Happiness consists of getting enough sleep or as the 16th century writer Thomas Dekker said, Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together. It goes without saying that our physical health, mental health and overall wellbeing is much better when we get enough sleep. However, at different stages of our lives, we might start to experience periods of wakefulness. In particular, during the summer months, when there’s extra light in the evenings and mornings, warmer and more humid temperatures, or else, thunder storms – these factors can sometimes disrupt our sleep and trigger different patterns.
Needless to say, for anyone experiencing a suspected sleep disorder or prolonged sleep disturbances, support and advice from a medical practitioner is recommended. However, for those going through what feels like a temporary bad patch of sleep impacted by a stressful week, a self-care sleep ritual can help you on your way. Here is a round-up of sleep aids and products designed to support sleep. Read to the end to discover which product we’ve declared as Female First’s Star Summer Sleep Product.
1) Best for… Dressing for Dreams
Be the star of your dreams and before you dive into bed for a wild night of dreaming, spend the day (and evening) flouncing around in this ‘dream dress’ by Manchester-based, Joanie, who create a range of ethical and sustainable fashion. Bryce Nighttime Cloud is adorned with vintage-inspired nocturnal clouds and star prints in shades of pink, purple, blue, and orange. Honouring your dream world is a great way to establish rapport with your dreaming mind, through allowing your dreams the space to be part of your waking hours. Of course, you could also nap in this dress or drift off to sleep after a wild night of dancing in it. (We suspect you’d have technicolour dreams after a day of wearing this little beaut!)
RRP £70 by Joanie https://joanieclothing.com/bryce-nighttime-cloud-print-v-neck-midaxi-dress.html
2) Best for… a Soak in the Tub
Multi-award winning, Tisserand has a wide range of essential oils, pillow mists and bath products that will send you straight to sleep. Possibly the jewel in their night-time crown, includes their ‘Sleep Better’ blend. In fact, 91% of people found it helped them to fall asleep and over 85% fell asleep faster*. Their essential oil aromatherapy sleep body wash is perfect for de-stressing after a long day and a lovely way to pamper yourself before bed with this intoxicating blend of jasmine, sandalwood and lavender 100% natural pure essential oils. Our testers found this bubble bath left the skin lovely and smooth, a helpful way to switch off and sleep peacefully.
RRP £15 for 400ml by Tisserand
*after using the Sleep Better blend in a panel test of 114 participants.
3) Best for… Sleeping Naturally
Perhaps you know you have a busy day ahead and it’s especially important to get some quality shut-eye or maybe you have tried to get to sleep but just can’t get off after trying for an hour or more. Sometimes we might need to find ways to ease our mind into a restful night. Drops of Slumber is a natural, sleep saviour. It claims to be non-habit forming and leaves no lingering drowsiness. The liquid tastes pretty good and is readily absorbed by the body getting to work fast. With passionflower, chamomile, lavender, zizyphus, valerian root, Montmorency cherry, all famous as natural remedies for sleep. Our testers found this to be a naturally blissful way to ease into sleep.
RRP £21.25 for 30ml by Life Armour
https://lifearmour.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/drops-of-slumber
4) Best for… Night Repair
For a soothing eye cream while you sleep, Multi Action Eye Serum reduces the appearance of wrinkles and brightens and reduces puffiness. It also helps tighten, firm and tone and combats puffiness, diminishing the signs of fatigue. The serum is smooth and easy to apply and combines patented Hyoglass™ Technology with Oligopeptides from Maca Root, collagen stimulating Alfalfa Seed and Lupin Seed Extract, in a lightweight formula. You only need a small drop applied to clean skin. Our testers found this silky undereye cream easily absorbed, with the under eye area appearing visibly smoother.
RRP £65 for 15ml by Visible Youth
https://visibleyouth.com/product/multi-action-eye-serum/
5) Best for… Sleep Gifting
Ideal for that someone in your life who needs more sleep, this mini sleep pamper set by Nathalie Bond is available via Boostology, an independent retailer based in London who offers a range of gift ideas that are a little different. Give your loved one the gift of a bath-time de-stress with this deeply calming Lavender and Bergamot salt soak with essential oils. Also in the box is freshly dried sprig of lavender and a soy wax candle to accompany your soothing soak. Made from 100% natural ingredients, to ease away the stresses of your day.
