herbal tea, infused for at least five minutes, to maximise the benefits of the brew. Choose your favourite cup and sit to savour the tea, letting the ritual create a small window of space to relax into. Drink a cup after work or dinner, and another before bed to gently support a calmer nervous system and quality sleep. Get Outside: We talk about taking herbs internally, but did you know there are also amazing benefits in being around plants externally too? Time in forests, around trees and in green natural spaces helps to reduce our stress hormone levels, allowing for a greater feeling of peace and calm and, yes, a better sleep! Unplug: By now we all know the blue light from devices interferes with our biological clock – it acts like the sun, telling our brain its daytime, therefore, delaying our body’s ability to wind down when we want to sleep. Put down the devices by 8 pm!