Getting, give or take, eight hours of great sleep per night is fundamental to leading a healthy life - but how many of us are actually achieving this elusive goal? Whiling away your hours of beauty sleep tossing and turning in bed can take a massive toll on every area of your life - but all hope is not lost. We’ve rounded up our favourite sleep aides that have made nodding off (and staying asleep) a cinch. Whether you’re a seasoned insomniac or just want to improve the quality of your shut-eye, these are the goods your bedroom needs for your best night of sleep yet.

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @EMRATA

SILKY SOFT

Swap out your old cotton pillowcases for some silken beauties – trust us, you’ll never look back. Beauty editors and models alike swear by them for frizz-free strands and for preventing wrinkles, as well as avoiding the dreaded “I’ve just woken up” face pillow creases (we speak from personal experience). Our pick? We’re big fans of Slip’s Silk Pillowcases, available in a kaleidoscope of pretty hues (we are particularly partial to this baby pink version), and Go-To’s adorably cheeky Face Case. Don a matching silk eye mask and sink into a blissful slumber – your hair and skin will thank you.

LUXURIATE WITH LAVENDER

Your pre-bedtime relaxation now starts the minute you step out of the shower, with Weleda’s Lavender Relaxing Oil. It envelopes the skin with the most heavenly scent of lavender, which is why we tend to make a beeline for it to help unwind after a particularly taxing day. It also hydrates like a dream, so you’ll wake up the next morning with beautifully soft limbs. Oh, and if you’re scared of greasy body oils, never fear – this one sinks in almost immediately, so you can get snuggled in your PJs ASAP. For the (facial) skincare obsessed, may we suggest Dermalogica’s Sound Sleep Cocoon: another lavender-scented beauty that brightens and softens the complexion, for better skin by the morning.

MIST MAGIC

Spritz yourself into a slumber with a relaxing mist, to help craft the ideal environment for a restful night’s sleep. We like to mist a few sprays of the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray or Jurlique’s Calming Blend Aromatherapy Mist on our pillow and bed linen – they just make drifting off a dream (excuse the pun). Or opt for full-body bliss with Salt By Hendrix’s Flowers In Your Dreams spray – designed for use as a perfume, it not only smells sleep-inducingly divine, but also helps hydrate your skin and hair, so you can get wonderful beauty sleep (literally).

SIP YOURSELF SLEEPY

There’s something so soothing about a bedtime cup of tea at the end of a long, tiring day – we bet just thinking about it makes your shoulders sink a good few inches. So why not plump for a cuppa packed with slumber-inducing ingredients, like the Pukka Herbs Night Time Tea? A dreamy blend of oat flower, lavender, valerian and lime flower, it will have even the most frazzled amongst us nodding off in no time (and it tastes great, too).

THE BARE ESSENTIALS

Got a problem? There’s probably an essential oil out there that can help solve it. Luckily for those of us that find getting to sleep a struggle, there’s a whole host of oils that, either blended or singularly, will get you dozing off in no time. Our favourite prods come courtesy of Arbonne, Jurlique, Natio and Black Chicken; pop a few drops in an vaporiser for sweet dreams all night long.

Story by Tess Schlink

Comment (0)