Sweet Dreams
Happy new year and welcome to 2018! How satisfying that the first day of this year is also a Monday ey? In the spirit of starting a fresh, I have of course set myself some goals and resolutions for the year ahead. I won't be going on a crazy exercise regime or surviving solely on organic lettuce leaves, but I am looking to significantly improve a different area of my health. My shoddy excuse of a sleep routine is in need of an extreme overhaul. As a perfect example, as I sit writing this, it's 1:30AM, and I have to be up at 5:30AM to get ready for work... My issue is both quality AND quantity, which has been leaving me feeling like a disorientated zombie, particularly in this bizarre crimbo limbo week!
1. Digital detox
My inability to switch off from Netflix, Instagram, Youtube, blogs and my phone is what I put mostly to blame for my lack of sleep. I can be happily drifting off while watching something, and instead of switching off and letting the sleep take me, I insist on just ONE more episode or just ONE more scroll through endless Instagram stories. Before I know it, it's 3am and I've pushed myself well past the point of sleep - I really am my own worst enemy sometimes! The plan of action is to switch off around 8-9pm, call Olly to say goodnight, and then totally distance myself from my phone and my laptop, get them far far away from my bed and out of reach. Another of my goals for this year is to read more - I used to be an absolute bookworm, and in 2017 I slowly started getting back to my old reading habits and discovered some absolute gems. I want to continue this, so I'm going to replace what would usually be gormless binge watching time with a good book. First on my list for 2018 is Stephen Chbosky's "The Perks Of Being A Wallflower"... I know I'm about six years late to the party. There's nothing lovelier than drifting off to sleep whilst reading, and I feel like this first change is going to make a significant difference almost immediately.
2. Breaking bad routines
Another habit I have that does me absolutely no favours is crawling into bed almost immediately after getting home from work - terrible I know. I often end up falling asleep for a couple of hours (which does not help me later on in the evening), and then being wide awake at around 8pm, which is when I'll eat and usually start working on whatever I may have on the go, be it a blogpost or a video or something. This is TOTALLY the wrong way around! So the next step in the plan is making my bed a night time only/sleep only zone. I read somewhere once that you should only get into your bed to sleep, and keep all work, media consumption and everything else outside of your cosy pit. When I get in from work, I am going to sit myself downstairs or at my desk, or head straight to the gym to while away that potential nap gap! My next point of call will be the bathroom - I am obsessed with having baths, I just cannot have a shower in the evening unless I'm absolutely pressed for time! A lush product or two, and spending time on my skincare routine is the perfect way to chill and unwind. I've just started using the Origins Ginzing moisturiser and eye cream, and I adore it. Smells fresh and makes my skin so glowy. The perfect thing to distract me from my bed until I'm ready to have a read and go to sleep.
3. Kitchen enemies
A massive sleep disrupter that people often overlook is what you're putting in to your body before bed. Foods that are high in fat or spicy, caffeinated drinks and alcohol are all major culprits of keeping you up and giving you strange sleep habits! I'm doing dry January so the latter shouldn't be a problem, I think my liver will welcome the break with open arms after the festive party period... I'm going to try and eat my evening meal as early as possible too, in order to aid quicker and more gentle digestion. Another thing I'll be keeping an eye on is my water intake in the hour or two before sleeping - interrupted sleep from multiple toilet trips a night is not good sleep!
4. Little helpers.
I realised while planning out this blog post that I'm already in possession of a few sleep aids, namely the 1001 Remedies Good Night sleep relaxing balm, and the Pukka Night Time tea. I've had the sleep balm for a while but I don't think I've ever used it consistently enough to notice any benefits from it. You rub a little on your wrists before bed and the mix of essential oils is supposed to just totally chill you out and let you drift off. The night time tea is "a dreamy bed of organic oat flower, lavender and limeflower." I love a hot drink before bed, but as previously mentioned even the small amount of caffeine in a cup of tea is no help for a good nights sleep, so I think this will be a perfect replacement in the evenings!
