Sleep: What's It All About?
Experts say that we spend a third of our life asleep - wow, that feels like a lot, but it is so worth it!
It's presumed that sleep restores the body and mind - giving you the chance to rest and get ready for the next day ahead.
"Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body, characterised by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles during rapid eye movement sleep, and reduced interactions with surroundings"
It has become increasingly clear that no matter how hectic our lives may be, we can no longer afford to ignore what research is telling us about the importance of sleep for our safety and mental and physical well-being.
Some things that stand in the way of a good nights sleep include
- Eating a large meal before bedtime
- Sleeping somewhere too cold, too warm or too noisy
- Using your bedroom for lots of different things
- Consuming alcohol, caffeine or smoking before bed
As a wellness brand we naturally encourages rest, relaxation, sleep and all things zen - sleep is a notion which we very much support. We believe you should do as much as you can to fuel your body and prepare it for the busy moments modern life brings.
There is an ongoing debate around how much sleep is best. We feel it is important to recognise that we are all unique and our minds and bodies work in different ways - some of us love having lots of sleep, whereas others thrive on less sleep and still spring out of bed in the morning.
For those that struggle to sleep...
We encourage you to take the body as a whole, taking little steps to calm your mind and body in the run up to bedtime. The modern world we live in is busy and hectic with many distractions and reasons not to fall asleep.
- Technology and stress are some of the biggest causes of sleep issues. While the stresses of life are hard to resolve easily - technology is one we can control. Try to stop that next episode of your current series and park your phone for the night at least (if not more) 1 hour before bed. Give your mind a break from the bright screen and a chance to start winding down.
Idyllic bath time scene from one of our lovely stockists - Oddbird
- Take a calming bath - decompress in the age-old way with warm water therapy. We suggest adding our Lavender Mist Spray and light a few candles, to help further your relaxation and calm the mind.
- Some light stretches and deep breathing from Hatha and Nidra yoga are proven to ease your body and mind in a calm state.
- Reading a book is a wonderful way to escape into another world and send your mind into a lighter pace and off to the land of nod.
- Do not lie awake in bed at night. If it takes more than 15 minutes to fall asleep, get up and do something relaxing and come back to bed when you are feeling more sleepy.
- Get 15 to 30 minutes of sunlight immediately upon awakening or at sunrise.
Our products can help you rest and reset before, during and after sleep.
- Our Yoga Eye Pillow is a natural and versatile tool to soothe tired eyes, block out unwanted light and help deepen your relaxation. Use it heated up or cooled, over your eyes for a restful night.
- Our Wheat Bag can provide natural pain relief and create cosy warmth. Leave it under your duvet for a natural way to heat your bed before you get in. Alternatively, for help sleeping through a hot night leave our wheat bag in your freezer during the day and bring it out when it's time to snooze.
The National Sleep Foundation has more information on the benefits of sleep as well as healthy sleep habits and facts about sleep quality. You can find out more here.
We wish all of our friends many peaceful nights of sleep as we ease into the colder nights and frosty mornings. If you have any questions about how to use our products, you can contact us here. We are always happy to help.
