Lifestyle & Wellness

Deep in the depths of the Keralan jungle lies a small village where a 5000 year old wellness secret has been passed down through multiple generations. The secret is called ayurvastra, a branch of ayurveda that extends to the dyes in our clothes. Ayur meaning health and vastra meaning cloth, the artisans craft each dye blend with a main ingredient such as neem, sappan bark or indigo flower. Each dye can be worn for a purpose and an intention to boost our bodies in a different way from cooling the body to boosting immunity to enhancing radiance and skin health.…

Winding down before bed can be difficult. Sometimes I like to put on a film I’ve watched a lot, or read a good book. However, sometimes all that does is wake me up even more, especially with all the lights beaming directly into my eyes. This is where podcasts come in. Just entertaining enough so they don’t feel like punishment, but not so exciting that I’m wide awake. I do also have podcasts I listen to to wake up, so I’m not saying they’re all boring/going to put you to sleep! But here are my picks of the best podcasts…

People on average need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep, and women especially need to get all their hours in. We need rest to rejuvenate our systems and the average person will get better rest if they sleep when it’s dark outside. That’s why it’s so important to make the most out of all the daylight hours, so we aren’t working into the night. From night owl to early bird, here are our best tips and tricks to get you waking up every morning refreshed and ready for the day ahead. Why do we wake? The short answer? Circadian…

Our sense of smell can be one of the most important of the five senses. Our olfactory system can trigger memories, change thoughts, and make food taste... at all. Throwing in a contradictory scent can completely change a flavour. Aromatherapy, or using aromatic plant extracts and essential oils for healing and cosmetic purposes, can change your mood, put you to sleep, and even invite different kinds of dreams. For a run down of the best scents to sleep to, read on. Something smells good In the National Sleep Foundation’s 2012 Bedroom Poll, 78% of people said they were more excited for…

Toilet trips are a slightly embarrassing, but very common, disruption to our sleep. Various factors, such as your age, can make these trips more frequent. This is known as nocturia - when you wake up in the middle of your sleep to urinate. Over a third of adults over 30 make at least two bathroom trips per night. For those who struggle with sleep issues, such as insomnia, it can be difficult to fall back asleep after visiting the toilet. This leads to tiredness the next day and an overall inconsistent sleep schedule. Preventing these trips as much as you…

Lettuce has been making waves on the internet recently for its supposed link to providing good quality sleep. In particular, lettuce water is being hailed as inducing sleepiness for those who drink it. Creators on TikTok have gone viral for their videos on drinking warm lettuce water before bed, citing the drink as a miracle cure for insomnia. https://www.tiktok.com/@shapla_11/video/6968179022928809222?lang=en TikTok user shapla_11, who suffers from insomnia, received over a million likes for her glowing review. She added the lettuce to a mug of boiling water, with a peppermint teabag for flavour. She let the tea brew for 10 minutes. Hours…

A horror movie with friends may seem like a good idea at the time - a fun thrill ride at the cinema - until you get home that night. When your adrenaline is going after watching a film, it is easy for your imagination to run wild. It can be difficult to relax and get into sleep mode when you're having anxiety about who could be in your house, or what's under your bed. Even when you can get to sleep, quality sleep is not guaranteed when you're scared. Going to sleep with anxiety means that you're likely to be…