To wake up feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed, you'll want to think outside of the box, quite literally, and cast your mind to the world outside your home.
It's no secret that the natural world can work wonders for your health and mental wellbeing. But it’s about time that you actually took advantage of its goodness, and incorporated sleep-enhancing elements into your bedroom and nightly routine.
From lavender on your pillow, and whale music in your ears, to sleeping in the buff. Reconnecting with the natural world in these ways could nip your nightly tossing and turning in the bud. But there’s only one way for you to find out for certain…
Add some greenery
We've talked about adding greenery to your bedroom before when we blogged about bedroom design trends to try a few weeks ago. If you've lost sleep due to stress, then adding some house plants to your bedside table can help. While these chaps can't magic away your real world problems, NASA studied their stress-busting qualities and found that, actually, they come up trumps.
Whether you opt for a mixture of easy-to-keep-alive succulents, cheese plants or fresh-cut flowers that you can change with the seasons, plants can lift your spirits and improve your sleep. Better yet, your new green friend will improve the air quality in your bedroom too boot, by filtering out nasties like pollution, odours and mould which impact your breathing.
So what will it be, pink and ivory Jasmine blossoms, Aloe Vera, Peace Lillies or Gerbera Dasies? The choice is yours.
Spritz Lavender Scents
Smells have a significant impact on the area of your brain responsible for your memories and emotions. So it's well worth indulging in a little bedtime aromatherapy. Harness Lavender's natural snooze-inducing power, simply by blowing out scented candles just before you drift off, or resting your weary head on a pillow lightly dabbed with essential oils.
If you're feeling particularly crafty, you can go the extra mile, and make a personal lavender sleep sachet to stash under your pillow. Just magic a square of cotton fabric into a pocket, ready to fill with dried lavender flowers and lavender essential oils. Tie it tightly with a ribbon, and voila! Good night to you.
Snooze on an Organic Mattress
We really could talk about the benefits of an organic 100% British wool mattress until the cows or sheep come home. Our entirely natural, Dartmoor, Devon, Cotswold, Wensleydale models will keep you warm in winter and cool during the summer nights - by whipping away moisture to regulate your body temperature. Hand-stitched with hemp thread, and naturally fire-resistant, you'll never find glue, solvent, adhesives or metal springs within these mattresses.
Sleep in the buff
Before you recoil in horror of sleep's oddest taboo, the joke may in fact have been on those of you who wear pyjamas all along. Going to bed in your Birthday suit helps your body to regulate its temperature naturally, which clothes otherwise hinder. Not only is going to bed in the buff easier and less effort, but it allows your skin to air out and breathe, while making those sweaty summer nights more bearable.
Snack on Cherries & Bananas, Slurp Chamomile
Getting your five-a-day, as it turns out, is not only good for your health, but for your quality of sleep too. We've already explained how making dinner your lightest meal of the day, packed with plenty of fruit, veg and natural ingredients, will help you catch all fifty winks.
Meanwhile, bananas contain muscle relaxants, like tryptophan, potassium and magnesium. And cherry juice? That’ll help your body to produce melatonin, which promotes drowsiness, lowers your body temperature and maintains your sleep cycle. But a warming mug of chamomile tea, brewed for three minutes or less, will also act as a natural sedative by soothing your immune system. For centuries, it’s been used as a ‘solution’ to insomnia.
So go forth and replace your caffeine with healthy alternatives.
Whale Music
Imagine blue ocean waves crashing onto the beach, one after the other, after the other, after the other. Or the pitter-patter of monsoon rain on the stone floor, while thunder delicately rumbles in the heavens above. Relaxing, huh? Celestial humpback whale music, ocean sounds, and rain are some of the most popular sleep-inducing sounds to unwind to.
Soundtracks of the natural world will block out disruptive snoring, and sooth overactive minds with relaxing images – for eight to ten hours of bliss, typically. You’ll want monotonous, constant sounds which don’t yank you out of your light stage of sleep.
Get Moving
Your mum was right, a little fresh air will do you good. Pounding the pavements four times a week will improve your sleep quality - daylight helps regulate your body clock, while keeping daytime fatigue at bay.
Sleep like a Dog
Okay, you've caught us, this final point is a bonafide April Fool's joke... we just couldn't resist reminding you rascals.