Welcome to week four of Stress Awareness Month, we hope that by now, you’re beginning to feel a lot better, and a lot less stressed. Last week, we talked about why rest and sleep are crucial to de-stressing, and the rejuvenating, life-saving process that takes place inside the body when we close our eyes. And so today, as a sort of sequel, we’re sharing our very own life-hacks to achieving your best night’s sleep yet; mind and all!

The hours through which we approach bedtime are critical to the success of the sleep itself. Doing just a handful of these tricks two to three hours before lights out will really improve both the quality and quantity of your rest, and in turn, your stress levels too.

1. Negative Journaling - Negative thought patterns hold a powerful impact over the way we think about ourselves. This spiralling pattern can be broken by practising negative journaling. The action of putting pen to paper will often lead you to the source of the problem; shining a light on the negative thoughts and emotions that have been keeping you awake. Then destroy the piece of paper, with the intention of releasing it from your mind as well.

2. Linalool - Natural remedies offer the best solutions for a restless mind at night, and one of our favourites among Mother Nature’s wonders is a special alcohol type called Linalool. Found mainly within the purple flowers of lavender, Linalool proves extremely effective at calming the mind when inhaled; hence why lavender-scented Pillow Sprays work a dream!

3. Let Darkness Set In - The human body is diurnal; meaning we naturally sleep in the darkness of the night. And when our surroundings become darker, the body responds by producing melatonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep and makes us feel tired. Total blackout darkness has also been strongly associated with reduced nighttime wakefulness.

4. Blue Light Ban - Blue light is a type of light commonly used in LED screens, mobile phones, televisions and monitors, and it catastrophically restricts the production of melatonin; hence why it deserves its own point! Not only will refraining from screen time improve your biological experience of sleep, but it will also relax your mind and reduce alertness at just the right time.

5. Eat Your Way To Deeper Sleep - Did you know that melatonin isn’t just found within the human body, and that this magic sleep hormone is actually present in many everyday ingredients? Simple foods like cabbage, walnuts, salmon, cherries and plums are all packed with sleep- inducing goodness, and proves why sneaking midnight snacks isn’t such a bad idea after all!

Sleep and stress are so interlinked, that it’s important to understand how their relationship works. The healthiest, least-stressed people enjoy the best sleep, and these are just some suggestions that will dramatically improve yours!

To level-up your pillow time, take a trip to the SMUG store, which includes our total-blackout eyelash-friendly Sleep Masks, and our stress-alleviating Lavender Pillow Spray.

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