Natural Sleep Hacks

Struggling with insomnia or fighting to get your 7-8 hours? Try these hacks for a better night’s sleep. 

Magnesium All The Way

I love magnesium. Known as the "anti-stress mineral", magnesium can help our muscles unwind, our heart rate slow and our brain relax. 

Just before bed, try taking a magnesium chloride bath. A hot, relaxing bath can help us all unwind - but traditional Epsom bath salts may not! If you have a sulfur sensitivity, Epsom salts may trigger some uncomfortable side effects - like dizziness and muscle weakness - as your body struggles to metabolize the sulfur content of the salts. Try magnesium chloride flakes instead! I like Ancient Minerals Magnesium Salts, which help relax your muscles and calm the nervous system - a perfect pre-bed ritual. 

Try An Antioxidant Sleep Aid

L-theanine: L-theanine is an anxiety-reducing amino acid found in black and green tea (which is why a hot cup of tea before bed can be so soothing!). This amino is available in supplement form and makes for a great natural sleep aid.  

Take A Sound Bath

Have you ever heard of sound bathing? 

This meditative technique uses sonic healing to relax and soothe the nervous system and prepare the body for sleep. Sound baths usually consist of using a tuning fork to draw resonant notes from quartz or copper sound bowls - but they can also be a little more DIY and au-natural. 

If you’re in an urban area, try watching a Youtube video of a sound bath (Goop has a great one by sound bath artist Jasmin Harsono). If you live in a suburban or rural area, try spending 15 minute outdoors, breathing in night air and listening to the sounds of the wind, animals and insects around you. This small act of communion with nature can help us disconnect from the frenzy of our everyday lives and enter a state of calm - and get those yummy alpha brain waves flowing before we hit the pillow.

Get Your Glow On

Candlelight: Try lighting a few candles an hour before bed and enjoy a natural glow in place of harsh lamps. While blue light from screens can actually decrease magnesium levels, making you feel more wired and anxious, soothing candle light helps the body wind down and transition to a sleep state. 

To The Tru Of You,
Teri Cochrane