7 best sleep sprays and mists

Today is World Sleep Day, the annual celebration of healthy sleeping patterns and awareness day for sleep disorders. Over the past year, we have all probably suffered the effects of a sleepless night or two, for some of us, it has become the norm that sleeping through the night is an almost alien concept. With that in mind, I am a huge advocate of sleep sprays and mists. many of which are designed to help send you off into a peaceful slumber, some help you to relax and unwind before bed and others are perfect for creating that calming atmosphere.

When it comes to our bedtime routine, many of us will have our own way of managing that and for me, it starts with my skincare routine and then before getting into bed, I will use a pillow spray or mist as I am getting ready to get into bed.

What does a sleep spray and mist do?

A Sleep Spray or Mist is a product which is infused with essential oils and ingredients which helps to ease stress, anxiety, nervous tension and restlessness. These essential oils and ingredient blends work to encourage your mind and body to switch off, wind down and relax and there are some studies which suggest that certain aromas and blends encourage our bodies to produce melatonin, a hormone which promotes a restful sleep.

My 7 best sleep sprays and mists

As with the title of this post, I have quite the collection of sleep sprays and mists within my collection and whilst I am trialling a few new ones currently, I thought I would share the ones I currently have on rotation and why I use them.

• Mio Liquid Yoga Stress Free Space Spray (£15.75*) - Created to induce a sense of peace and calm, Liquid Yoga uses a  powerful, blissful blend of uplifting essential oils, including Lavender and mentha arvensis which help to refresh and calm, Cypress which rebalances and cistus ladaniferus whose job it is to ease anxiety and fatigue. I have a full review of this spray here.
• Olverum Restful Sleep Pillow Mist (£25*) - This mist features a unique blend of soothing essential oils which are natural, vegan and cruelty-free. Those essential oils include bergamot which helps the body to relax as well as to improve the mood, Amyris which is great for calming and helping to relieve anxiety, Geranium which helps to ensure a disturbance-free transition into the calming, restorative second stage of sleep, Chamomile oil which helps to maintain and extend the period of deep rest, this then ensures you awaken looking and feeling refreshed and rejuvenated and then finally we have Lavender which helps to promote deeper sleep. I have a full review of this mist here.
• Bloom & Blossom All Night Long Calming Spray (£12*) - Referring to itself as the pillow mist of dreams, this spray boasts a formula which is fuelled by natural ingredients such as Frankincense and Linden Blossom which come together to help create a calming environment before you sleep and it smells just incredible. Added to that we have Rose Flower Water with its healing, anti-inflammatory power. This Sleep Spray is 99% natural, vegan and cruelty-free.
• Ren & Now To Sleep Pillow Spray (£19*) - Described as being ideal for all those who need help to ‘switch off’ pre-bed, this spray uses a blend of frankincense, hops and lavender, all of which are said to be natural sedatives which have been used since ancient times to relax the mind and reduce anxiety, relieve inner tension and contribute to a healthy sleeping pattern. The floral notes of lavender work to reduce anxiety, frankincense helps to put your mind at ease.  I have a full review of this spray here.
• Aroma Associates Sleep Mist (£7.50*) - The newest product in my collection and one I absolutely love to use, it is described as being a calming and relaxing mist to induce and improve quality of sleep. It features a relaxing blend of Lavandin and Valerian which are known for their calming effect plus the inclusion of Ylang Ylang and balancing Buddhawood for their calming & centring effects.  I have a full review of the entire Sleep Collection here.
• Beatitude Peace Pillow Spray & Room Mist (£24) - This mist is made with a blend of 7 pure essential oils which include anxiety reducing Lavender, calming Ylang Ylang, mind-clearing Frankincense and super-grounding Patchouli, Mandarin which helps relieve stress, Cedarwood which is calming and relieving and Petitgrain which is said to be great for those with insomnia. All of these oils come together in a base of Orange Flower Water and as you can imagine it smells incredible. Together, these oils creates a product which soothes, de-stresses and assists a calmer state of mind allowing you to drift off to a good night's sleep. I have a full review here.
• Lush Twilight Sleepy Body Spray (£20) - when this body spray first launched it sold out immediately because of the amount of praise it got from customers. It contains Tonka Absolute which has a soothing and comforting aroma. Lavender Oil which is naturally soothing and the flowers release a beautiful fragrance that quiet the mind and promote restful sleep, plus we have Ylang Ylang which helps to reduce anxiety.

