Beauty and the Bed

{Belle from Beauty and the Beast because I can't say the title of my post without singing the theme song}

Lately, my schedule has been hectic, crazed, and even a little bit insane. I grab moments to relax here and there and look for beauty whenever I can but despite my efforts, I can often feel the wheels of my brain spinning like crazy. I can't shut it down, even as I lay in the dark, feeling each ticking moment of the night slipping away. After experiencing a few nights of this nature, I thought today would be a good a time to separate some of the truths from the myths about sleep. 

There are tons of theories as to why people like myself, struggle to get to sleep or stay asleep. From things as small as having artificial lights on that interfere with our brains natural sleepy rhythm to the annoying neighbour, whom you don't know, who throws parties till 4 in the morning, that you're NOT invited to. Yeah, the last one may make me want to beat someone around the head with a giant nerf bat. I'm just saying. I mean if you're going to keep me up, you can at least invite me to the party. Sheesh.

I don't know if you've heard or not, but Beauty Sleep - it's real people. The BBC, reported on a study where 23 people stared at before and after pictures of people who had been put through their paces and then rated when the people were hotter: After 8 hours of sleep or after being kept up for 31 hours. There was a general consensus, the well rested were just plain prettier. That right there, is enough motivation for this vain blogger to want to grab more Z's. How about you? If that's not enough to motivate you maybe this is.

Lack of sleep 'linked to early death'

If that attention grabbing headline on the BBC isn't enough to motivate someone, I don't know what is. Unfortunately, the link on the pages to the studies backing both of these claims weren't working for me. So, I didn't get a chance to go all sciency geek like and check the findings for myself. But, I'm going to give the BBC the benefit of the doubt as a credible reporting agency for the moment. If you have reason to believe they're not, shoot me an email and let me know!

Now, back to my sleepless nights. This isn't the first time these have happened in my life and stupidly, I've fallen out of using some great habits I'd acquired on getting more quality sleep. It's time to get back to them. I like my sleep, I like being prettier, and I like living longer.

• Unplug at least an hour before your desired bed time. Turn off the T.V.'s, the computer monitors, the video games (even the hand held ones), and yes - shut.off.your.cellphone (are you still breathing or did the thought of unplugging from the electronic world give you a heart attack like it does me? You're still here? Cool. Let's carry on.)
• Yoga. As unmotivated as I can be, Yoga can be a lifesaver. If you don't know anything about yoga and are too embarrassed to try it in a class, too lazy to get to one, or are a shut in due to an abnormal fear of people, open spaces, or germs, there are some websites that can be life savers. 
• My first pick is a free website: www.yogajournal.com. They have tons of information from beginners all the way to advanced users. Once you've signed up, they'll let you put together your own set of poses to print off so that you can tie yourself up in knots in the comfort of your own home. Here are some of their suggestions for restorative poses. I've also heard rave reviews from another site called MyYogaonline. It appears to be a pay for service so I pretty much lost interest right there. If you're really unsure of how to get started though, this sounds like a fantastically friendly way to help. I welcome anyone who tries it out, to come back and let us know about your experience. 
• Meditation is also a great way to help find your way to sleep. Again, my favourite was the free service provided by YogaJournal. They had a series of meditations on their site for you to pick and choose from. I'm all about the freebies.
• Epsom salt baths. This is such a fantastic but often neglected treat anyone with a tub should do for themselves. Epsom salts don't seem to be as easily found in the area that I'm in now. If you're having trouble finding them, look for Sea Salt bath soaks. One of the first ingredients listed, should be magnesium based. I've seen Magensium bath flakes sold as well. For the love of all that is holy, don't believe that soaking in a tub of Radox is the same thing. It's not. A 20 minute soak in an epsom salt bath 30 minutes before you hit the sheets, gives your body a great shot of magnesium which is something most of us are deficient in these days. Magnesium is this fabulous thing that relaxes all the muscles in your body and the chances are, if you're in a giant tub of water, you're not hanging out in front of the T.V. or any other electronic device you can electrocute yourself with. If you are, good luck with that.
• Cut out the caffeine. Thankfully, it's not a total abstinence from it but I've had the best luck if I don't have any after 4 in the afternoon. There are some people who can sleep even with a I.V. drip of it hanging from their arm. I'm not one of those and if you're not either, join me in staring at those who can, bitterly, as they sleep. Yeah, you know who you are. Or just try cutting it out late in the day. Whichever way works for you.

My Favourite Sleepy Time tools

{BetterYou Magnesium oil, My favorite trusty sleeping mask, Thorne Research PharmaGaba-250}

• Magnesium oil. This works best on clean skin so if you just can't stomach soaking in a bath for some reason, like a fear of drowning, then jump into a shower and spray/rub yourself down with some of this stuff. It's even better if someone else can do it for you. (For instance, by a special someone who can handle sleeping with a coffee I.V. drip and whom apparently likes to be called "my manly stud". You still know who you are. At least, I hope you do or I have some explaining to do.) Thirty minutes after it's applied, you should be sleepy as can be.
• Pharma Gaba. This one is tricky. I recommend speaking to someone with an actual degree that can help you decide if it's appropriate for you or not. And it can't be just any degree. They should have a degree in something along the lines of natural medicine. That would mean seeking out a naturopath or homeopathic doctor usually. It's great for anxiety. So if you find the cogs of worry whirling around at night are keeping you up, it can help you let go and relax. I've as yet to find a place in the UK that sells my favourite brand. If you stumble across a place, please let me know! I'm fairly picky and loyal to the brands I'm familiar with so I'm hoarding my last dose like it's the Holy Grail. 

Let's make the world a more beautiful place together, full of really old people and all get our beauty sleep!

Do you ever have trouble sleeping? What tips or tricks do you have up your sleeves to help you get some Z's? 

xoxo