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Tuesday 15 April 2014

This Works Deep Sleep Heavenly Candle & Pillow Spray

A while back I was suffering pretty badly with insomnia. As in wide awake for most of the night, usually finally falling asleep once it was actually the start of a new day. It was absolutely exhausting and stressful. I was stressed anyway (part of the reason why I couldn't sleep) and the added stress of not being able to sleep properly just made it all a big vicious circle. Fast forward a few months to improving health and generally just being exhausted from being back at work which means that I'm now getting around six hours sleep a night; a huge improvement for me. I'm not quite there yet obviously so I decided to try out a couple of sleep aids from This Works. It's important to note that prior to this I also tried meditation, exercise and those creepy sleep sounds, none of which worked. 


First off, the deep sleep heavenly candle. This is designed to help you "relax, unwind and slow down" through a strong blend of lavender and Roman chamomile essential oils. I find this has quite a masculine scent. It's not something I would gravitate towards and actually buy if I'd picked it up and smelt it in a shop first (I got it online). That said, I quite like it now. Also, himself is delighted- this is definitely more man orientated than some of the sweeter candles I would often favour. I also really like the packaging- a heavy matte white glass container with the 'This Works' logo across it; minimalist and clean. Very nice. But does it work, I hear you cry?! Well, yes actually. I usually light this for about a half an hour while I read a couple of chapters of my book and sip my chamomile tea. A few minutes after I blow it out I find myself getting drowsy and my head getting heavy on the pillow. Again, the fact that I am more tired these days definitely helps but this really does get me over that initial hurdle of drifting off, which I found so difficult before. In conjunction with this fella I use the deep sleep pillow spray:


This again contains lavender but also wild chamomile and vetivert designed to promote rest and relaxation. I unsurprisingly spray this on my pillow about ten minutes before I turn off the lights and take a few nice deep breaths. Between this and the candle, I find I can get to sleep a lot more easily. 
I actually got this months ago and when I originally started using it I got frustrated and gave up. It wasn't curing my insomnia, you see. Then of course, like a big eejit I realised that it isn't designed to do that. It helps you sleep more deeply (hence the name) and for longer, so my nights of finally drifting off at 5 or 6am and waking up on the hour every hour (like Sky News but somehow with more journalistic integrity) are now over. Now, when I fall asleep that's that. Until the alarm goes off and I snooze on for far longer than I should, naturally.


I bought both of these from Asos. The candle you can find HERE for €35.12. The spray is currently sold out but they do have this limited edition one HERE for €42.14. Both of mine were on sale when I bought them but they're now unfortunately back to full price, as you can see. 

I also try and implement other tips for getting a better nights sleep; no caffeine at night time, nothing stimulating in the bedroom (mind out of the gutter, dirtbirds! I'm talking about TV, computers, phones etc), a nice relaxing bath before bed and chamomile tea. 

What are your tips for a proper snooze? Have you tried anything from This Works?
XX

18 comments:

  1. Gah, pricey! I've had my eye on this for ages - have a heap of insomnia myself. Delighted to hear that it works though, it's on the LIST.

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    1. Tis pricey indeed. I'd recommend it if like me you have trouble switching your brain off at night- I find it helps me wind down a bit. Otherwise I don't know how useful it would be, if that makes sense?

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  2. Very pricey but if it works, why not?! I'm going through the same thing- falling asleep AFTER my alarm goes off at 6am and spending my day trying to regain some energy. I'm trying out a couple of herbal remedies but if they don't work this is my next step. Claire

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    1. Let me know how you find the herbal stuff Claire, I'm always interested in natural ways of doing things!

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  3. Oh, so pricey! If it works though, and nearly every review I've seen says it does, then it's worth the expense.

    I'm struggling with insomnia big time lately. Some nights I'm not sleeping at all. Other nights I'm taking ages to nod off and then waking up throughout the night. This might be the thing to help on those particular nights. *adds to ever expanding wish list*

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    1. I can't actually remember how much I paid originally but it was definitely a better saving than what they are now. Still, you're right, it is pricey. I had just gotten to the stage where I would try anything tbh. My main issue is really switching off- my brain just keeps going around in circles so it's more about the relaxation side of it for me and I do find these help. X

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  4. I really love that spray, I find it so relaxing!

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  5. If you keep an eye on TK Max they get the candles in pretty regularly :) I picked up Lavender and Vetiver & I think it was Lemongrass and Ginger? They're beautiful. They burn far too quickly though so what I've started doing is scooping the wax out in small portions, mixing and melting them in my scentsy burner! They last so much longer and the smell is much more intense which I love :) I think they were €15 each in TK Maxx so keep an eye out ;) x

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    1. Oh I didn't realise they sold them there- will definitely keep an eye out for that, thanks hun! xx

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  6. Ah I love the spray! It really helps relax! I find reading helps me nod off. I usually end up falling asleep while in the middle of a chapter though so it’s super confusing when I go to read again!

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    1. Yeah, reading definitely helps me too. If I listen to an audio book that really works but I lose track of where I was and it's more hassle than it's worth!

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  7. I was actually going to get the spray the other day but the price put me off, although I would love it!

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    1. If I find any cheaper alternatives I'll let you know! :)

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  8. I love the entire deep sleep range! Love it so much! I think at this stage I have every single thing there is :P the little balms are great! I find that meditation really helps me before bed... and by meditation I just mean sitting down and trying to concentrate on my breathing & emptying my head. I'm actually writing a whole post on that because I struggle with sleep and relaxing in general... x

    alex

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    1. I try and do the same re: clearing my head. I think it's my biggest problem actually cause I really find it hard to switch off completely. Looking forward to your post! x

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  9. wow..that's a lot of money! have you tried the avon pillow spray and balm which you can put on your temples? they help and are a fraction of the cost, the only trouble is getting hold of Avon stuff now they pulled out of Ireland!

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    1. I wouldn't buy anything from Avon even if we did still have access to them to be honest, not after the way they treated their staff when they left. I won't support a company with poor ethics. It is a lot of money, but again, i got mine on sale and it's worked for me so I feel like it was worth it. If I can find an equally good alternative available here that's cheaper I'll definitely pick it up and do a comparison post :)

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