Help your body snooze through the world’s inescapable light pollution by investing in effective, but cute, light-blocking eye masks.

If you’re a sensitive sleeper, you probably hate nighttime light. The ambient light your nightlight and clock emit. That glowing orb you still see through your super-heavy curtains. It all, basically, sucks. But you don’t have to suffer through it. Light-blocking eye masks do the trick. Every. Single. Time.

1. The inexpensive choice

Goddess bless Earth Therapeutics. The brand’s products are inexpensive and quality, especially for the price. For example: the celestial eye mask. First, we love its cute design. It’s perfect for the moon queen in all of us. This affordable mask also features cotton and silk—a fine fabric combination for people with sensitive skin. The Rx3 Soft and Smooth Shut Eye Mask is priced at $9. Find it at Ulta or most other drug and grocery stores.

2. The DIY choice

Etsy is filled with amazing DIY eye masks, but we’re smitten with this olive green eye mask. This sleep aid is made of cotton and features an elastic band. The mask’s message—But First, Coffee—rings really true to us and is embroidered on the mask’s front. Priced at $24 from Etsy store Jennicakes.

3. The tech choice

Leave it to the Sharper Image to sell a mask that’s ideal for light and noise blocking. The Total Sleep Mask features a no-pressure eye guard that blocks light and memory foam ear packs to reduce noise. The mask even includes ear plugs and ear plug pockets! Perfect for really restless sleepers, or sleepers with loud bedmates. Made of soft, breathable bamboo and priced at $49.99.

4. The beauty-centric choice

Yes, you can actually buy sleep eye masks that having anti-aging properties. One such mask is the Binchotan Charcoal Eye Mask. It’s said to relieve eye fatigue and improve blood circulation via activated charcoal. In addition to featuring micro-fine charcoal powder that’s infused into the mask’s organic cotton, it also is made of satin. Features an adjustable band that fits around the head. Priced at $23 from Peach & Lily.

5. The aromatherapy choice

If you tend to sleep better with the aid of aromatherapy, consider investing in a mask with aromatic properties. The above mask from Aromatherapy Associates contains one of the most calming aromatic properties on Earth: lavender. The mask is super-soft—it’s crafted from cotton-velvet—and incredibly cute to boot. Priced at $80 from Net-A-Porter.

Related on EcoSalon
Sweet Dreams: 7 Tips for an Eco-Friendly Night’s Sleep
How to Get Rid of Under Eye Circles with a Homemade Frozen Eye Treatment
Presenting the Bloody Mask of Supple Skin

The post 5 Light-Blocking Eye Masks to Make It Dark AF Every Night appeared first on EcoSalon.

Using a simple DIY linen spray can help you sleep better. 

Most of us instinctively know how good a regular amount of sleep can be, and science backs us up on that. Studies have shown how important sleep is to memory, overall health, longevity, emotional health, and more. For some of us though, sleep is an elusive mistress. I have discovered that regularly using a linen spray can help me fall asleep. It’s not foolproof, but it’s my first defense and it has made a big difference in my life. As someone who has chronic sleep issues, anything that helps me get more sleep, no matter how simple it may be, is life-changing!

You can purchase any number of linen sprays on the market, or, you can make your own, which is what I do. If you are going to purchase a spray, do make sure to choose carefully. Not all linen sprays are created equal. Some commercial sprays have gross chemicals in them that I personally wouldn’t want to spray on my bedding. Indigo Wild makes Zum Mist, which is one commercial brand that I recommend. It is made with only purified water, pure essential oils, and vegetable glycerin.

DIY Linen Spray

Recipe:

Making your own room or linen spray is super easy. Simply use a funnel to combine distilled water, leaving some room at the top for the other ingredients; 2 tablespoons of vodka; and 8-10 drops of the essential oils of your choice in a glass or metal spray bottle. The vodka helps the spray last longer and makes the smell linger. Shake prior to each use.

