After Christmas this year it struck me that my second year counts as a third, A THIRD, of my degree. It's time to knuckle down and do some serious grafting.
The problem with serious grafting is, you need to have a good sleep so that you're rested and functional and able to complete the work that you need to do. Lie-ins this term are a thing of the past.
So, here are my tried and tested top tips to get you to fall asleep at night, and they work like a dream...
1. Shower-time! Put on your 'Hits The Spot' playlist and make the shower as hot as you can take it as to relax your muscles. Use every hair and body product you own (not sure if this helps, it just makes the shower longer and more glorious.) Let the water literally wash away the days stresses and struggles and allow the music to cheer you up, from the inside out. Happy showers make happy people.
2. This might not be for everyone, but I have extremely dry skin so whenever I come out of the shower I have to moisturise every inch of me but I find an especially important area to moisturise before bed is your feet. A little bit of reflexology goes a long way and it helps to de-stress the muscles of your feet before bed and tells your body that the day is officially over. The Soap & Glory Heel Genius is especially fabulous and softening.
3. Herbal tea. Herbal teas before bed might be better than ice-cold Pimm's on a hot summer's day. Be careful to always buy the dreamtime varieties though. My current favourite is the Whittard's Dreamtime Flavoured Fruit Infusion - courtesy of my sister. But this Pukka Night-time also works a charm (and a little more purse-friendly.) I find herbal tea works best when piping hot and sipped slowly. It absolutely never works to it's full potential when it is gulped down. Are we in a rush here? Oh hell no. We are relaxed to the max.
4. My new favourite thing to do when drinking my herbal tea in bed (by candlelight, just to intensify the relaxing atmosphere) is to listen to an audiobook using the Audible app. Currently I'm listening to Middlemarch which is read by Juliet Stevenson, I'm only a couple of chapters in but it comes highly recommended.
My brain throughout the day is constantly working and thinking forward to everything else I need to do. Stopping and drinking some tea while listening to an audiobook just helps my brain to slow down to a pace where all it has to do is keep my body operating,
5. The fifth and final thing once I've turned off my audiobook, set my alarm and blown out the candle, is to take seven good deep breaths. Every time I do this I am nearly instantly asleep. For me it's like an off switch, all the extra carbon dioxide is out of my body and the oxygen filling me up - as well as all my previous tricks - sends me to sleep quicker than drinking a bottle of wine (which is also another foolproof way to fall asleep ,,, also tried and tested.)
If you want to be extra smug and extra rested, lighting an incense stick helps de-clutter my room of negative/stressful energies, thus creating a better sleeping environment.
So there we go! I hope something on here helps you in someway. Next week, top tips on how to get up in the morning...
Much love xx
(Footnote - if you have a noisy child/father/housemates/animals these Boots Wax Earplugs cancel out all noise. I've used them whilst sleeping in the same bed as my boyfriend, who snores like nobody's business, and they have not failed me yet.)
No comments :
Post a Comment