So there is my plan of action to tackle my first resolution of 2018. I'll be keeping you updated every week or so, particularly in Jan, to help me track my progress and see where I'm struggling, either in a post or I'll film some little pre & post sleep chats to let you know where I'm at. If you have any tips or products that you think could help me out further, I'd absolutely love to hear your suggestions!
J x
1. Digital detox
My inability to switch off from Netflix, Instagram, Youtube, blogs and my phone is what I put mostly to blame for my lack of sleep. I can be happily drifting off while watching something, and instead of switching off and letting the sleep take me, I insist on just ONE more episode or just ONE more scroll through endless Instagram stories. Before I know it, it's 3am and I've pushed myself well past the point of sleep - I really am my own worst enemy sometimes! The plan of action is to switch off around 8-9pm, call Olly to say goodnight, and then totally distance myself from my phone and my laptop, get them far far away from my bed and out of reach. Another of my goals for this year is to read more - I used to be an absolute bookworm, and in 2017 I slowly started getting back to my old reading habits and discovered some absolute gems. I want to continue this, so I'm going to replace what would usually be gormless binge watching time with a good book. First on my list for 2018 is Stephen Chbosky's "The Perks Of Being A Wallflower"... I know I'm about six years late to the party. There's nothing lovelier than drifting off to sleep whilst reading, and I feel like this first change is going to make a significant difference almost immediately.
2. Breaking bad routines
Another habit I have that does me absolutely no favours is crawling into bed almost immediately after getting home from work - terrible I know. I often end up falling asleep for a couple of hours (which does not help me later on in the evening), and then being wide awake at around 8pm, which is when I'll eat and usually start working on whatever I may have on the go, be it a blogpost or a video or something. This is TOTALLY the wrong way around! So the next step in the plan is making my bed a night time only/sleep only zone. I read somewhere once that you should only get into your bed to sleep, and keep all work, media consumption and everything else outside of your cosy pit. When I get in from work, I am going to sit myself downstairs or at my desk, or head straight to the gym to while away that potential nap gap! My next point of call will be the bathroom - I am obsessed with having baths, I just cannot have a shower in the evening unless I'm absolutely pressed for time! A lush product or two, and spending time on my skincare routine is the perfect way to chill and unwind. I've just started using the Origins Ginzing moisturiser and eye cream, and I adore it. Smells fresh and makes my skin so glowy. The perfect thing to distract me from my bed until I'm ready to have a read and go to sleep.
3. Kitchen enemies
A massive sleep disrupter that people often overlook is what you're putting in to your body before bed. Foods that are high in fat or spicy, caffeinated drinks and alcohol are all major culprits of keeping you up and giving you strange sleep habits! I'm doing dry January so the latter shouldn't be a problem, I think my liver will welcome the break with open arms after the festive party period... I'm going to try and eat my evening meal as early as possible too, in order to aid quicker and more gentle digestion. Another thing I'll be keeping an eye on is my water intake in the hour or two before sleeping - interrupted sleep from multiple toilet trips a night is not good sleep!
4. Little helpers.
I realised while planning out this blog post that I'm already in possession of a few sleep aids, namely the 1001 Remedies Good Night sleep relaxing balm, and the Pukka Night Time tea. I've had the sleep balm for a while but I don't think I've ever used it consistently enough to notice any benefits from it. You rub a little on your wrists before bed and the mix of essential oils is supposed to just totally chill you out and let you drift off. The night time tea is "a dreamy bed of organic oat flower, lavender and limeflower." I love a hot drink before bed, but as previously mentioned even the small amount of caffeine in a cup of tea is no help for a good nights sleep, so I think this will be a perfect replacement in the evenings!
So there is my plan of action to tackle my first resolution of 2018. I'll be keeping you updated every week or so, particularly in Jan, to help me track my progress and see where I'm struggling, either in a post or I'll film some little pre & post sleep chats to let you know where I'm at. If you have any tips or products that you think could help me out further, I'd absolutely love to hear your suggestions!
J x
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