Tips:

• You can use homemade linen spray as a refreshing room spray as well. In addition to keeping a bottle by the bed, make up a bottle to use it in the bathroom and the kitchen too.
• Use metal or glass bottles as they are nonreactive. You can find bottles at Abundant Health, Aroma Tools, Rail 19, and the Container Store. I prefer the blue glass ones because I like the look of them on my nightstand.
• A few online sources for essential oils are Mountain Rose Herbs, Rocky Mountain Oils, Aura Cacia and Bulk Apothecary. You can also find essential oils at Whole Foods and many natural food stores.
• Don’t be afraid to mix essential oils to create the ideal calming scent for you. I am a fan of patchouli and orange–I find it very relaxing and it helps me fall asleep. If you aren’t so about what scents to mix together, just look at commercial linen sprays for inspiration. That’s what I did.

Related on EcoSalon

10 Cozy Things to Help You Sleep Better

7 Natural Sleep Aids

DIY Spray Cleaner to Disinfect Your Yoga Mat Naturally

Image: Bottle and Flowers from Shutterstock

The post Yes, a DIY Linen Spray Can Totally Change Your Life appeared first on EcoSalon.

Has your mind seemed as cloudy as those winter skies lately? Comes with the territory. Learn how to clear up brain fog and bring back some shiny thinking.

Mental fatigue, brain drain, fuzzy head, cloudy thinking. Sound familiar? You don’t have to live with brain fog. There are simple and effective ways to clear the mind. Let’s take a look at common causes of a muddy mind and what to do about them.

Causes of Brain Fog and How to Clear Up

1 Sleep and Stress // Let’s start with the most obvious. If you are short on sleep or overly stressed, brain fog is an almost guarantee. Sleep bolsters our resilience and sharpens the mind. But even if you are catching proper Zzzs, stress can drain its benefits. Try meditation, journaling, or sharing with someone you trust.

2 Hormones // Yes, we have to go there. Hormones keep our bodies balanced and running smoothly. When in balance we don’t even think about them. Once they go out of balance, we take notice. Pregnancy, PMS, and menopause can all wreak havoc with our bodies and minds. If you suspect hormones are the culprit of your brain fog, talk to your doctor about possible remedies and try our tips to regulating hormones naturally.

3 Diet and Exercise // One of the easiest ways to bring ourselves back into balance, and this includes the mind too, is with diet. Eating fresh, organic, minimally-processed foods keeps body and mind happy and healthy. Keep in mind that low blood sugar rebounds leave the body and mind sapped. Eating healthy protein throughout the day, plus laying off sugar and caffeine, will keep blood sugar levels in check. And you may not feel like working out when you feel sluggish, but it will boost energy and mood. Give yourself a personal pep rally and get moving.

4 Screen Time // If you have kids you’ve likely noticed what too much screen time does to their mood. Grumpiness and irritation are not exclusive to the younger age bracket here. Set specific times to check email and messages, and schedule a time to turn your phone off (or at least put it out of reach) each evening. Research shows that not only does screen usage at bedtime make it more difficult to fall asleep, but affects your energy and awareness the next day.

5 Allergies // Yes, you can experience allergies in the winter too. Mold and dust can cause similar symptoms to spring and fall allergies; headache, stuffiness, eye irritation, and fuzzy head. Try rinsing your nose with a neti bottle and using a humidifier in your home.

Ignite Your Brain Power with the 20 Smartest Foods on Earth

Teen Learns First Hand the Many Benefits of Meditation

20 Foods to Help You Sleep Better

Image of woman with brain fog via Shuttterstock

The post 5 Common Causes of Brain Fog and How to Clear It Up appeared first on EcoSalon.

Not a morning person? Perfect your sleep cycle for better mood and more energy.

Confession: I suck at sleeping. My sleep cycle consists of lying down and praying I fall asleep quickly so I don’t have to resort to counting ceiling tiles… again. The jig is up universe – I already know there are 60. But even when I do get the recommended eight hours, I still wake up groggy and struggle to string syllables together. The fact of the matter is I have no clue how much sleep I really need – as it turns out, I’m not alone.

