Miranda’s SLEEP STUFF Puressential restful range include the Rest & Relax Bath- Shower (£9.99) and the Airspray (£16.99). Instructions tell you to spritz the latter into the four corners of your bedroom - then inhale 12 essential oils including rosewood, neroli, and sandlewood. It’s very calming: as is the bath and shower oil. More reasonably-priced than similar products. Tisserand Aromatherapy Sleep Better Massage & Body Oil (£9.95) The blurb says it’s rich in vitamins, antioxidants and omega fatty acids. Maybe so, but this luxurious, non-sticky oil leaves your skin feeling silky and smelling of sesame and jojoba. Great if you want to involve a partner in your wind-down routine. See other sleep products below.
Be mindful “Going back to basics helps prepare for a restful night’s sleep,” notes Deborah.“Talk to the people you live with. Read a book, not a Kindle or electronic device. Writing a journal can help empty the mind, and is a cathartic exercise. ‘You go to bed with an empty mind, having processed what you’ve done that day, and how you feel.”
Light up your life There isn’t much to be done about short days and long nights. But you can illuminate the subject by investing in a light ‘alarm clock’. “Waking up to a room bathed in light can go a long way in minimising the effects of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder, a form of depression,’ says Sophie Bostock. Try the Philips Sleep and Wake-Up Light (£149.99 philips. co.uk), or the Lumie Body Clock Glow 150 Wake Up to Daylight SAS light (£71.99 johnlewis.com).
Add sunshine to your diet Deficiency in Vitamin D can affect sleep duration and quality. The latest advice from Public Health England suggests adults and children over the age of one year should have 10 micrograms (mcg) of a vitamin D supplement every day. Take exercise in the open air whenever you can.
Park your FitBit or sleep tracker At least during night-time hours. Guy Leschziner is the clinical lead at Guy’s hospital in London, and the author of The Nocturnal Brain (Simon and Schuster). ‘Anything that draws attention to sleep can make it worse, and cause anxiety even in ‘normal sleepers’, he says. ‘Most importantly, sleep trackers do not contribute to the treatment of insomnia. They may do significant harm.’
Embrace your hours of wakefulness Columnist and author Julie Burchill calls her insomnia ‘Extra life’ and says: While such celebration is a tough ask if you are exhausted and miserable, there’s something to be said for filling your time with something that makes you happy.
A little help from hemp CBD OIL THE CBD OIL (Cannabidiol) sold in the UK is derived from Hemp, a sister plant to Marijuana that has a high CBD composition. When the body is deficient in human cannabinoids, it can’t function properly which impairs many things including memory, mood, appetite and SLEEP. CBD is a supplement that is proven to restore the balance and used regularly will aid restful sleep. Be sure to buy from a reputable company such as HUGG or BUD AND TENDER which produces a fruity-tasting 100% pure CBD Cannabis oil for is restorative and aids sleep and anxiety. The company also makes personal recommendations, based on an individual’s needs and with two strengths 1000mg(£80)and 500mg(£45) as everybody is different. They advise starting with a few drops under the tongue and working the dosage up until you feel the benefits. www.budandtender.com, www.thehugshop.co.uk
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