Whatever scent, mist or spray you believe is going to help you relax, unwind and de-stress if worth trying, as is creating that entire relaxing routine.

How to use a pillow spray

There are quite a few different ways within which you can use a spray or a mist.  The first is to spritz a few pumps over your pillows and sheets around 15 to 30 minutes before you go to bed, this then gives the essential oils time to settle.  You can also spritz the product around your bedroom if you prefer not to use it on your bed linen, again, between 15 to 30 minutes is said to be the optimum time to do this.

Having shared so many amazing products in this one post, I have become accustomed to knowing what essential oils I need to help me to wind down and become calm before bedtime, now I just need to figure out to stay asleep and the last things to do on my list is to change both my bed and my mattress which are more than 13 years old, just deciding on something new is time consuming and confusing, not to mention difficult during a pandemic.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

The Aroma Active Laboratories Sleep Collection

Aroma Active Laboratories is new to Boots and comes from the lab responsible for Aromatherapy Associates. Anyone who loves Aromatherapy Associates as much as I do (Support Breathe especially), then this is a brand you need to own absolutely everything of! I am making my way through some of the products the brands has to offer, but in the meantime, I am going to share a selection of the Sleep products as Boots currently has 25% off*!

Within the Sleep collection there is four products - a Sleep Mist, a Sleep Pulsepoint Rollerball, Sleep Soak Salt and a Sleep Overnight Recovery Facial Oil. Each one of these products range in price from £8 to £15 making them very much affordable, more so with 25% off.

I am a huge fan of bath salts, they are such an underrated products, so with 25% off, I bought the Aroma Active Laboratories Sleep Salt Soak (£15 for 500g) and they are described as being a relaxing salt soak to calm your body and mind for a good night’s sleep.

These bath salts, which does dissolve in the bath water, are designed using a relaxing blend of essential oils which are known for their calming and centring effects. 

• Lavandin contains Linalool and Linalyl Acetate which together are known to promote relaxation.
• Buddhawood which is known to have a calming and centring effect, promoting balance and harmony.
• Valerian which I’ve used on many different products and it is known for its calming effect, widely used to promote good quality sleep.
• Ylang Ylang which is known for its sleep benefits, as we as its properties to fight nervous tension and stress.

These bath salts are simply incredible, as soon as you open the inner foil package, the scent which comes through is just wonderful and it becomes even better as it mixes in with the steam vapour of the bath water. Incredibly relaxing and just wonderful to use.

The second product is the Aroma Active Laboratories Sleep Over Night Recovery Face Oil (30ml) and if you are a fan of facial oils, you will find it incredibly hard to not love this.

It is described as being a restorative facial oil which helps you to relax and unwind for a peaceful night’s sleep and then when you wake up, you should have fresher, plumper looking skin.

As with the bath salts, this facial oil is also formulated with ingredients to promote relaxation and it too includes a relaxing blend of

• Lavandin which is known for its ability to create relaxation
• Valerian, known for its calming effect,
• Ylang Ylang which is known for its ability to help reduce stress and tension as well as
• Buddhawood which is known for its ability to promote balance and harmony.

When these ingredients and oils are combined they make for a very calming and centring effect. For me, my evening skincare routine is something I find quite relaxing and there is something quite calming about taking your time to look after your skin, whether it is five minutes before your head hits that pillow, to a good hour before bedtime.

I have become quite the fan of pulepoint roller balls and I have a few from many different brands, which I use for all kinds of issues.  From Aroma Active Laboratories, we have the Sleep Pulsepoint Rollerball (6ml)

Described as being an on-the-go solution to instantly calm and release tension before sleep, I use this rollerball when I am feeling slightly anxious and need to distract myself. Laying on the sofa or even in bed with my Kindle, rolling this metal ball onto my pulse points is really calming and of course, it smells just absolutely delightful.

