Well Being | Sleep Easy
After a busy day, it can be hard to switch our brains off long enough to get a solid night’s sleep. In the UK alone, 74% of people get less than the recommended 7-9 hours the body needs. Reaching a state of deep sleep is essential for staying healthy as it allows a variety of functions to take place in the mind and body; memories are consolidated, learning and emotions process, physical recovery occurs, blood sugar levels and metabolism balance out, the immune system is energised and the brain detoxifies. If we compromise on our sleep, we compromise on our wellbeing.
Read on to discover tips, tricks and retreats to help you fast track to forty winks.
Strategic sleep-wear
Hormonal fluctuations experienced during our menstrual cycle, pregnancy and the menopause exacerbate sleep-disrupting heat flashes and night sweats. Being strategic about what your sleep attire is made of can help regulate your body temperature during the night, which, in turn can promote better slumber. A set of silk pyjamas from Asceno can help act as a thermo-regulator, keeping you cool in summer but also warm in winter.
Clear & calm
The bedroom often becomes a dumping ground which overloads the senses making it harder to switch-off. Create some clear space with storage solutions for clothes and cosmetics. Once you’re cured of your clutter you’ll find tidying less time-consuming. Nkuku furniture and products focus on traditional methods of production from metal sculpting and carpentry to hand loom and basket weaving. These artisan methods are naturally more sustainable.
Lazy bedlinen
If, like ‘Piglet In Bed’ founder Jessica Mason, you have no interest in spending your weekends ironing sheets her range of low maintenance stonewashed linen is an absolute dream. Linen’s naturally long fibres help to absorb moisture and so help to regulate body temperature for unbroken sleep. Piglet’s signature sheets, made from 100% natural French flax, get softer and softer with wear and ironing is optional as their crumpled texture looks great straight off the line or out of the dryer.
Yogic sleep
Yoga nidra, also known as “yogic sleep”, aims to create a state of consciousness somewhere between waking and sleeping. Unlike other forms of yoga it does not involve physical movement or poses, but rather, relies on deep breathing to calm the mind and relax the body. This soothing practice can be used as a transition into sleep or as a way of bringing meditation into your bedtime routine.
Restful retreat
Award-winning Wiltshire Hotel & Spa, Lucknam Park, is hosting a series of sleep retreats lead by hypnotherapist Fiona Lamb and Qi Gong teacher Tallulah Rendall. The two night break has been designed to help you re-discover how to sleep well by balancing your energy levels and restoring equilibrium of the mind. Through guided meditation and hypnotherapy, worries and overthinking are released allowing a peaceful respite from the outside world, while sound bathing and breath workshops immerse guests into a state of deep relaxation. There is also the opportunity to try a therapeutic session at the Equestrian Centre.
From £462pp per night. lucknampark.co.uk