According to Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D., author of The Secret of Vigor: How to Overcome Burnout, Restore Metabolic Balance, and Reclaim Your Natural Energy, most of us only sleep six hours each night. This deficit means we wake up already behind by an average of two hours. “This means 50 percent more cortisol exposure (the stress hormone), and the detrimental health effects of cortisol overexposure,” says Talbott, which can lead to things like fatigue, depression, weight gain, and low sex drive. (I’m really good at the fatigue part.)

It’s tricky to figure out exactly how much sleep you need since there are so many factors involved: your current stress level, how much coffee you’ve had that day, and how much you’ve exercised, to name a few. “One night you might need six hours, and another night you might need eight to feel truly rested and functional the next day,” says Talbott.

When it comes to your ideal sleep cycle, focus on quality over quantity. It’s not about how long you’re in bed, but how much time you spend in REM (rapid eye movement) or “deep” sleep. If you’re getting a solid amount of REM sleep, you’ll wake up feeling refreshed and energized, and you’ll have dreamed at least once. “Dreams are a signal you’re reaching those deeper stages of sleep where true rest/recovery occur,” says Talbott.

If you’re like me and a solid night’s sleep sounds like a fantasy (you know, like unicorns), here’s a step-by-step guide to perfect your sleep cycle:

1. Plan a mini stay-cation.
Take a long weekend or a chunk of your vacation time and put it toward defining your sleep cycle. Instead of setting an alarm, get up when your body wakes you up naturally. If your sleep cycle has been crazy, you’ll sleep longer because your body is trying to pay off its “sleep debt,” so try to dedicate as many days off as possible to this process. Eventually the amount of sleep you need every night will level off, and that will help you establish how much sleep is necessary.

If it’s difficult for you to string together enough days off to do this, try going to sleep 15 minutes earlier each night until you’re able to wake up for work naturally, sans alarm clock.

2. Keep track of your sleep cycle.
Also keep track of the external factors involved that could be impacting your sleep. When you get an amazing night’s sleep, take note of how you felt and what was going on in your life at that time. The same goes for when you toss and turn all night: what did you eat that day? How much coffee did you have? Did you have a fight with the boyfriend? Always remain aware of what’s causing your sleep deprivation so you can avoid those things during waking hours.

3. Replace your bad habits.
Cut back (or cut out) caffeine, cut back on your sugar intake, exercise more, and most importantly try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to keep your body’s rhythms in sync. You should probably be doing those things anyway, so just use your sleep cycle as an excuse.

4. Create an evening routine.
Compile an arsenal of activities you find relaxing and bust them out during the last hour before bed. These activities will help you decompress and you’ll be off to Dreamland in no time.

5. Plan ahead to recover from sleep cycle changes.
There will be times when circumstances disrupt your sleep cycle – trips, holidays, family get-togethers – and getting back into the swing of things can become a huge drag. Plan at least one full day to yourself to readjust so your body can get back to its regularly scheduled programming.

What strategies do you use to keep your sleep cycle in tact?

Related on EcoSalon:

20 Foods to Help You Sleep Better

Can’t Sleep? 20 Natural Tips to Stop Tossing & Turning

How Sleep Deprivation Affects the Body’s Processes

Image: foxtongue

The post Tired of Being Tired? Perfect Your Sleep Cycle in 5 Easy Steps appeared first on EcoSalon.

Sleep deprivation is all too common among adults today. Just because there are a host of stimulants, such as coffee, that can infuse you with energy to get through a rough morning or afternoon sluggishness, doesn’t mean you are beating the system.

Sleep is crucial to your body’s proper functioning and not getting enough can affect your overall health. Don’t hit snooze on sleep deprivation — get enough rest and reap the rewards.

Sleep allows the body to cleanse and renew itself, and gives your brain a chance to brain sort information and replace vital chemicals. While your brain is asleep, your body is working to gear up for the day ahead. Interrupting or eliminating sleep only puts you at a disadvantage during waking hours.

An estimated 40 million Americans endure sleep problems, though only 20 percent discuss it with their doctors. Because of this, many sleep disorders go undiagnosed. Getting enough sleep is more than just a matter of health; it can be the difference between life and death. According to the Sleep Foundation, sleep deprivation causes 100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and more than 1,500 deaths per year. Sleep disorders also cost Americans more than $100 billion per year. 