The ingredients within this rollerball, you won't be too surprised to find also comprises of a

relaxing blend of Lavandin, Valerian, Ylang Ylang and again Buddhawood and together they work and use their properties to calm, centre, relax and just give you time out to wind down. As the rollerball is rolled over the pulse points - think behind the ears, the wrists and some also use the centre of the elbow too,take a few minutes to saviour the scent by inhaling with a count to five and then exhaling for the same time, an action you can repeat a few times over and over.

The final product within this collection is the Aroma Active Laboratories Sleep Mist (75ml) and if you have used a sleep mist before and liked them, then you will love this one.

Described as being a calming and relaxing mist to induce and improve quality of sleep, as with the rest of the products within this range, it features the very same ingredients, which are described as being a relaxing blend of Lavandin, Valerian, Ylang Ylang and again which when combined promoted their calming, soothing and centring effects.

Using this spray, the advice is to spray it onto your pillows and bed linen roughly 15 minutes before you want to drop off to sleep.  I tend to air spray it as well, just in the hope sleep does come.  As a scent, it is definitely, for me, one which is relaxing and soothing, more so as I am a bit of an insomniac and anyone who watches my instagram stories will notice I am awake at all kinds of hours.

As a range of products, I can't believe the price point. I am obsessed with the bath salts and the rollerball, but both the sleep mist and the facial oil are just a delight to use when creating a sleep routine.  

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Olverum Restful Sleep Pillow Mist

If you follow me on social media, it might have caught your attention that my sleep pattern is a little disrupted. I go through bouts of being awake in the early hours of the morning and nothing I'm going to do is sending me back to sleep.  I was kindly sent one of the new additions to the Olverum Collection - Restful Sleep Pillow Mist to try.

I am a big fan of Olverum as a brand, the bath oil being a big favourite of mine. Whenever I have a cold on its way, I hop into the bath with Olverum Bath Oil and it works it magic to battle with the cold to make me feel a whole lot better, same with the onset of a headache and if I am feeling a tad grouchy.

"Awaken relaxed and refreshed with the Olverum Restful Sleep Pillow Mist, a fine mist that imbues linens and spaces with a serene and tranquil natural fragrance, helping to promote a peaceful and restful sleep".

Sleep is one of the most important things you need in your life, as you sleep your mind and body recover, relax and regenerate.  I am a horrendous sleeper of late. Gone are those long weekend lie-ins which saw me getting a good 12-14 hours sleep, it is more likely to be 5-6 hours now if I am lucky.  To that end, I will try absolutely anything that is calming and relaxing before bed time.  

This is where Olverum Restful Sleep Pillow Mist comes in and is quite the product to be using. 

The Olverum Restful Sleep Pillow Mist features a unique blend of soothing essential oils which are natural, vegan and cruelty-free. Those essential oils include bergamot which is chosen because because it helps the body to relax as well as to improve the mood, then we have Amyris which is great for calming and helping to relieve anxiety, Geranium which helps to ensure a disturbance-free transition into the calming, restorative second stage of sleep that is really important, Chamomile oil helps to maintain and extend the period of deep rest, which ensures you awaken looking and feeling refreshed and rejuvenated and then finally we have lavender which helps to promote deeper sleep.

Putting all of these ingredients together gives you quite the product with a whole host of benefits which includes:

Key Benefits:

• Helps promote a restful sleep
• A fine mist with a serene natural fragrance
• Works to evoke sensations of calm and comfort
• Features a soothing blend of essential oils, including bergamot, amyris and lavender
• A natural, vegan and cruelty-free formula

To use the spray, the advice is to use it immediately prior to sleep or relaxation. Then you need to spritz just two pumps of Restful Sleep Pillow Mist into the air, or you can spray it directly onto linens from a distance of around 30cm.  Once the Mist has been dispersed around your room or onto your linens, what I have found is the scent, which is similar too but not the same as, the bath oil is a fragrance that I have come to recognise as relaxing and one that does help calm and soothe.  Taking the time to properly appreciate the essential oils is really important because that is what makes this so beneficial.

