GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP IS A BIGGIE...

Did you know a that a bad night of sleep can be harder on your health than a boozy night on the town? You crave way more sugar when you havnt slept well, and you have less contol over how full you are because the hormones leptin and ghrelin, the so-called hunger hormones, are out of whack after just one night's bad sleep.

Lack of sleep ages you too! Not getting enough sleep can increase a release of the stress hormone cortisol, which can break down skin collagen, and collagen is what helps keeep the skin smooth and elastic.

Here's another handy fact: every hour of sleep before midnight is the equivalent of two hours after midnight, so the earlier you get to bed the better. Yes, for so many people, this is easier said then done.  Here's a few tips that could help you.

  • Have a pre-bed ritual. Light a candle, turn on the Himalayan salt lamp, listen to meditation music or read a book.
  • Put a few drops of essential oils that aid sleep on you pillow. Lavender, chamomile, bergamot are a few that help.
  • A little bedtime yogo goes a long way. Not a full on session, just a simple relaxing, meditating stretches.
  • A grateful journal... this is a really lovely thing to do. Just jotting down what you were grateful for the day, puts the mind at peace and ready to be still.
  • Plants in your bedroom. Lavender, snake plant, english ivy, and aloe vera are good ones :)
  • Amino acids, vitamins or minerals can help with people who are having trouble sleeping.  Melatonin, Magnesium, Glycine, Gaba, tryptophan and others really help people drift of into lala land. 
  • A calming, sleep tea is a nice little ritual to have before bed. 
  • Make yourself a dream pillow. simply fill a cloth bag with your favorite blend of relaxing herbs such as lemon balm, chamomile and lavender, and sew it up, and place inside your pillow case.

 Teas and herbs that make you ZZZZZZ

If you’re struggling with getting tired or staying asleep, then try a sedative from Mother Nature and check out these herbs that can help you sleep through the night.
Valerian Valerian is popular among insomniacs thanks to its potential with inducing a more restful sleep, and it can be used as a tincture, capsule, or a lovely cup of bedtime tea.

Hops Hops is another sedative herb, and valerian can be combined with hops extract for greater sleep benefits. They’re both reputed to be mild and safe, and they’re sometimes able to be used in conjunction with other sleep remedies.

Both hops and valerian can pair well with melatonin (the famous sleep hormone carried by stores everywhere) so those with long and restless nights can come up with a serious plan of action.

Herbs for stress & anxiety

Anxiety can keep us lying awake in bed no matter how many sheep we count. If stress has you lost in thought during the wee hours, then you may want ashwagandha or passionflower to promote relaxation.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an herb that’s wildly popular in the ancient Ayurvedic tradition of Indian medicine. It’s an adaptogen that’s able to help regulate hormones thrown out of whack by anxiety, bringing our bodies to a more balanced and relaxed state.

Passionflower

Passionflower doesn’t have the same impressive track record as ashwagandha, but it has shown it’s worth considering as an aid for sleep and anxiety. Thanks to passionflower increasing the production of brain chemical GABA (gama aminobutyric acid), a cup of tea may offer the calm and relaxation needed to catch those z’s. So keep a tin of passionflower tea next to your pack of chamomile.