Can't Switch Off at Night? My Wind-Down Ritual

Lights off, body exhausted, brain running a board meeting. I spent years like that, lying in bed rewriting tomorrow's to-do list.

I wear an Oura ring to bed and I'm competitive with my own sleep scores (huge nerd burger, I know). Tracking it taught me my night starts well before I get into bed. What I do between 8pm and lights out shapes how I feel at 5am.

Why your brain keeps going

High-achieving women run on output. We answer one more email, scroll one more feed, then expect our nervous system to flick off like a light switch. Your body needs a runway to land, so give it one.

My wind-down ritual

1. Screens down at 8.30pm. My phone charges outside the bedroom.
2. Kettle on. A cup of De-Stress Tea on the couch, with no phone in reach.
3. Brain dump. Five minutes of journalling. Whatever's looping goes on paper so I can stop carrying it.
4. Lights low, breath long. Four counts in, six counts out, ten rounds.

What's in the cup

De-Stress Tea blends organic chamomile and lemon balm, two herbs traditionally used to help the body relax, with fennel, ginger and nettle leaf. It's caffeine-free and tastes soft and floral, with a warm kick from the ginger. One of our customers wrote that it makes her so sleepy she saves it for bedtime.

Pair the cup with the ritual and your mind and body learn the cue. After a couple of weeks, the smell of chamomile starts doing half the work.

Whenever you're ready, check out De-Stress Tea.

General information only. If poor sleep sticks around for weeks, talk to your GP.