Sleeping hacks so you can sleep like a boss (or baby).

Ensuring the quality of your zzzzz’s is the simplest and easiest way to improve your health and wellbeing. Sleep is when our body is at work healing, repairing and detoxifying and this process thrives in a supportive and toxin free environment.

It all started when my husband and I stayed at a suave hotel in Brisbane and I fell in love with the bed we were sleeping on. It was from this moment when I invested in making my bedroom a complete sanctuary and today, it is basically one of my favourite places in the world to be, even with the kids jumping in and out of bed at all hours of the day.

My top ten, parent proof, tips for a good night sleep:

Which I promise will have you snoozing as soon as your head hits the pillow…

1. Create your sleep sanctuary

By this I mean, invest in some good quality toxin free bedding including your mattress, pillows and bedsheets. The idea of sleeping on a toxic bed at night sounds scary but it’s not much of a far fetched idea when you start to think about the kind of materials that are used to make up your mattress, pillows and bedsheets. From heavy metals, flame retardants and formaldehyde to name a few, these materials can wreak havoc on the immune system. Even springs in mattresses have been known to magnify electromagnetic radiation (like wifi) when we sleep, so thinking about what we are actually sleeping on each night has it’s merits.

Even just making small changes to your sleep area can make a huge difference, like rethinking the type of bedsheets you sleep on. Our family is currently obsessed with Ecosa Bamboo Bed Sheets which we were kindly gifted. Chemical free and made from 100% organic bamboo, Ecosa Bamboo Bed Sheets are the silkiest and most pleasurable sheets we have ever slept on and beat even the more expensive designer brands, we have used and loved in the past. Not only are they sleek and comfortable making you feel like a Queen in a palace, they come in a variety of gorgeous colours and are also available in super king (which is what we sleep on)!

2. Get your magnesium

Magnesium is an essential mineral which can help promote a better nights sleep. I have always used it as part of my three year olds sleep routine because she has always been a very active child who literally ditched her day sleep when she was only eight months old.

At night time, I massage magnesium into her feet and legs along with some essential oils and within 15 minutes she is ‘lights out’. After seeing the effects of magnesium on her sleep, I started to use it myself at night and noticed huge improvements in the quality of my slumber which was such a relief after the many years of being a mum who never really felt ‘rested’ and would wake up just from the sound of a feather falling on the roof.

Our family uses the range from Amazing Oils magnesium. I alternate between using the the baby calm-gel roll on and baby sleep toes towelettes for Sydnee’s night time massage, and the rest of us use the magnesium spray.

I also like to have a teaspoon of magnesium powder (available at your local pharmacy or health food store) half an hour before bed. If you are struggling to have a deep, restful sleep at night, or even if you are simply a gym junkie like me, I highly recommend consuming one teaspoon of magnesium every night and watch the magic happen. I promise this will sink even the shallowest of sleepers, into a realm of heavenly bliss. You’re welcome!

3. Ditch the screens!

In this digital age with emails, social media, Netflix and everything available on our mobile devices contributing to the rise of screen addiction, it’s hard to unplug these days. And let’s face it, our screens and mobile devices can bring us moments of joy and entertainment after a busy day appearing to help us switch off and relax, but not as much as we’d hope. Thanks to blue lights and the constant distractions these devices deliver, it’s a no brainer when saying that using them before bed is what keeps us at night.

In our house we have a blanket rule which is no phones or iPads after 8 pm (at the absolute latest). When it’s down time we leave our devices on the kitchen bench. We also keep our bedrooms screen free, and only watch TV in the lounge room leaving our bedroom nothing but a sleeping sanctuary. I know it sounds simple, but seriously, put your phone down and reap the many benefits!

4. Alcohol is not your friend

Ever notice that when you have had a glass, or two, or three that you hit the pillow fast but then wake up at midnight not being able to go back to sleep? It’s true that alcohol can make you fall asleep faster but it can disturb the quality of your sleep. You know that feeling, you wake up groggy and your morning starts slow? So it’s best to avoid it at night if you’re on a mission to master your zzzz’s.

My sleep essentials flat lay featuring Jasmine and Will, my current read by Gabrielle Bernstein - May Cause Miracles, Noelle Australia Kakudu Plum Firm Eye Cream and our Amazing Oils Magnesium Spray.

5. Honour and implement a night time ritual

My night time ritual is the same every night and it’s so good now that I get 15 minutes into it and I am completely out of it, so if I am planning to watch a movie on TV, I need to time it right. My night time ritual involves making my favourite cup of Soothing Caramel Bedtime Yogi Tea after taking my magnesium, indulging in my night time facial ritual with my favourite skin care, reading an inspirational book, then tucking into bed with my sleep eye mask when I’m ready to crash. It’s just like putting a baby to bed, except you are now the baby.

I really hope these sleep tips help you out in some way. This is what I personally do every night and it has transformed the way I get out of bed each morning and put the spring back in my step!

Until next time…

Claudia