It seems nearly impossible for the majority of people (especially my generation) to find relaxing sleep at night and they either ignore it or take heavy meds to finally fall asleep and get some much needed rest. I started struggeling with insonmia when I was just a little kid, but it got worse and worse over the years, until I had to get medical help at age 16. After quitting the medication a few years later, I wanted to adapt a healthy and natural way for proper sleep and here is what helped me a lot. Feel free to post your advice in the comments!
Aroma Diffuser
Not everybody is equally sensitive to aromatherapy, but if you are just like me, it can help you a lot with anxiety, stress and especially sleep! We got a diffuser a year ago and even bought a small travel diffuser, since we couldn’t bring ours overseas.
There are some very good options on amazon, ebay and perfect potion, where you can get the diffuser and oils of your choice. I got myself some frakinsence and lavender to promote sleep and it really does help. I usually set a timer so I don’t have to worry about turning it off before I fall asleep. Most of the diffusers nowadays also have a LED light, which is also calming.
LUSH’S Sleepy & Twilight & Dreamtime
Y’all know that I love LUSH with my whole heart, so I am not gonna stop spaming you with how amazing the products are. LUSH released a bathbomb called ‘Twilight’ more than 8 years ago and since then it has always been a favourite amongst customers, with it’s beautiful lavender scent.
In 2011 LUSH turned the Twilight bath bomb scent into a halloween limited edition shower gel ‘Twilight’ and since then also released the Twilight body spray; a perfume spray that can also be sprayed on pillows, cloth and hair. ‘Sleepy Body Lotion‘ was the first product within the Twilight scent family that had a different name and is also available as a shower gel. Especially the body lotion works so well on my skin before I go to bed; it is super moisturizing and will help you sleep because of it’s strong but comforting lavender and tonka scent. Make sure to grab the Twilight Gift Box to get sample sizes of the body spray, lotion and shower gel.
Another amazing LUSH product is their temple balm Dream Time, which was available in the LUSH Spa gift box (2014-2016) and is still available in every LUSH Spa (UK, Japan, France, Wales). Simply heat up the product with your finger and gently massage it into your temples.
Crystals
Would be weird if I’d not recommend to put an amethyst next to your bed, right? That’s why I’m gonna do it know. Amethyst is probably my favourite, because it is purifies the aura and opens the crown chakra so you can connect to your divine wisdom, which helps me a lot to not panic in my dreams and understand the hidden messages that my dreams try to tell me.
Sleeping with it brings healing energy to your dreams, promotes deep sleep, and attunes your brain waves to the frequency of calm. Moonstone will get rid of any emotional tension, which makes it easier to fall asleep. I also love to wear Rose Quartz because of it’s ability to connect us to the healing and loving energy around us, that we sometimes struggle to feel and see.
Playlists
I’m gonna shamelessly admit that I’m a playlist bitch and I seriously have one for every mood. That’s why I have multiple for relaxing and sleeping. YES I do listen to music when I sleep (if I’m home alone and don’t annoy Thias with it). Everyone has a different opinion on what exactly relaxing music is; that’s why I have 3 different ones for every mood. Feel free to create your own tailored playlist or get some inspiration from mine (sharing is caring RIGHT?). Feel free to follow me and/or your favourite playlist on spotify.
dream cape
A collection of beautiful relaxing synthezier, slow and calm voices. Perfect to stare at the stars and slowly drift away. The music always feels like a calming cape that I can put on me, that will show me the land of dreaming. (Moderat, Apparat, Jon Hopkins, When Saints Go Machine, Dominik Eulberg etc.)
angelic suffocation
Probably one of my and my friends’ favourite playlists so far. A collection of ambient dub that feels just like lucid dreaming. Straight outta tumblr 2012! (Clubroot, Holy Other, Burial, Phaeleh, Balam Acab etc.)
deadly nightshade
A playlist with beautiful echoes of nymphs & shadow creatures. This magical & eerie indie/elctro music is very close to my heart and always gives me heavy synaesthesia kicks, because it makes me smell the woods, hear whispers of fairies and feel fog on my skin. (Zola Jesus, Soap& Skin, Jungstötter, Grimes, Fever Ray, Austra, iamamiwhoami etc.)
Tea
Sounds basic, I know I know! But drinking calming tea for dinner really helps me to relief anxiety, tension and stress, that build up during the day and which is exactly what keeps you awake a night. A good lavender, chamomile, cornflower infusion won’t kill you, so just try it and see if it works for you, too!
Additional
- Try to give your body enough time to fall asleep and rest, which means 8 hours minimum of proper sleep + 1 or 2 hours to get sleepy and to take away the pressure of having to fall asleep, which usually causes insomnia
- Before you go to bed, try to create a positive mindset. Write down or at least remember 3 things that made you happy and/or made you feel grateful on that day.
- Organise your day as good as possible, to eliminate the ‘oh-no-I-forgot-to’ thought that keeps you awake at night
- Cut everything creepy, negative or stressful out of your evening routine. This will naturally calm you and won’t put your body and mind on the alert.
- Sticking to a skin care routine that you do every evening has a beautiful daily ‘self care’ effect on your brain and will also make you feel better in your body and skin while you sleep.
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