RRP £34 from Boostology
https://www.boostology.co.uk/products/lavender-bath-gift-set
6) Best for… Traditional Herbal Remedies
Kalms Night One-A-Night is a valerian-root based remedy, which helps relaxation and sleep, temporary relief of sleep disturbances. Commenting on its benefits, Dr Ramlakhan says, “Research suggests Valerian root, found in Kalms Night One-A-Night, can reduce stress, and increase relaxation before you go to bed… valerian helps to ease stress, induce relaxation, and promote a restful night’s sleep without causing drowsiness”. Always read the leaflet. Our testers found that indeed the Kalms One-A-Night helped with sleep and there was no grogginess upon waking.
RRP £5.76 for 21 tablets from Kalms, available online and at supermarkets and pharmacies or directly from www.kalmsrange.co.uk
7) Best for… Slumber Scents
Born out of a family-managed, organic essential oil farming operation in Zululand, SOiL is the first company in South Africa to sell a complete range of 100% certified organic essential oils. Simply plug in the diffuser and add some of the SOiL ‘Organic Sleep Blend’ for a relaxing, soothing and cosy scent of Lavender, Bergamot, Sweet Marjoram and Vetiver organic essential oils. The diffuser includes a timer so you can drift off with sweet scents as you enter slumber. The Sleep Set includes: 1 x Ultra Sonic Diffuser and 1 x Sleep Organic Essential Oil Blend. Our testers gave this sleep aid a big thumbs up and found the scent super calming. The soft lighting and steam function is gently atmospheric before bed.
RRP £49 by SOiL
https://soilorganics.co.uk/shop/p/organic-essential-oil-sleep-set
8) Best for… a Grown Up Bath
Handmade in Brighton, these magical lavender and avocado CBD bath bombs are great for a good night’s sleep. We have it on good authority that nothing goes together better than CBD and a long soak in a warm bath. Mindful Extracts have created a unique range of bath bombs to help you recharge and rejuvenate, made with 100mg of full-spectrum CBD and cold pressed lavender oil - a good combination for a restful night’s sleep. The smell is aromatic, rich and intoxicating and leaves you with silky skin. Just run your bath, drop it your grown-up bomb, and relax. Sleep like a baby and wake up smelling gently of lavender. The ultimate for sweet dreams.
RRP £9.99 by Mindful Extracts: https://mindfulextracts.co.uk/product/lavender-avocado-bath-bomb/
9) Best for… Soft Tip Toes
Ethical and independent beauty brand, ‘The D.O.R Beauty Edit’ stocks this magnificent night foot cream, the perfect overnight feet therapy this summer. Vegan and eco-friendly, Kiss the Moon foot balm soothes sore feet and heals your skin while you are sleeping. This means that when you wake up your feet are moisturised. The cream works on several levels: firstly, it encourages restful sleep through the inclusion of relaxation scents such as lavender, bergamot and chamomile. Secondly the cream does a sterling job of softening and nourishing the feet with whipped Shea butter. Our testers LOVED this cream and awoke with surprisingly soft heels after just one use.
RRP £26.00Kiss the Moon: https://thedorbeautyedit.com/product/dream-night-cream-for-feet/
*Female First’s Star Sleep Product*
Drum roll please. Our star product for summer 2023 is… The Silk Collection! This decadent eye mask is extremely luxurious, decadently comfortable, and is a seasonal must-have for the summer. Plus, we love a brand that ‘gives back’ to charity!
10) Best for… Blocking out Light
For a next-level eye mask, there’s only one choice. Sometimes eye masks can be a bit tight or not tight-enough around your eyes, or else, not soft or padded-enough. There’s none of those concerns with The Silk Collection. Made from 100% mulberry silk which is soft and gentle on your skin, which means that a silk sleep mask will help to prevent creases forming around the delicate skin around your eyes. Mulberry silk is also less absorbent than cotton, which means that a silk sleep mask absorbs less moisture from your skin during the night to help to keep your skin hydrated. This also means that any overnight eye creams or serums used as part of your nightly skincare routine will stay where they belong - on your face. The brand also sells luxury silk pillowcases and accessories. They proudly donate 5% of all profits to Mind Charity in support of mental health awareness.
RRP £29 by The Silk Collection
https://thesilkcollection.co.uk/blogs/news/why-is-a-silk-eye-mask-the-best-eye-mask-for-sleeping
Leah Larwood http://www.themoonlab.net/
Tagged in Sleeping Tips