For me, this pillow mist has been a delight to use. Sleep comes easily for me when I use it and I tend to sleep for longer periods of time. I've taken the time to use it a few times a week since it arrived to see what happens both when I do and don't use it, using it definitely helps to relax and calm, better so when I have used it with the Bath Oil to create quite the routine.  If I don't use it, sleep does come but it has been patchy and not a great sleep.

The Olverum Restful Sleep Pillow Mist is on sale via SpaceNK for £25 right here* and if getting that restful, peaceful sleep is an issue for you, then giving this mist a try might just help!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Holland And Barrett 'Seven Day Sleep Challenge'

I used to think I had a regular sleeping pattern, turns out I actually don't and having done a sleep study through the local hospital, instead of getting what I assumed was 7-8 hours sleep a night, I actually get 4-5 hours of what is called 'good sleep'. Having turned down copious amounts of medication to help me sleep, I prefer to use natural remedies, many of which include lavender, as I find it helps.

This week is the start of National Sleep Awareness Week and the lovely people over at Holland and Barrett sent me a selection of their newest sleep products and some expert tips to see if it would help me get a better nights sleep. Always up for a challenge, my package arrived and I dived right in. 

Miaroma Pure Essentials Lavender Bath Oil is just a delight to use. You only need a few drops into your bath water for the aroma to come to life. Lavender is commonly used to calm an active mind and it can also be good for nervous feelings. I always find that something with Lavender in does help with calming and it does stop my mind racing and adding it to my bath water, left me feeling calm and ready for bed. Miaroma Relaxing Lavender Temple Balm, which combines a soothing blend of Lavender, Sandalwood, Chamomile and Patchouli, not only smells incredible, but is perfect for promoting restfulness. With these two products, I found both of them really helpful in promoting relaxation.

Tisserand Sweet Dreams Body Oil is fragranced with calming Lavender, comforting Sandalwood and relaxing Jasmine. In a skin-pampering base of Jojoba and Moringa, this luxurious body oil is rich in nourishing vitamins, antioxidants and Omega 6 & 9 fatty acids. Sleep guru, Dr Ramlakhan suggests creating a special pre-bed routine that helps you feel relaxed. So again, Lavender comes into play with this body oil which is a delight to use and once I have completed my double face cleanse and added my night creams, I now use this body oil, which is soothing and moisturising.

Moving to supplements which are not something I have ever considered using, even though I have always shunned medication.  In my package there was a choice of four different ones to try - 5-HTP, Lemon Balm, Passionflower Stress Relief and B6.  Each one of these supplements have different ways of working, depending on your sleeping issue.

Valerian Plus is a traditional herbal remedy that calms the brain and body to soothe stress and anxiety so that sleep can occur naturally.  I know that if I have got a lot on with work (I have a full time job as well as blogging) with a to-do list that is never-ending, my mind works overtime with the things I have still got to do. Over the past week, I have tried these tablets twice and with success, I didn't fall asleep immediately, but I did feel relaxed enough to fall asleep.

5 HTP (the HTP standing for Hydroxytryptophan) is designed to ensure that the quality of your sleep is improved and it does so by increasing the amount of time people spend in both deep and rapid-eye-movement sleep. I am yet to give these a try but having read a lot of reviews, they come highly rated and will be perfect for when the Insomnia kicks in.

Lemon Balm is a traditional herbal medicinal product used for the temporary relief of symptoms of mild anxiety, to aid sleep and for mild digestive complaints such as bloating and flatulence.  Stress and anxiety keep 47% of us awake at night and again the advice from Dr Ramlakhan is to write a worry list, that list should include everything that is bothering you enough to keep you awake with a hope that once it is written down, it is then out of your head.

If Lemon Balm doesn't sound quite right for you, then Stress Relief Passionflower tablets are again a traditional herbal medicinal product used for the temporary relief of symptoms associated with stress, such as mild anxiety all of which should help make it easier for you to sleep.

