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5 natural remedies for a good night's sleep

Written by on April 2nd, 2018.      0 comments

Sleep blog Natural sleep remedies

To celebrate the changing of the seasons - and that delicious extra hour in bed as the clocks fall back - here are some of our favourite natural sleep remedies and rituals to recreate at home. 
Natural sleep remedies
1. Aromas for sleep
Creating an association between a particular fragrance and bedtime can be an easy shortcut to sleepiness. Here's how you can easily perfume your bedroom:
 
  • Make your own homemade pillow mist to spray before bed. Fill a 60ml amber bottle with distilled water and a few drops of Geogard 221 preservative, plus 10-15 drops of your chosen essential oils. Lavender, vanilla, ylang ylang, bergamot and Roman chamomile are all popular stress-relievers.
 
  • Scent the whole bathroom in one go by popping a couple of drops of soothing essential oil (mentioned above) in the bottom of the shower tray before having a shower. The steam will fill the bathroom with a calming aroma. 
     
  • Light a scented candle (we love NZ maker Crushes' lavender and lemon "Bonne Nuit" candle). The flickery glow of candlelight, and low lighting generally, is known to be soporific. 
2. Circulation boosting oil for cold feet
From massaging your favourite carrier oil into your cuticles before bed, to asking your partner for a quick shoulder massage, massage + plant oils = sleepiness.

As the nights get cooler, we especially love oil blends containing safflower oil, because its high omega six content helps boosts circulation for those with "always-cold" feet.
Blend:
50ml safflower oil
20ml jojoba oil
20ml evening primrose oil
10ml vitamin e
5 drops rosemary antioxidant 		 IMG 0880-136
Sleepy lotion
3. Sleepy cream for hands and body
A warm shower or bath before bed can be just the ticket for relaxing the nervous system. Post-soak, swap your usual body moisturiser for this luxurious body cream, scented with sleep-inducing lavender, ylang ylang and vanilla, and infused with skin-calming oat and lavender infusions. If you're not a night-time bather, simply apply as hand cream. It's potent stuff.

Ingredients:

Water Phase
100g lavender hydrosol
70g oat infusion*

Oil Phase
16g organic almond oil
16g organic jojoba oil
26g emulsifying wax NF
20g organic, deodorised cocoa butter

Last Phase
1g Geogard 221
1/4 tsp purple mica
few drops lavender essential oil
few drops ylang ylang essential oil
few drops vanilla essential oil 

Method:
In separate pots heat both Water Phase and Oil Phase to 65°C. (Make sure the emulsifier in the Oil Phase is completely melted, Oil Phase may heat faster and need to be taken off the heat to cool to 65°C while Water Phase catches up.)
When both are at 65°C pour Oil Phase into Water Phase and blend until thick.
It won't thicken until it cools to around 40°C.
Add Last Phase and blend again.
Spoon into jar/jars.

*We don't sell this, but it's really easy to make. Take half a cup of rolled oats and cover with two cups of water. Strain to remove the oats after 1-2 hours, or overnight for a more concentrated infusion. Measure out 70g of strained liquid, you can refrigerate any leftovers for up to a week.
4. Establish a bedtime skincare routine
Developing evening rituals, however big or small, encourage your body to learn the patterns of winding down for a restful night's sleep.

Treat yourself by making time to cleanse your face mindfully, and feel the stresses of the day melt away. Follow with your usual toner and moisturiser, serum(s) or facial oil. We particularly love massaging a couple of drops of our all-natural, velvety Night Repair Serum on the face before bed, it feels totally indulgent and skin is glowy and replenished come morning.		 Go Native night repair serum
Natural sleep remedies
5. Herbal help
About an hour before bed, pop the kettle on to make a small (so you're not up all night!) cup of chamomile or valerian tea, known for inducing sleepiness. You can find specific sleep tea blends in most good health food shops, such as Clipper's cinnamon, orange, chamomile and valerian blend. 
 

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