Cognitive performance is compromised with a lack of sleep. It also impairs temporary memory despite other conditions promoting optimal performance. In one study, participants’ visual short-term memory was tested. The results were clear: visual short-term memory is comprised during sleep deprivation, an effect compounded by delay. In another study, people who stayed awake for up to 19 hours scored worse on performance and alertness tests than those who were legally drunk! And much like a boozy night out, sleep deprivation also has the potential to produce false memories.

In a German study, subjects learned a list of semantically associated words and were told to either stay awake or sleep immediately after recognition was tested. When they were tested again after a 44-hour period, those who endured sleep deprivation were shown to have critically false memories of the theme words.

And if all of that isn’t enough to make you go to bed on time, maybe this will: a lack of sleep can intervene with dietary weight loss efforts. Even if you are counting the calories and hitting the gym regularly, insufficient sleep can compromise the effectiveness of typical dietary interventions for weight loss and related metabolic risk reduction. Consider sleep a part of the weight loss formula – get enough and you’re even closer to your goals.

So why take for granted perhaps the most important part of the day? Sufficient sleep will help you perform better during wake hours. Find you mark — between 7 and 9 hours per night for most people — and try to hit it every night, even if it means hopping into bed an hour earlier.

Related on EcoSalon:

20 Foods to Help You Sleep Better

10 Songs for a Solid Sleep

Image Credit: Ed Yourdon

The post How Sleep Deprivation Affects the Body’s Processes appeared first on EcoSalon.

It’s enough to give you nightmares, but the sad truth is that some of the materials in your mattress may be harming your health.

You only suds up with natural shampoos. You’ve spent your bottom dollar to eat organic, and you wouldn’t be caught dead using conventional laundry soap. But despite all those efforts, your trusty mattress could be toxic. Potential allergens run rampant in the mattress industry, and some of the chemicals in your bed may be linked to dangerous illnesses such as asthma and even cancer.

Considering you spend about one-third of your life in bed, the stuff you sleep on is pretty important—and the contents of your mattress could pose a serious threat based on sheer exposure time, according to author Debra Lynn Dadd. The best remedy here is education—and rest assured, there are safe mattress alternatives out there to improve the health of your body as well as the planet.

Perhaps the most dire health risks come from polyurethane foam products purchased before 2005. These contain high levels of polybrominated diphenyl esthers, or PBDEs, which are fire-retardant chemicals linked to impaired memory and learning, thyroid problems and liver damage. In addition to mattresses, polyurethane foam—prized for its softness and ability to conform to your body shape—is also common in pillows. 

Even foam beds and pillows made after 2005, which typically don’t contain the most toxic PBDEs, aren’t healthy options. They’re usually made with petroleum, which can irritate your respiratory system as well as your skin. When author and organic mattress maker Walter Bader sent a memory foam mattress in to a lab for testing in 2005, the lab reported finding 61 chemicals, some of them carcinogenic. Beyond the foam, mattress glue often contains formaldehyde, which can trigger asthma and allergies and is linked to cancer of the throat and lungs.

And although babies may be even more susceptible to dangerous chemicals invading their fragile systems, crib mattresses have an abysmal track record. According to research conducted by Clean and Healthy New York, 72 percent of crib mattresses studied contained at least one potentially toxic chemical. Nearly one-fourth of the varieties tested contained proprietary fire retardants, water guards or antibacterial treatments, and thus did not divulge specific ingredients.

The good news is that the market is getting better. Twenty percent of the mattresses in the Clean and Healthy New York study did not contain dangerous chemicals, and safe options exist today that weren’t around a few years ago.

So what’s the best way to protect yourself and your family? It isn’t really enough just to look for organic ingredients, because even products with the “organic” label may use toxins for fireproofing, or have organic cotton on top but icky foam underneath, mingling with the springs that prop up that all-natural exterior.