B6 is said to help replenish your B6 levels because a deficiency in it can lead to sleep problems. So for me, when I next get my bout of insomnia, I intent to try the Bedtime B6 capsules to see if it helps make a difference.

Caffeine is also said to be an ingredient that has long since been associated with irregular sleep patterns or the preventing sleep in some cases.  I cut caffeine out of my life almost 2 years ago now, more because I became a little too reliant on it.  So now, if I want a treat, I might go to Starbucks, otherwise it is decaf or fruit teas.

In my little package I have three different drinks that I have tried. The first is Creamy Chamomile with Cocoa.  As a child if I couldn't sleep, I would be given Horlicks or warm milk, both of which I still drink occasionally. This drink uses Chamomile which is traditionally valued for its soothing abilities and when drunk it promotes relaxation and reduces stress.  Adding the Cocoa and Lemon Balm, makes for a really tasty drink and one that is perfect for bedtime.

Dr Stuart's Virtuous Valerian is a product that you will either love or hate, it takes a bit of getting used to because I found it to be quite bitter tasting but again with the added Valerian, it does help you wind down and relax and is perfect for drinking as your last drink before bed.

The final item is Higher Living Chamomile and Vanilla, as a brand I am a fan of Higher Living teas, especially the green tea coconut.  Chamomile and Vanilla is quite fragrant but perfect for drinking at any time of the day, the vanilla just adds a bit of sweetness to the Chamomile, which can again be quite bitter.

Knowing that I am not alone in not getting enough sleep, infact 70% of Britons are said to be in the same statistic, is quite reassuring and knowing that I can pull my head out of the stand and try products that are of a herbal nature to help reduce stress, anxiety and worry to help me sleep better is comforting. Holland and Barrett have given me food for thought when it comes to my own sleeping pattern and with a number of products still to make my way through, I know that Lavender is something I associate with calming and restfulness, so it is something I need to ensure I have when sleep doesn't come.

Over the past 7 days, I have slept better than I have done in a long long time. The regular use of Lavender, the Creamy Chamomile with Cocoa and the Valerian Plus, have all ensured that I feel rested and raring to go when my alarm rudely awakens me the following morning.  If you are trying to decide what works best, it is simply a case of trying what you think might help, working out what it is that is making you restless and taking it from there.

All of the products mentioned within this post can be found in Holland & Barrett stores and online.

Lookfantastic Beauty Box - October

I bought the September Lookfantastic Beauty Box which you can read all about HERE and I was so impressed, I ordered the October one straight away and it has already sold out. The box offers a great selection of handpicked, must have beauty fixes wrapped in a beautifully presented box and delivered straight to your door. The beauty box will always include a minimum of six products and will offer a selection of skin, hair, cosmetic and body products, catering to every kind of beauty lover.

This month’s box is filled with 7 beauty items and inside you will find some well known and high end brands such as L’Oreal Professional, Gatineau, Balance Me, This Works, Korres and KMSCalifornia and all for £15!

The first item in my box is the L’Oreal Professional Serie Expert Pro-Keratin Refill Shampoo and Masque. The Shampoo cleanses and replesnishes damaged hair for smooth, reinforced feel. Enriched with pro-keratin and incell, hair fibre feels strengthened and re-inforced. The Masque intensively replenishes damaged hair for a smooth reinforced feel. The formula creates a defensive shield providing day to day protection from external aggressors.

Secondly is the KMS California Free Shape Quick Blow Dry in a 75ml bottle. I have never tried anything from the KMS California range, so I am quite looking forward to this because if and when I do blow-dry my hair, it can often end up quite frizzy and and a static nightmare. The spray claims to reduce your blow drying time by up to 50%, reduce friction whilst conditioning lightly and provide heat protection, so essentially a three in one product.

Korres Citrus Shower Gel is next. I am a huge fan of Korres products so was really happy to see this as I haven't yet tried it. With claims of being an uplifting, clean and fresh scent with surprising tenacity. It uses wheat proteins and contains vitamin C and E, zinc and anti-oxidant enzymes to enhance the skin’s immune system, this is due to active aloe’s ability to stimulate collagen and elastin synthesis, which helps reduce the visible signs of ageing.

