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
• One lucky MNer will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice.
• Don’t forget to vote in our poll below.

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!

MNHQ

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I do the counting and breathing slowly technique, it does take time but does seem to work most nights.

My sleep habits are pretty awful - I've always found I have a burst of energy around 9pm - so will kick into action & get loads of stuff done - I'll go to bed around 1am, I get to sleep fine - but will be exhausted the next day - I'll be dragging myself through work, but by 9pm that day - the second wind kicks in again & I'm trying to catch up on everything I didn't do that day & stay up until 1am again! I then end up sleeping in at weekends (when I can) - awful spiral, I know I need to kick it as I am not performing my best in any capacity.
I don't drink coffee or alcohol. I do drink tea, but try not to drink this past 7pm. I feel a better routine in the run up to bedtime would help. Maybe introducing some essential oils early evening to help me start to relax & wind down. Picked up some useful information on this thread already, but anything else you can suggest very welcome! Thank you :)

I find that CMD gummies really help with my anxiety and therefore my sleep - although not everynight - in those times I try counting, or listening to white nouse on a low setting through my airpods.

I can really relate to this, it can be tricky when you're waking in the night to feed your baby. To help quieten and sooth the mind you can try box breathing. To do this, breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds and hold for 4 seconds. You can combine this with the use of essential oils when you get back into bed by with misting a Sleep Mist onto your linen or bed clothes to enhance the effect of the deep breathing. Our Deep Relax sleep mist contains Vetiver, Camomile and Sandalwood to ease you off to sleep. Vetiver being the lead ingredient here which is known to have sedating powers.

Sorry to hear you have been struggling with your sleep for a while now. With sleep it's all about routine, finding one that works for you and keeping at it. I do really recommend doing something nice for yourself to start your wind down before bed, if you feel the need to tidy your room before bed, do it and then do something else for yourself, it could be a warm bath, listening to a podcast, music or reading a book to help quieten the mind. Our Deep Relax blend contains Vetiver which is known to have sedating powers as well as relaxing Sandalwood and you can try it in a warm bath before bed to help you unwind. Alternatively, if you prefer, pop the pure essential oil blend into an Atomiser to fill the room with the essential oils before bed. You can also incorporate breathing exercises such as box breathing that I have mentioned above to help soothe the mind (breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds and hold for 4 seconds). Don't give up and keep trying to find what works for you!

I'm a big fan of a wind down before bed. No electronics, warm drink and peacefulness.Helps set me in the mindset of already relaxed, it helps.

I find Vicks Vapour Rub helps with breathing then I use the slow breathing technique. A bath and reading at bedtime helps to wind down too.

My latest genius hack for quieting a busy mind at bedtime enough to allow sleep to come is to think of a stream of animals until you eventually find peace & nod off, the next animal in line has to begin with the final letter of the last:
elephant, tiger, rhino etc
give it a go, it really works!

It sounds like you've got a great routine in place to help you unwind in the evening. If you are interested in incorporating essential oils into your daily routine, our Support Breathe blend is a great one to help relieve any congestion and can be used in the bath, shower or as a pure essential oil blend in an Atomiser. The blend contains eucalyptus to help clear the airways, cleansing tea tree and grounding pine.

I do like a lavender essential oil in my living room and a pillow spray - I use a lavender and camomile bath -when I have time.

I fall asleep ok, but wake up needing the loo at 3am on the reg. So annoying but am lucky to be able to fall straight back to sleep. My tip would be to get fresh air and exercise in the day.

I get to sleep ok - BUT wake up constantly, I found that I was over thinking - but there is a great youtube channel called Sleepy Cat Meditations which In download and listen on my wireless headphones to help me stop overthinking.

I struggle to sleep when I'm stressed, and through a particularly tough time at work came up with all sorts of strategies to try and switch my brain off by focussing on something completely different. Counting doesn't work for me, but trying to remember lists of things (children's classmates, US states, anything really) and organise them alphabetically gives my brain something different to deal with and the possibility of slowing down enough to allow sleep.

Iam an awful sleeper. Babies slept better than I did. Average around 6 hours a night. More than 7 and I feel groggy although get an afternoon sluggish feeling every day and often wish I could sleep better. Some nights I don't sleep at all which just makes me irritable and grumpy.

A long evening walk works miracles for me. I often work into the evening and if I don't walk after, I find my work going round and round in my head and I keep thinking of work related ideas. A decent walk helps me switch off. I live near a forest luckily but even walking around the block works.
I'll take DH or DD17 with me if it's after dark, with a torch.
I also spray my pillow with a sleep mist.
I've recently been given sleep masks for my birthday and I have no idea why I haven't used them before. I often wake for the toilet as it starts to get light then can't get back to sleep but putting on the eye mask at that point helps massively and my sleep has improved a lot with the mask as I'm sleeping longer.