Hello lovelies! Sleep has got to be the most basic and integral form of self care, right? But it’s not always easy.

There’s lots of reasons that sleep can become an issue. Stress, anxiety and over stimulating lifestyles being some of the most common. We’ve been pulling together ways we’ve been working on our sleep routines and patterns, and some solid advice on how to relax in your own personal way.

Create a calm environment 

What makes for a calm environment is different for all of us, sure. We can bet having piles of laundry all over the place isn’t going to be sending you in to a blissful slumber. Nor is rolling into an already unmade bed.

Simple acts such as making your bed as soon as you’re up will make the end of your day so much sweeter. If you can afford it, try to invest in softer lighting, a lamp or two and a diffuser to release a soothing essential oil before bed. These small but triumphant touches will really make it feel like you’re stepping into a real sanctuary.

Make yourself feel lovely

It’s important to bookend your day, taking steps to relax and unwind before you hit the hay. This is all about taking time for you and switching off from the demands of the external world. Obvs, we’re big fans of a warming bath or shower to melt into that fuzzy sweet spot but a massage, facial or manicure are all other brill ways to make yourself feel lovely - do what suits you best.

Ditch the device

Put your phone away! It’s not just because we all end up scrolling, blinking and suddenly it’s 3am but scientifically, it’s proven that the blue light emitted from our screens interferes with sleep chemicals such as melatonin - so it’s not just will power - it will literally stop your body from being able to sleep! Instead try: reading a book, listening to a podcast/audio book or unwinding to some calming music.

Get everything out that head of yours

Anything that is distracting you, taking up space in your head or stopping you from drifting off - get it out. Journaling is a fab way of releasing pent up feelings and experiences that you’re struggling with. But perhaps you simply have a long list of to-do’s for the week ahead rolling round, write it down - then you can go to sleep knowing you won’t forget anything tomorrow! 

Get in the rhythm 

Ever heard of Circadian Rhythms? Basically, it’s a 24 hour cycle that your body goes through. The cycle has naturally occurring peaks and troughs, so if you are trying to get tucked up in bed when you are peaking - the chances are you’ll be alert, restless and quickly frustrated. If this is the case - you’re better off reading a book, having a glass of water, generally keeping yourself calmly occupied until you enter a lower phase and can drop off naturally.

What we are saying is, listen to your body and be kind to your mind. What we need is naturally within us - sometimes it just takes a little bit of TLC to find it. 

We really hope you’ve been enjoying our self care advice via the blog the last few months. If this is the first one you’ve found, be sure to go and check out a few others here or want to request a topic? Drop us a line on social media.

Sending lots of dreamy love your way xo