Explainer | How to sleep better: eight sleep aids to get your 7 or 8 hours a night, including a weighted blanket and lavender mist
- Too little sleep – or too much – has been linked to weight gain, and increased symptoms of depression and dementia
- These eight sleep aids, from tongue drops to a white noise machine, will help you get the right amount of sleep every night
Necessity is the mother of invention. Iva Bravic Millereau was an exhausted mum and employee who had no idea what sleep hygiene was. Tired of always feeling depleted, she decided to find natural solutions to getting a good night’s rest.
“Sleep is one of the main pillars of health, but many of us don’t get enough or our sleep is of poor quality,” says Millereau. “We stay up late or rely on our devices, the TV or alcohol to knock us out at night. We’re so busy and stressed that we often forget to wind down before going to bed. Bedtime routines are important for children but we rarely think of such routines for ourselves as adults.”
The Stanford University study found people who get too little sleep – six hours or less – and people who get too much sleep – nine hours or more – had a higher body-mass index, more symptoms of depression and signs of cognitive decline.
After much research, Millereau and her business partner Rashia Bell launched their own line of sleep aids “to help people get in sync with their circadian rhythm and thrive through sleep.”