Sleep has the power to transform your body. It aids muscle repair, can help to stabilise your metabolism and increases feelings of wellbeing. But getting a great night’s sleep isn’t always as easy as it seems. Stress and anxiety have the power to keep you awake all night, as can niggling aches and pains that have been acquired over the course of the day. But help is at hand. We’ve rounded up four of our top tips that will help make bedtime a breeze.
Switch off
Technology is probably the biggest disturber of sleep. A late night text or last minute email from the office has the power to disrupt your whole evening. The glow screens give off can majorly mess with sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin, your body produces. Turning off all electronic devices 15 minutes before you plan to sleep is the best plan to get a good night’s rest. If your phone has to stay on try dimming the screen or using the bedtime function if it has one.
Get a massage
There’s nothing quite like a relaxing massage to relieve muscle tension and put you in a chilled out headspace, so if you’re having trouble sleeping order a massage at home. Book your massage therapist to arrive an hour of so before you plan to go to bed and after your treatment head straight to your duvet. Your relaxed muscles will help you fall asleep faster and you should sleep deeper.
Breathe in some aromatherapy
Essential oils have been proven to reduce stress and aid sleep, particularly lavender, jasmine and sage. Either apply them to pressure points and gently massage before bed or diffuse them in your bedroom at night. The olfactory nerve, which responds to smells, is connected directly to the brain so different odours can increase slow-wave sleep.
Eat more magnesium
Magnesium deficiency can cause extreme fatigue and with many people lacking magnesium in their diet it’s worth trying to add it into your foods to see if it helps you sleep better. You can buy it as a powdered supplement or tablet at most pharmacies and health food stores. Alternatively try eating magnesium-rich foods like spinach, pumpkin, avocado, bananas and almonds.
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Who are we? We’re Urban Massage – on a mission to make wellness rituals convenient and accessible without compromising on quality. So from just £49 an hour, you can enjoy a range of massages from an expert therapist at a time to suit you. Download the app or go to urbanmassage.com to book 60 minutes of restorative me time.