Hi there,

How would you rate the quality of your sleep?

For me, I used to struggle falling asleep, staying asleep, would toss and turn throughout the night and wake up feeling tired & groggy. 

At the same time, I’d consistently experience PMS with uncontrollable mood swings, ridiculously sore breasts, headaches, cramps - you name it. 

It wasn’t until I began focusing on improving my sleep, did my PMS start to improve as well. 

So if you want to experience healthier, regular PMS-free periods, it’s time to get serious about your sleep, !

Here are some of my top tips that I personally have implemented in my own life most recently that have made the largest impact on my sleep quality…

SLEEP TIP 1.

'Legs Up The Wall' Pose

I do this on my bed! When the legs are stretched up the wall and are higher than the heart, gravity helps the circulation of both blood and lymphatic fluid and calms the nervous system, relaxing the body before bed.

SLEEP TIP 2. 

Create your very own bedroom sanctuary

This one is a MUST!! We had the founder of 'Bhumi' (my favourite organic cotton bedding company) Vinita Baravkar share how to create your very own bedroom sanctuary in our latest blog - check it out :)

SLEEP TIP 3. 

4-7-8 Breathing Practice

Struggle falling asleep? Or getting back to sleep in the middle of the night? This is one of my favourite breathing practices.

Here’s what to do:

Breathe in for a count of 4. Hold for a count of 7. Then, breathe out for a count of 8. Repeat. 

This breathing technique pulls all of the carbon dioxide out of your lungs, replenishes fresh oxygen and lowers your heart rate helping you to fall asleep with ease.

SLEEP TIP 4. 

​​Expose yourself to sunlight first thing in the morning

Getting 15 to 30 minutes of sunlight upon awakening reinforces the body's circadian rhythm and enhances wakefulness in the morning and then allows you to sleep better at night. Exercise or eat your breakfast outside!

SLEEP TIP 5. 

Enjoy An Evening Infrared Sauna

I LOVE infrared saunas. I'm currently saving up my pretty pennies to buy my own. Infrared therapy activates the para-sympathetic nervous system promoting relaxation. The red light also causes your body to produce melatonin helping you to fall and stay asleep.

SLEEP TIP 6. 

Invest in high quality, organic bedding

Just like your skincare ingredients can be toxic and hormone disruptive so can the materials your bed sheets are made from. Most of the world’s cotton is grown with hazardous synthetic pesticides and made with toxic dyes that are the opposite of health promoting! I personally love supporting the company Bhumi who are passionate about sustainably & ethically sourced, organic bedding of the highest quality. I never thought investing in organic bedding would make such a difference to my sleep. My personal favourite is the BHUMI linen set in winter, and recommend their organic cotton set which is lighter and crisp for those hotter summer nights. 

You can use the code BHUMI-MOONBOX for an amazing 20% off - you're welcome!

I hope you find these sleep tips as helpful as I have!  If there is one thing to obssess over when it comes to your hormonal health - start with your sleep!

Happy dreaming, 

Nikki

Founder of My Moonbox