Here to help

Independent health store advice on natural sleep solutions

Looking for advice on natural health and wellbeing? Your local independent health store can offer a wealth of expertise. This month we talk to Cris Wootton, co-owner of Health & Remedy in Chard, Somerset

When customers mention sleep issues, I always ask whether they’re able to drop off and then wake up early, or whether they can’t sleep at all. Finding out this key piece of information is important because it helps me know whether to go down a relaxing route, or recommend something like magnesium.

Mobile phones are definitely a large part of the problem, as well as diet and stress. People take their phones into the bedroom, which wouldn’t be too bad if they were watching a film or reading on them, but endless scrolling through short videos keeps people awake. Those with a high-sugar or highly processed diet also seem to struggle to sleep, and people wit high-pressure jobs or busy lives often have an issue switching off.

Natural sleep support
We mostly recommend Viridian’s High Potency Magnesium and get great results, with lots of repeat custom, as magnesium helps to support restless legs, muscle repair and sleep quality. If someone can’t get off to sleep, then NaturesPlus Magnesium NightTime is a good blend of magnesium, chamomile, lemon balm and ashwagandha to help them drift off. If they’re looking for something gentler, A.Vogel Sleep Well Granules are a tasty and easy way to support sleep.

Switching off
Learning to switch off is important, but it’s also very hard. Having a stressful lifestyle or job that you take home with you can mean you don’t give your body time to ‘come down’ and reset. If you wake up, check emails, go to work, check emails, come home and check emails again, your mind isn’t going to have a proper chance to process the day and will stay active when it shouldn’t.

Stick to a routine
One of my biggest pieces of advice is to set a phone routine. There are lots of apps that can help nowadays, but try to make a conscious effort to put your phone down and pick up a book instead. Even if you watch a movie or TV show, do it on a different device, away from the one you use to communicate with. Imagine not being able to sleep, then picking up your phone, which gives you access to all the information in the world! If you have a partner or family, share the plan so that everyone can support each other.

To help you wake up feeling more refreshed and energized, keep things simple. Drink water when you get up, try to exercise early, even if it’s just a walk, and stick to a regular bedtime routine.

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