Let's talk sleep! Ask, share, learn - £200 voucher to be won

[EllieSmumsnet]

Do you struggle with insomnia at night? Or perhaps you've nailed getting a good nights sleep? We'd like to hear tips and tricks for a good night's sleep. And if you have questions on anything, share them on the thread as an expert from Aromatherapy Associates will also be getting involved in the discussion from next week.

• Post your stories/items/challenges/tips in the thread below to be entered into a prize draw
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Here is what Aromatherapy Associates expert, Christina Salcedas, Global Director of Education & Wellbeing and trained Holistic Therapist has to say:

“Being a mum myself there are times when a little help is needed to send me off to sleep and that is where aromatherapy in my bedtime routine is really helpful.

The use of essential oils for relaxation purposes has been around for centuries and today we have research to back up this ancient trend. Essential oils like camomile and sandalwood are great relaxants, making them great options to pop in an Atomiser, or in a bath to aid with sleep after a busy day.”

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

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So sorry to hear this, it's super frustrating. Now, it's all about finding new tools to help you get the hours you need for rest and repair. I whole heartedly recommend doing something nice for yourself before getting into bed, something you love doing... it could be as boring as tidying your room, a warm bath with no technology or listening to your favourite podcast. Something that you love, that shows self-love as well as quietening the mind.

I don't sleep well if there is something going on in my life - last month it was work stress and this month it's farm stress!

So if I can't sleep I will get up and resettle on the sofa with my heated blanket. That usually helps

We recently got a grounding bedsheet and I think that definitely helps with aches and pains. I have a silk pillow case, a very expensive Simba mattress and pillows, have the window open but nothing really helps if your mind can't switch off.

No caffeine after 4pm either...!

I’ve found I don’t sleep well if I drink wine, though that never used to be a problem. I’m putting it down to peri

I don't think our sleep is ever the same once a mum, you are right there! If you like a diffuser you should try our Atomiser Connect which is an app controlled Atomiser enabling you to pre-set when your essential oils are diffused. As well as that as its a dual chamber so you can have 2 blends ready to go at any time. Its a mum life saver for keeping you going with little effort.

Essential oils can help de-stress and unwind to help you get a better nights sleep. As I mentioned above, there is research showing Camomile promotes deep sleep and decreases stress levels, as well as the relaxant effects of sandalwood both of which feature in our Deep Relax Blend. As well as everything you are already doing to help promote a better nights sleep, you can also incorporate this blend into your routine, either as an essential oil in an atomiser or as a mist on your pillow or linen.

I struggle with insomnia due to my partners snoring - no matter how he sleeps back, side, front it can be like a mating bull at the side of me - my only solution is to move to another part of the house - if there are any oils or sprays which lessen the sound of snoring please let me know.

I'm a very light sleeper and have never really needed that much sleep, always surviving on 4 or 5 hours. However since having children I'm lucky if I got 3 or 4 hours. My eldest son is almost 21 but has profound medical and complex special needs and is basically my eternal baby (he requires 24/7 care) as he has a mental age of 9-12 months and pre-verbal. In addition, since 2021 I've had long covid, my average is now 2-3 hours sleep a night and it's literally killing me. I live in a flight path (have done for almost 25 years) and it's never bothered me, but now almost every noise outside the norm disturbs me. I meditate, I have silk pillows, I avoid certain foods, I read to wind down, I drink herbal tea ... but I'm really, REALLY struggling. Any help would be gratefully received. I'm here for every suggestion going.

I always read before settling down to sleep and it seems to do the trick - also, I always have a notepad by my bed as often think of things when I’m feeling asleep so just scribble them down to get them out of my head and I can deal with them the next day - it’s really helped me relax.

I do breathing exercises and meditation before bedtime.

My top tip is to be active during waking hours, you can’t expect to sleep if your bodies not tired!

Since I actively unwind (or try to) from 9pm onwards, lowering the lights, no caffeine after lunchtime, no red meat for dinner, and relaxing breathing I tend to drop off easier - if I feel wound up I use some pillow spray with vetivert, camomile and sandalwood.

