Dreaming of a better night’s sleep?
Life is hectic for the modern-day gentleman, and sleep seems to be paying a heavy price. Good sleep is as vital for our health as diet and exercise. It also helps us regulate body weight and maintain focus to get the job in hand done to the best of our capabilities. If you’re reading this during your lunch break, feeling lethargic; skip the post-meal cappuccino and invest something that will improve the quantity and quality of your shut-eye time instead.
Lavender
The use of natural essential oils for aromatherapy is an ancient tradition that’s been enhancing moods and lifting spirits for centuries. Lavender is a powerful herb that helps soothe and calm in an effort to prepare the body for rest. Try adding three drops of lavender oil to your pillow or on your temples, wrists or neck before bedtime.
Lavender Oils
Bedtime Tea
Avoid coffee late in the day, and find a passion for tea instead – there are so many incredible herbal and low-caffeine options to choose from that are specifically formulated with bedtime in mind. These include Mariage Frères’ Dream Tea which features a mellow balance of beneficial and aromatic plants, and Pukka Tea’s Night Time Latte which is creamy and warming when added to almond milk.
Dream Tea
Memory foam mattresses and pillows
Memory foams have surged in popularity over recent years but were actually first discovered by NASA in the seventies. The space-approved material forms around your body and remembers it – with slow-moving properties resulting in the easing of pressure points and aching joints. They reduce movement at night which causes poor sleep, and distribute body weight evenly. If you want to sleep better, it’s definitely worth investing in a memory foam mattress and pillows.
Relaxing bath salts
A relaxing bath is the perfect way to unwind after a stressful day, and adding salts gives you a full body massage without the hands. Herbivore’s Calm Soaking Salts contain Himalayan pink salt which infuses warm water with vitamins and minerals, as well as an aroma-therapeutic blend of ylang ylang and vanilla to calm the senses. Add about ¼ of the bottle per bath and feel the day’s drama melt away.
Bath Salts, Courtesy of Herbivore Botanicals
Weighted eye masks
When gentle pressure is applied to the body, like that of a hug or a massage, we benefit from stress release – a science known as deep touch pressure. The Nodpod works similar to that of a weighted blanket, but instead, it covers your eyes, giving you instant relief around the most active part of your body, and in addition providing complete darkness. You can choose to have the Nodpod resting on your face or pulling the back through a slit for all night pressure and black-out.
Motion sensor floor lights
When it comes to night interruptions, whether you get up for the bathroom or to adjust room temperature, it’s important to go about it in a calmly manner and return to your REM cycle as quickly as possible. Take switch-searching out of the equation and invest in these Lumi stick-on night lights by Eufy. The genius creation has a motion sensor that automatically switches on light as soon as your feet hit the ground, and then switches it off when movement seizes. They’re affordable and perfect for under the bed, in the hallway, kitchen, and bathroom.
Lights, Courtesy of Eufy
White noise machines
It’s not the noise itself that wakes you up at night, but it’s the change in sound. Pure white noise creates a barrier around you, whereby a steady sound is produced via combining a broad spectrum of frequencies of sound waves – the output similar to the hum of a fan. LectroFan for example, is used at home or taken to hotels by insomniacs to filter out distracting sounds of honking outside, televisions in the next room, or neighbors talking downstairs, to create perfect sound conditions for sleep. There are different adjustment levels and timers according to what you deem the most peaceful and the environment around you.
Calming art
Art trains your mind to concentrate on the details and acts as a type of meditation. Many art lovers swear by art therapy for relaxation – whether that’s sitting back and enjoying the visuals or making your own masterpiece. Invest in some thoughtful yet simple pieces in your room to evoke calm and joy, such as playful patterns from the likes of Murakami or Kusama. You don’t have to spend a fortune on originals; dealers such as Kumi Contemporary sell signed limited edition prints which are just as collectable but at a fraction of the price.
Courtesy of Kumi Contemporary
Audio apps
Blue light is one of the worst culprits for sleep snatching – electronic devices like smart phones, computers and televisions emit them in huge amounts, tricking your brain into thinking its daytime and reducing the melatonin hormone. We all need a bit of recreation before bed, granted that it will indeed involve modern technology. However, use it to your advantage and download an audio book or a meditation app that will help your mind turn down and drift off.
App, Courtesy of Calm
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