Consumer Reports recommends looking for products with the “Oeko-Tek Standard 100” label, only sported by mattresses free of many of the worst-offending toxins. They also note that hypoallergenic mattresses are typically made with natural latex instead of chemical-laden synthetics. Mother Jones recommends Savvy Rest brand beds, which come with a hefty price tag but are among the safest options. If you can’t afford to replace your old mattress, at least keep it well-covered to minimize exposure. A thick, organic mattress pad just might help you rest better—and healthier—at night.

image: KaylaKandzorra

The post Bad Dreams: Why Your Mattress Could be Toxic appeared first on EcoSalon.

Image: Luva Huva

EcoSalon’s best picks for sustainable sleepwear that helps you get your beauty sleep.

Our frantic search for the fountain of youth invariably ends up with hours spent gleaning beauty tips from celebrities in fashion magazines. There must be something they know that we don’t? But after one more 40-plus flawless actress professes the secret to her unlined face and radiant glow is, “getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water,” maybe its time to downgrade your Sephora VIB status and take the advice at face value.

Increasing your daily water intake is one thing, but getting the deep restful type of sleep that results in bright eyes and clear skin is easier said than done. Experts say the key to falling into a deep and rejuventing sleep is developing a relaxing routine before bed that lets your body know its time to rest. While it’s easy to dismiss nightwear or think it is not of much importance, one of the best bedtime rituals is to slip into nightwear that is comfortable and relaxing.

With so many sustainably-made options available, why not ease into some of the most dreamiest sleepwear you can find and wake up in the morning feeling pampered and, yes, even prettier?

Image: Luva Huva

1. Luva Huva makes beautiful ethical sleepwear and lingerie handmade in the U.K. The elegant Cosette black maxi nightgown with a flattering side slit and fine spot lace detailing at the bust is made from 70 percent bamboo and 30 percent organic cotton and lace.

Image: Loup Charmant

2. Loup Charmant’s  delicate sleeveless v-neck tunic is made from the lightest organic cotton voile in a jungle print and includes a button placket and front slash pockets. Made in the U.S. and available at Barneys.

Image: Lina Rennell

3. Lina Rennell‘s luxury silk pajamas feature an amazing black Ikat cat print on a dusty rose background. Designed with a gentle and comfy elastic waist and loose fit, they are made by hand in California. Available at Beklina.com.

Image: Snoa Sleepwear

4. Snoa Sleepwear is known for their romantic, warm sleepwear for chilly nights. The best-selling Hot Toddy nightgown is made from organic bamboo fleece that hugs curves and flatters with a plunging V-neck and trumpet cuffs. Made in San Francisco.

The post Sleeping Beauty: The Best 4 Brands in Sustainable Sleepwear appeared first on EcoSalon.

Who needs a small bag when you’ve got a pantry?

The most potent and effective remedies are often the natural ones already hanging out in the pantry. Aside from the remedy-specific nature of the following 10 homemade teas, one of the most exciting thing about them is that they don’t require a tea bag! Your spice cabinet, fresh ginger root, some green herbs, a few fruits and vegetables, and honey are all that stand between you and an elixir to treating a pesky ailment – 10 of them, to be more exact.

To put together the following recipes, make sure to mix them until evenly combined and let the teas involving herbs or fruit to steep for several minutes before drinking. Sweeten as you see fit and enjoy!

Morning Liver Tonic

When you wake up in the morning, you’re body is in a very special place. The reason we are usually instructed to take supplements in the morning is because our stomachs are empty and there is little to interfere with said supplements’ potency. This morning tea pulls you out on the right side of the bed, giving a morning cleansing body flush. The lemon juice is highly alkaline and turmeric is known for its detoxifying properties.

Turmeric dates back 2,500 years in India, where it is commonly used in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine. Turmeric packs a lot of health benefits, but for our purposes it should be regarded as a liver cleanser, antiseptic and antibacterial agent. But it doesn’t hurt that the spice lowers the risk of cancer, is anti-inflammatory and helps to lose weight. Turmeric additionally treats Alzheimer’s, depression and arthritis.

