Good afternoon and I hope you are having a great week so far. As my email about sleepa few weeks ago had so many responses (a lot of us are lying awake for too long at night), I wanted to share a few more ideas to help you nod off easier.
- Make your room cool, dark and quiet (use an eye mask and ear plugs if you need to)
- Avoid caffeine and sugar at night
- Stick one foot out of bed (yes really! Watch this video for why it can help)
- Try reading something that's REALLY un-stimulating (get out that huge book that you never started, guaranteed to have you nodding off!)
- Try this yoga sequence before bed
Food of the week
This week I have gone with a drink rather than a food – Chamomile Tea, as I have spoken to quite a few people this week who find it really helpful.
It has been found to help with the following:
- Insomnia and other sleep disorders
- Anxiety and Panic Attacks
- Muscle twitches
- Skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema
- Stomach problems such as menstrual cramps, stomach flu, and ulcers
Chamomile is an herb that comes from a flowering plant from the daisy family. Both the fresh and dried flowers of chamomile have been used to create teas for centuries to help cure a number of health problems. The active ingredient in chamomile essential oil is known as bisabolol, which has a number of anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties.
It can be wonderful remedy for sleep disorders such as insomnia. Simply make a chamomile tea 30 to 45 minutes before going to bed to treat sleeplessness. Try avoiding any caffeine (including coffee, tea or chocolate) after 5pm and replacing your nighttime drink for chamomile tea. This will help you to relax and unwind after a busy day and prepare the mind and body for bed.
Also, Chamomile tea has been found to help relieve eye fatigue and dark circles. A simple remedy is to dip 2 chamomile tea bags in warm water. After 5 minutes, remove the tea bags from the water and let them cool to room temperature. Then place them on your eyes at night as a compress. You can also do this with cucumbers. It also forces you to lie down with your eyes closed so can force you to spend 5 minutes relaxing!
As with all herbal products, moderation is the key to avoiding adverse reactions. If you are allergic to ragweed pollen or have hayfever, you may have difficulty using chamomile. Using chamomile during pregnancy is not recommended and is also not recommended if you are currently taking blood thinners such as Warfarin as it contains a substance which is also a blood thinner.
Let me know if you have any questions at all!