When you hear the word bedtime regime, you probably think of toddlers being told it’s time for a bath, a story, a glass of warm milk and then straight to sleep. And when you think of gummies, you might think of the same toddler eating gummy sweets.
But both bedtime routines and the right gummies are key for adults too. Especially because one in eight of us feel tired all the time, and 71% of us don’t manage seven to nine hours’ sleep every night.
You need to be well rested to function properly. So let’s have a look at a grown-up bedtime routine and some grown up gummies to support it.
At bedtime, routine matters
All humans are creatures of habit. We know that about children - that’s why the toddler we mentioned earlier always gets a bath, always gets a story, and always goes to sleep. Then we get to adulthood, declare “no, I don’t need a bedtime,” do different things every night and wonder why we can’t sleep!
We need a routine. All of us. You included. It doesn’t need to be a huge checklist. In fact, just four things can make all the difference.
Set a time
Your body works in cycles. Your sleep cycle doesn’t start when you finally drop off, it starts somewhere between 30 minutes and two hours before you fall asleep, as your brain begins to wind down.
If your brain doesn’t know whether you’ll be getting into bed at 10pm, midnight or 2am, it’ll have no idea when to start this process. You’ll find yourself wide awake when you wanted an early night, or nodding off in the middle of an evening activity.
Set a time, and try to stick to it. An hour or so either side here or there won’t hurt, but just having a set bedtime will help.
Screens off
Of course you can’t sleep! You’ve got a tiny box filled with literally everything in the whole world in your hand up until the point you close your eyes! News, memes, videos, songs, all bombarding you as you lie in bed. And all delivered in a blue light spectrum that tricks your brain into thinking it’s bedtime.
So ditch the smartphones an hour before bed, and make sure you have a red light filter installed that kicks in every evening so your screen isn’t fooling your brain.
And if you need some entertainment before bed, there’s nothing wrong with a book. In fact, reading reminds us of that childhood storytime and puts us in a bedtime kind of mood.
Meditation and relaxation
Don’t expect to leap into bed and fall asleep immediately. As your brain begins to relax, help your body follow suit with some relaxation exercises.
Just choose the ones that are right for you. Maybe meditation will help soothe the stresses of the day away. Maybe you’d rather stretch and do some deep breathing. Or perhaps you’d prefer to slip into a hot bath and soak away your cares.
Once you’re relaxed, you’ll find it far easier to drop off.
And take the right bedtime gummies
The right supplements can also help. Like our new Night Time Gummies. They’re packed with compounds that can help you sleep - like soothing chamomile, lavender and lemon balm, which have often been used as traditional sleep remedies.
A key ingredient to note in our gummies is Griffonia seed extract, a source of naturally-occurring 5-Hydroxytryptophan. 5-Hydroxytryptophan - or 5-HTP - is a chemical found in the body, and plays a vital role in helping your body produce serotonin.
You may have heard serotonin described as the 'happy hormone' - it's a neurotransmitter that supports a wide range of our bodies' functions, such as sleep, mood and digestion.
They also contain L-Theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, which helps stop your brain from overreacting to any night time disturbances. So once you’ve drifted off, you won’t find yourself waking up instantly if a mouse sneezes two streets away.
Like all supplements, our gummies will help support your healthy behaviours, so if you really want a more restful night’s sleep, you need to combine them with a regular bedtime routine.
Sweet dreams!
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