As much as I love blogging, juggling These Four Walls, a full-time job and other commitments has started to have a bit of a detrimental effect on my sleep.
I used to be one of those annoying people who could drift off instantly and doze soundly until morning; I even had to set two alarms as I’d invariably snooze through the first one, despite the fact it sounds like a fog horn. Now it’s a different story. I’m sure many people will identify with my predicament: my body feels tired, my eyes are drooping, but my mind is still buzzing. It’s not stress as such, more a sudden inability to locate my brain’s ‘off’ switch. And when I do manage to fall asleep, I often wake up again an hour or two later thinking about some email I haven’t answered, a birthday I’ve forgotten or the vet’s appointment I need to book for the cat.
I’ve tried all sorts – hot baths, herbal teas, banning myself from looking at a screen after 10pm – but without much success. So, a few weeks ago I decided to start testing some products that might help, starting with the ‘Deep Sleep’ pillow spray from natural beauty brand This Works. It was kindly provided by Bath & Unwind, a lovely Bristol-based website with a range of pampering products, and I couldn’t wait to try it out.
The claims on the packaging are fairly substantial – there’s talk of 89% of users falling asleep faster than normal, and 92% waking up feeling more refreshed in the morning – but I have to admit I was sceptical. I’ve tried a few other pillow sprays before and, although they smelt lovely, they didn’t do very much.
This one turned out to be rather different, though. It’s made with essential oils and has a wonderful, heady scent that mixes lavender, vetivert and wild chamomile; as soon as I spritzed a little on my pillow, I felt my mind and muscles ease. And it really does work – I’ve been using it for a fortnight now and, bar a couple of exceptions when the cat has decided that 3am is the new 7am, I’ve slept more deeply than I have in months. I’ve also found myself getting out of bed more easily come morning – not springing from the sheets (I don’t think I’ll ever manage that!), but certainly less groggy than before.
It’s not just me, either: Bath & Unwind publishes independent customer feedback on its site, and a scan through the 50+ reviews of the pillow spray revealed nothing but positive words. Whether it would help anyone with full-blown insomnia I don’t know, but for those who struggle to soothe a whirring mind, I’d certainly recommend giving it a go.
This is a collaborative post with Bath & Unwind, who also provided the pillow spray for this review. All words and opinions are my own.
Photography by Abi Dare
My sister has the balm that you put on your wrists and things and honestly I was skeptical, by my god it really does work doesn’t it! I try and nick it as often as I can it’s a dream, so I can only imagine what the spray is like! I can feel my muscles and mind drifting to the land of nod just thinking of it, I need to give it ago that’s for sure! Also I’d just like to add your interior is so amazing, I’m absolutely loving it x
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Thanks so much for your kind words! And I love the sound of the balm. The spray has really helped me, so I’ll have to try it out x
Gorgeous photos. I’ve used a few drops of lavender essential oil for years and find that helps me – it does soak into your pillow, though, so prob not a good idea to use with your best linens! The spray sounds lovely x
Thanks for the kind words Zoe! The power of essential oils never fails to amaze me x
I love the This Works range and your photos are gorgeous! I’ve been using the hair oil as well which I would highly recommend 🙂
Thanks! And thanks for the recommendation – I’ll have to take a look at that.