1
Choose cooling sleepwear
Think of your bedroom as a cave, it needs to be cool, quiet, dark to induce the desire for drowsiness. Not so easy if you’re hit with night sweats. Try sleepwear made from smart fabrics that cool your body down. We love Cucumber Clothing’s unfussy designs in patented tech fabric to combat sweats. And we love their minimal packaging, all of which is recyclable. Top, £89, shorts, £65, cucumberclothing.com
2
Let your bed linen breathe
Night sweats are made a million times worse by sweat-drenched sheets. Noone wants to be getting up and changing the bed in the middle of the night. Try DermaTherapy’s filament fabric sheets that are hypoallergenic and woven to channel and wick moisture away from skin, leaving you cool and comfortable. From £70.95 for a double fitted sheet, esperehealth.co.uk
3
Add a pillow that’s chill-ow
This cool jelly pad is designed to be put inside your pillow, absorbing and dissipates heat, leaving you to chill out. Cunning. Livivo gel pillow, £6.49, amazon.com
4
Soak yourself sleepy
The warmth of a bath is a natural relaxant. Add to that the scent of lavender which induces slow-wave sleep and is instrumental in slowing heartbeat and relaxing muscles, and you have the perfect pre-bed combo. Another anecdotal favourite is an Epsom salts bath. In water, the salts break down to both magnesium and sulphate, the theory being that these are absorbed through the skin, promoting relaxed muscles and soothed stiff joints. Epsom Salts, £6.69, hollandandbarrett.com
5
Grab a page-turner
A screen is not your friend when you’re trying to sleep. Say goodnight to all devices for at least 30 minutes before bed time, ideally for an hour or two. Blue light reduces production of melatonin so makes you wired not tired. Instead go analogue and read an old-fashioned favourite paperback instead.
6
Drink something hot
Remember how your grandmother always had a cup of cocoa before bed? She knew what she was doing. Both dairy and soya milk contain the natural sleep inducing tryptophan. L-tryptophan is naturally found in animal and plant proteins and promotes the production of melatonin, our sleep hormone. We also love Pukka’s Night time latte which is vegan, sugar and wheat free and contains sleep inducing herbs, such as chamomile, ashwagandha and lavender to help you drift off. £4.99, tesco.com
7
Eat snooze food
Adrenalin inducing foods such as bacon, cheese, chocolate, potatoes, sauerkraut, sugar and tomatoes are the enemy of sleep. They all contain the amino acid tyramine: Tyramine regulates blood pressure, but too much promotes adrenalin production. Instead, enjoy soothing foods like bananas, turkey, nut butters, oats, tuna and turkey for their snooze-friendly, melatonin-producing effects.
8
Cool things down
Noone wants the whirring of a bedside fan keeping them awake. The Dyson Cool AM06 Desk Fan is a pricey £249, but its bladeless tech is silent and effective. A good investment for your future nights’ sleep. johnlewis.com
9
Choose a wellbeing scent
The new Wellbeing Pod from Neom is an electronic diffuser designed to scent your home in lavender in minutes – and it’s delicious. Using the power of fragrance to improve your wellbeing, the 100% natural essential oil blends help with better sleep, stress, mood and energy. £90 for the Pod, and £20 per oil, neom.co.uk
10
Try a herbal helper
CBD oil is having a health moment. A natural muscle relaxant, it helps to promote deeper sleep. High strength CBD oil, £15.95, healthspan.com
11
Last but not least…have sex
There’s a reason we traditionally make love in the darkest hours: Nature’s own sleeping pill is delivered from the hormone prolactin which makes us feel naturally relaxed and sleepy. And, it’s free.
If you are on any prescribed medicines, check for interactions before taking supplements.
