I can’t sleep, but, quite frankly, who can? According to recent stats, 16 million UK adults are suffering from sleepless nights, with a quarter managing no more than five hours a night. Worldwide, according to the National Institutes of Health, around 10-30% of the population suffer from insomnia, and it’s far more common in females.
It always starts so well for me; I settle into bed at around 9pm, watch Netflix and then become increasingly jealous as I notice my boyfriend nod off almost instantly. I can’t remember the last time I fell asleep pre-midnight, and am often lay staring at the ceiling at 4am cringing about something weird I did at a house party circa 2006.
I’ve become one of those infuriating people who kept talking about my insomnia on my morning Zoom calls. I’m irritable, overly emotional and kept ordering comfort food on Deliveroo to distract myself from the fact I felt like a shell of a human.
I’ve tried herbal remedies to no avail, and I’m too nervous to be hooked on sleeping pills like half of Hollywood seem to be. So, I’ve been busy looking past the usual weighted blankets, white noise machines, sleep masks and black-out blinds for a natural-yet-effective solution.
Luckily, my boss was on the same hype, after battling with a bout of insomnia herself. But she did give me some hope. The answer to her sleep-related woes, she told me, was actually a body butter.
London-based organic skincare and wellbeing brand NEOM’s Perfect Night’s Sleep Magnesium Body Butter is dubbed a ‘therapeutic, sleep-enhancing body moisturiser that envelops skin in a veil of hydration and nourishment’. Delicious. The cream promises to deliver calming properties to alleviate anxiety, reduce muscle tension and send you off on a restful slumber. In fact, 89% of people felt more relaxed after using it. It was worth a try, right?
The NEOM Perfect Night’s Sleep Magnesium Body Butter is supercharged with – yep, you guessed it – magnesium, which is revered for its reparative, sleep-enhancing benefits. It’s also apparently anti-ageing and has cell-regulating benefits. As well as 88mg (!) of magnesium per 5ml of product, lots of delicious ingredients like lavender, jasmine and Brazilian rosewood are blended with 21 other essential oils to help bring a feeling of calm. Shea butter, aloe vera, grapeseed oil and coconut oil also help nourish and soften skin whilst you snooze.
The ritual of applying the lotion is relaxing in itself; the thick, lavender-scented lotion cocooned my skin and calmed my frenzied mind before I’d even stepped out of the bathroom. The lavender, jasmine and Brazilian rosewood promise to ease anxiety, reduce muscle tension and nourish and restore skin, helping you to relax and unwind. And I can attest I was reaping the lotion’s benefits within minutes. The scent is strong and long-lasting but not overpowering, and every time I tossed and turned in a desperate attempt to fall asleep, the wafting scent of lavender helped chill me out.
Before I knew it, I was drifting off into a deep slumber and actually managed to sleep (and snore, apparently) throughout the night. Bingo! My boss, who drifts off quickly but often wakes throughout the night, slathers it on whenever she stirs and apparently it helps her doze off again.
It’s not cheap at £38, but the money I’ve saved on Deliveroos to feed my exhaustion has more than made up for it. If you’re struggling to sleep, rush to the checkout. I beg you.
Shop more NEOM products below.
For more from GLAMOUR UK’s Website Director Bianca London, follow her on Instagram @biancalondon.