The next product is Balance Me Facial Expression Filler. I am a huge fan of Balance Me products, ive said it numerous times on this blog how much I love the brand, so I was delighted to see a product I hadn't yet tried in my box and it is a full size product which has an RRP £22. Said to be a hi-tech daily ‘natural botox’ fix for an instantly smoother-looking complexion, it is perfect for targeting fine lines on the forehead, above the lip and at the sides of the mouth and eyes.

This Works Sleep Plus Pillow Spray has made an appearance this month, there was a similar product in Septembers box, but this appears to be a newer edition. Said to act faster than the original spray it is a fast acting natural remedy to help restore healthy sleep patterns for restless sleepers and is clinically proven to provide a better night’s sleep. It contains a potent blend of Lavender which naturally encapsulates to gradually release aromatherapeutic benefits as you sleep. This edition has more of a lavender fragrance and does smell a little medicinal.

As I sometimes go through bouts of insomnia, I love to have products like this around so that should I need them, they are there.

The last product in the box is the Gatineau Paris Collagene Expert Ultimate Skin Soothing Cream . I am a big fan of French skincare, I think here in the UK it is very much undervalued. This cream contains high concentrates of collagen and elastin which helps with the appearance of wrinkles and uneven skin texture. Further ingredient’s are Tri-Collegen complex and Hyaluronic Acid for a smooth and plumped complexion. Putting all of those together your skin is said to benefit from an increase in elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles are visibly smoothed and the complexion feels velvety soft, smooth and plump.

 

I think yet again I have an amazing box and I will use every product, some I have heard of and some I haven't.  I love that the products are said to be sample sized but in reality they are much better than that, big enough to allow you a real opportunity to try and test things to see whether or not they work for you.  I have got Novembers box on its way to me because I have been so impressed and all for just £15.

Sleeping Beauty Blogger Challenge

A few months ago I was asked to take part in the Sleeping Beauty Blogger challenge with Time4sleep and life has been rather hectic since then, so I haven't kept up my side of the bargain like I should have done.  For this challenge I was sent a lovely box of products to try.

That said, my sleep pattern has been somewhat chaotic and I have either fallen asleep and then constantly woken up on what feels like every hour, had trouble falling asleep or had no problem at all. You know what it is like when you have a busy day ahead so you go to bed early to get a good nights sleep so you are firing on all cylinders and hours later you are still laid there wide awake, even counting sheep doesn't help.

So what do I do when I can't sleep? It is said that you shouldn't do anything that keeps your mind racing around half an hour before bed, such as watching television or being on the computer.  I always complete my nighttime routine of cleanse, tone and moisturise, though in my case it is double cleanse, my new found love.  Then I apply my eye-cream and lip balm and my skin is ready to sleep as am I.

Once in bed if I am not yet sleepy, I do more often than not read, using my Kindle Fire HD for around 30-40 minutes, I have a rule that it is switched off by 11pm on weeknights and then position my sleep mask and wait for sleep to come.  Sleep usually comes in stages which you can read about HERE.

If I have been restless for a few nights in a row, I will ensure I have a relaxing bath before bed, usually something with Lavender, which is something I find really relaxing.

This eye mask has been working wonders for me.  Fragranced with Lavender seeds it is soft, silky and smooth once into position and does a fabulous job at shutting out the light.  For me to drift peacefully off to sleep, it needs to be dark, pitch black in fact, any cracks in the curtains, winds me up and I am in and out of bed to make sure every little bit of light is shut out, adding an eyemask to my sleep time routine, perfect and this one stays in place.

The following morning, we have all done it, woken up with what resembles suitcases under our eyes through lack of sleep and the first thing you grab is concealer.  For the past few weeks I have been using a combination of Dr Organic Aloe Vera Eye Gel and Bourjois Healthy Mix Conclealer in shade Apricot.