You can sweeten with honey to balance the earthiness of the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Deep Sleep Tea

Wind down at the end of the day with a tea that promotes a deep, comfortable sleep. Chamomile is a great stress reliever and has a calming effect on the body. It has been used for thousands of years to help people around the world get some shut eye, and a Japanese study put some legitimacy behind this widespread observation when it noticed that rats fed chamomile fell asleep just as quickly as those given a tranquilizer. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and helps to clear mucous from your passageways, allowing for more effective breathing and hence a more pleasant sleep.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dried chamomile flowers to fill one sachet
• 1/2-inch nob of fresh ginger, crushed

Detox Elixir

Holding a bit more weight than you’d like? Cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and lemon join forces to rev up your metabolism and get your body back in shape. Cayenne pepper warms the body, speeding metabolism and burning more calories. Cinnamon reduces blood sugar and LDL (bad) cholesterol as well as boosts metabolism and increases insulin levels. Lemon packs some flavor and added cleansing power.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 dashes cayenne pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Immune Booster Tea

Oranges are packed with vitamin C, a known antioxidant that may help protect your body from cell damage and boost resilience from disease and illness. Cinnamon and honey both have antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, which means they are effective in warding off infections. Mint not only brings a fresh aroma, but it’s a leafy green that carries with it antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that keep you healthy.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Juice of 1/2 orange
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• 1 teaspoon high-quality (raw) honey
• 4-5 mint leaves, muddled

Beautiful Skin Tea

This may seem like an unlikely concoction, but it’s actually quite delightful! Carrot juice is packed with beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, an essential part of skin health. Sage inhibits the growth of bacteria and has anti-inflammatory properties. Cayenne contains vitamins A and C, which help to absorb free radicals that break down your skin’s collagen.

Warm this recipe, without bringing it to a simmer. You want to retain the carrot juice’s potency.  Let the leaves sit in the juice for a bit before drinking so that their flavors become infused into the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces warmed carrot juice
• 2 sage leaves
• Dash of cayenne

Brain Power Formula

Blueberries contain anthocyanins and flavanols, which are able to cross the blood-brain barrier. These antioxidants rid the brain of free radicals, which can otherwise lead to oxidation, memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. Ginger is commonly used to stave off migraines and basil naturally reduces tension and fatigue in the brain and mind.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/2-inch nob fresh ginger, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh blueberries, muddled
• 3-4 leaves fresh basil, muddled

Regularity Tonic

This tonic is geared towards those of you with difficulty digesting. The taste of this tea is very comforting and earthy. The pear and apple slices bring pectin to the mix, and pectin acts as soluble dietary fiber in humans. It helps promote healthy digestion, prevents diarrhea and constipation, and reduces the risk of colon and gastrointestinal tract cancers. Purple grapes contain quercetin, a plant pigment that contributes to healthy digestion, while cinnamon warms and stimulates metabolism.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 small slices of pear
• 2 small slices of apple
• 4-5 purple grapes, muddled
• Dash of cinnamon

Lady’s Tonic

For that time of month, this raspberry ginger tonic is just what the doctor ordered. Raspberries are a uterine tonic, relaxing and toning the uterine muscles as needed. The fruit is also beneficial during pregnancy, easing morning sickness, stabilizing digestion, and soothing the pelvic area. According to a 2009 study, women who take a dosage of ginger for three days from day one of their period witnesses the same pain relief as those who treated their menstrual cramps with ibuprofen.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 6-8 raspberries, muddled
• 1/4-inch fresh ginger

Aches and Pains Relieving Tea

Feeling sore as the Winter nears? Be ready to combat the worsening of your symptoms with a tea that cleanses your joints and puts them at ease. Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, a compound that makes cayenne spicy. It lowers the levels of a chemical that relays pain signals to your brain. Fresh ginger and cardamom have both long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to reduce joint pain and inflammation.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dash of cayenne
• 4-5 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1/2-inch fresh ginger, muddled

Nausea-Be-Gone Tonic

This recipe uses the soothing and potent effects of basil and honey to rid you of stomach pains, nausea, and vomiting symptoms. It is refreshing just as much as it is energizing, which will help to reverse your symptoms and keep you alert and feeling good.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 3-4 basil leaves, muddled
• 1 teaspoon of high-quality (raw) honey

Images: Aylin Erman, Steven Jackson, Leszet Lezsczynski, Cthoyes, Jennuine Captures, CLC Photography, Simply Bike, Clyde Robinson, Kodamakitty, Michael Newman, Cinnamon Cooper

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post 10 Healthy Tea Elixirs You Can Make Yourself appeared first on EcoSalon.

