We provide our partners with a monthly magazine that looks at a topic working with The Four Elements of Eat, Sweat, Think and Connect.

This snapshot looks at the joy of a god night’s sleep with the Think Element:

Go-to tips for sleep:

Let your mind wander before bed

If you haven’t been sleeping well, your fatigue can make it difficult to take any action, and the vicious cycle begins. Give yourself some help by taking the action to look at meditation and mindfulness.

You can look at it as an evening stock-take of your work and your life, to allow yourself to file away your thoughts before bed, not in bed. Browse some guided meditations online and free up your thoughts.

Create baby conditions

Babies find it difficult to sleep, so what do parents do for them? Do the same for yourself! Rather than go from awake, lights on, things happening, ease into sleep by dimming lights, using candles or having a bath, consciously making an effort to relax – and sticking to this for a week. After the week, look back and see the effects.

Don’t set expectations

We find it fascinating that sleep used to naturally be seen as occurring in two parts through the night.

If you look into history, there used to be ‘two sleeps’ for centuries, whereby people would find it natural to wake up in the night. When they did, they would read, pray or be intimate with their partner.

This knowledge can change you from feeling frustrated if you wake in the night, to relaxed and prepared to wait a while to get back to sleep, rather than ‘try’ to sleep.

Use lavender

It’s easy to find online lists of recommended essential oils for sleep, such as bergamot, sandalwood, cedarwood, ylang-ylang – we find that lavender makes a notable difference to sleep quality. Whether it’s a diffuser, temple balm, spray or so on, the scent of lavender in the room helps ease the mind to a state of calm, as you inhale the natural goodness of the herb.

The Science

Sleep impacts your entire outlook, mood, energy and emotions – and immune system. Read about the critical role sleep plays in our ability to fight infections and why it is that inadequate sleep leaves us vulnerable, not only to poor physical and mental health but also to sub-optimal performance.

‘Get off your screens’ is a common tip for sleep – for good reason! Even though many people have heard of this, they still find it difficult to put the device down. It’s not just common sense, it’s scientifically proven that “certain cells in the eye process ambient light and reset our internal clocks, the daily cycles of physiological processes known as the circadian rhythm.” Conversely you should also get in real light in the daytime.

If you thought that aromatherapy isn’t for you, just try it once and you may enter a whole new world of calm. It’s not simply anecdotal but scientifically backed: The U.S. National Library of Medicine says “There is growing evidence suggesting that lavender oil may be effective in the treatment of several neurological disorders. Several animal and human investigations suggest anxiolytic, mood stabilizer, sedative, analgesic, and anti-convulsive and neuroprotective properties for lavender.”