I usually sleep better when I’ve had dinner at a reasonable time and I try not to drink too much when it’s getting late. Also, I try to forget any worries or things that I need to think about. I know that thinking about it late at night when I could be sleeping is not going to help me at all. Easier said than done, though!

I get insomnia and get quite flustered some nights, which exacerbates it massively. If I'm up more than twice in the night, I stay up and do jobs, washing, admin etc
I find i sleep better in an almost cold room, listening to an audiobook or wave sounds.
I recently started using a weighted eye mask, it's very calming.

So sorry to hear you're struggling with your sleep. Aromatherapy and the use of essential oils can help you unwind to get a better nights sleep, if you haven't tried aromatherapy before, I would recommend you give it a go to see how it works for you. As I mentioned above, there is research showing Camomile promotes deep sleep and decreases stress levels, as well as the relaxant effects of sandalwood both of which feature in our Deep Relax Blend. This blend can be incorporated into your sleep routine as a mist on your pillow or linen or in the Bath or Shower.

Sorry to hear your partners snoring is keeping you awake at night. Our Deep Relax Sleep Mist is great for use if you wake in the night, you can spritz it onto your linen or even your skin to help you drift back into a peaceful sleep.

I use a fan on low to blow across the room, I think it acts like a white noise machine which ables my brain to listen to that rather than my 'thoughts' - and a good pillow and mattress

Get up at a reasonable time, keep fit & active & don’t get into the “I am having trouble sleeping” mindset if practically possible. It’s just a bad night & will soon settle down. Read before bed, no bright lights or stimulation. Routine.

Any tips for getting back to sleep quickly after getting up to feed a baby at night? I find I'm very awake despite no phone, dark room etc

I'm actually crazy ...

Fresh pjs every night (they have to be long trousers and a slouch T-shirt with fluffy socks .

Clean bedding twice a week

Sheet on tight can't be loose

Room gets cleaned every night before bed everything away and a quick vacuum

Tv on with you tube on with a true crime

Bath before bed

No phone at all

Sleep tea

This is after years of terrible sleep , it seems to work . I have the odd bad night but I seem to sleep okay now if I follow all my steps 😂😂😂

My tips are to make sure you are tired enough that as soon as your head hits the pillow you will fall asleep - I used to go to bed at 10 thinking I would get to sleep, I tossed and turned until 11.30 then got off - I switched bedtime to 11 and I sleep easier and much deeper.

No food after 6pm otherwise I'll need a midnight wee.
Lavender body butter and hand cream.
No phone time in bed, only reading.
If I'm struggling to switch off I do an exercise where you start with your toes and work up, by concentrating on making that area so still and relaxed that you eventually can't really feel it, then you move to the next bit. I love doing it, it's so relaxing.

If I wake up around 2/3/4 am I find a good book on a kindle can work wonders (it also means I don’t wake my husband). It’s a great way to distract my brain from overthinking. 20 -30 minutes or so of reading gets me sleepy again. My other tip is thinking of girls names A-Z then boys names A-Z. Again, a distraction from the dreaded out of proportion overthinking that happens at night.

Definitely trying not to eat too late at night. I have the same routine every night before bed - skincare, brush teeth, loo then read for 10-15 minutes in bed. My cat usually comes to join me and sits on my lap which is also nice and relaxing 😊

I haven't really found that screen time right before bed affects my sleep so I will use my Kindle to read if that's where my current book is. However, I I did start having sleep issues that would be the first thing to change.

I have tried herbal remedies, and those high in 5-HTP, it's supposed to raise your serotonin levels, it does not work every time - but I can really fall into a deeper sleep when I have taken the tablets for a couple of days.

I find that a daily walk, no naps during the day and a similar bed time each night helps me to get to sleep quite quickly. But staying asleep for very long and getting back to sleep again when I awake in the night is sadly a completely different matter!