An exclusive EcoSalon playlist to calm your head and drift away. 

When your brain is spinning with thoughts of work, family, friends, to-do lists and all of those creative ideas you can’t wait to put into place, it can be hard to check out and calm down. Fortunately, this playlist helps you do just that.

Check out the music videos for some of the songs below, or go even further and listen to all of them nonstop on our 10 Songs for a Solid Sleep playlist on 8tracks.

1. B+W Stripes – Aphex Twin

2. Untitled #7 – Panda Bear

3. Sea Bed Meditation – Jürgen Müller

4. Dissolving Clouds – Biosphere

5. Memory Of Self – Dolphins Into The Future

6. Part 6 – Robert Rich

7. Sphere – Into the Dream – Erik Wøllo

8. The Return – Steve Roach

9. Come Softly – Grouper

10. Neroli – Brian Eno

Like what you hear? Check out our entire 10 Songs series. 

Image: Lianne Viau

The post 10 Songs for a Solid Sleep appeared first on EcoSalon.

One of my favorite interior images is the nightstand shot; it’s a soulful glimpse into the most personal of practical spaces. I always find myself studying the details and styling of bedside tables.

Here are five essential (and pragmatic) items to rest on your nightstand that will help you rest easy.

1. Literature: Reading a book for 15 – 30 minutes before attempting to retire into sleep can help prepare your brain and body for the rest it deserves. Leave the non-fiction in the living room, fictional content tends to quiet the mind most effectively.

2. Light: The lower the ambient light levels during your nightcap reading, the better (optometrists everywhere are nodding disapprovingly). Turn off your bedroom light and read by lamp light instead. There’s an added bonus here, too – you won’t have to leave the bed to turn off the light when reading lulls you into sleep.

3. Water: There is a plethora of water carafes and cup products (this one is handsome) begging to lounge on your nightstand. Pour a little water into the cup at night before retreating to bed, allowing you a cup ready for sipping if you wake up parched (and if your cup is already full, you won’t need to turn on the light to pour). If all the midnight sipping has you heading to the bathroom, skip turning on the light, which can interrupt your natural melatonin levels during sleeping intervals.

4. Notebook & Pen: We all have thoughts that keep us from sleeping.  Whether you wake up in the middle of the night with a stroke of creative genius, or simply remember your dentist appointment the next day – having a place to write it down allows your mind to release the thought and drift back into sleep.

5. Indulgence: This is something that flirts with your senses or your soul. If your nasal passages love a great scent, keep a candle or diffuser on your bedside table (think aromatherapy scents for sleep and relaxation like lavender or peppermint eucalyptus). If leafy green vegetation calms your mind, keep fresh cut flowers or a houseplant next to your bed. While fresh petal blooms are indulging, opting for a healthy houseplant requires way less maintenance. Perhaps a picture of your loved ones or your favorite travel experience lends you a warm fuzzy feeling? Keep one indulgence that suits you.

You’ll notice two things missing from the five essential items, an alarm clock and cell phone. Keep your alarm clock on your dresser – crossing the room to hit snooze will mean you are more likely to wake up on time. Turn on the light and your chances of oversleeping dwindle even more (back to the melatonin interruption). Leave your cell phone in another room, or at least on the dresser, keep your connection to socializing and work far from your slumbering mind.

Select a nightstand that has storage – hidden compartments allow for the rest of your nighttime needs without creating two square feet of chaos next to your dreams. Keep your hand cream, lip balm, ear plugs, sleep mask, and the rest of your nighttime novelties tucked away. Keeping your bedside sanctuary clean and uncluttered gives your chaotic day a hint of order at the end (and beginning) of each day.

Images: Rue Magazine, Fritz Hansen, & Pia Ulin

The post Skip the Sleeping Pills, Get a Nightstand appeared first on EcoSalon.