The Dr Organic Eye Gel which is infused with Cucumber, Eyebright and Witch Hazel is said to be soothing, restoring, refreshing and anti-aging.   Each ingredient works together to reduce eye puffiness, refresh tired eyes, reduce dark circles and help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.  I keep this product in the fridge (and there is a full review of it coming in another post) and when applied to the eyes it does feel instantly soothing and does help reduce the puffiness but doesn't get rid of it altogether.  Instead having used something like this, I find it is then much easier to apply my concealer and the Bourjois option is much better than I thought it would be.  It glides on under the eye, and I massage it into the skin using my third finger (ring finger if you prefer) and it goes some way towards concleaing those dark circles making me feel and look almost human again.

Aside from those two products, you can always use cucumber slices if you have time in the morning.  Cut two medium sized thick slices, pop them into the freezer whilst you shower, then once you have finished, take just 3-4 minutes of your time to use the cucumber to cool your under-eye and help reduce puffiness, again it doesn't eradicate but it does make a visual difference.

What are you top tips for getting a good nights sleep? Do you have a routine which you follow?

Sleep aids with Silentnight

For just about as long as I can remember, I have struggled with sleeping and this isn't the first time I have mentioned insomnia on my blog.  In time I have tried quite a few different products to hope they bring about sleep, some have been successful and others have failed.

Silentnight are conducting a Sleep Clinic online to try to help some of the nation's poor sleep sufferers, their research showed that only 25% of all parents are getting a good nights sleep. So having completed a survey and being offered the chance to try out choice of products to review I selected a sleep mask** and a magnesium oil goodnight spray**.

I tried both separately at first and then together and wrote down how I felt. The mask is made by Tempur and it conforms to your body and uses soft velour that is allergen and mite resistant.  As soon as I fitted the mask using the elasticised strap, I was surprised at how soft it felt against my face and skin and how much light it blocks out.  

One of the issues for me is that as soon as it gets light, I wake up and given that the sun has risen by 4.30am most mornings, you can imagine how tired I am come lunch time at work!  I was also skeptical as to whether or not the mask would remain in place all night, it did and I didn't strangle myself with it (one of my fears) and it didn't leave any marks on my face when I did wake up the following morning.  So for me, this did help keep me asleep longer but drifting off remained an issue.

The magnesium oil goodnight spray I also used.  It states the oil can be applied to any area of the body. Apply 5-10 sprays every evening and gently massage into the skin for optimum absorption. 

Apply at least half an hour before retiring. Can be re-applied if sleep is disturbed due to muscle discomfort and it is suitable for anyone from 12 years of age.  This is its description:

Magnesium is an essential element in over 350 bio-chemical reactions within our bodies and many of these involve chemical reactions within the brain, particularly those responsible for sleep patterns. BetterYou Goodnight Spray helps promote a good night's sleep without the morning-after drowsiness.

Magnesium Oil Goodnight Spray is an ideal muscle rub to help maintain normal healthy sleep. The magnesium has been enhanced with the most relaxing essential oils of bergamot, clary sage and chamomile.

When I first applied this, i thought it would be a good idea to apply it to my pressure points as I have done with other products to aid sleep.  I had read that there could be a slight tingling feeling to the skin, well there was and it wasn't too uncomfortable and did subside after a few minutes, but it didn't help me drift off at all.  There was a slight scent to it, nothing overly potent, but one of those scents you would want in a candle which would be relaxing.  

Did it help me drift off to sleep, on its own no, but teamed with the mask I definitely fell asleep much quicker than I would usually done and even now I am still using both products and am falling asleep and staying asleep for a much longer period of time than usual.

I asked around my office for suggestions and tips from people about sleeping well or how they fall asleep and this is their list:

• Go to the gym and have a good work-out for 30-40 mins
• Get plenty of fresh air during the day, instead of eating at the desk, walk to the park
• No electronics half an hour before bed because it keeps your mind alert
• As above with the TV
• Turn your phone off or put it on Airplane mode
• Buy a Black-out blind
• Listen to relaxing music
• Use something Lavender scented before bed

What things do you find help you sleep better? I'd love to hear any tips!

To try out the Silentnight Sleep Clinic yourself, just click here