FROM NIGHT OWL TO EARLY BIRD // swisse uk

I’ve talked a few times before my battle with insomnia and how I would sometimes go 36 hours without a single wink of sleep. It’s an issue that still continues to rear it’s ugly head every now and again – usually when I least expect it.

But in a strange way I’m kinda glad it happened to me, as I was burning the candle at both ends. I was under a huge amount of stress from work and only getting five or six hours sleep a night; the insomnia forced me to take a good, hard look at how I was living and make changes.

I gave notice on the horrible work contract, and decided this was the year I concentrated on getting myself back to my physical and mental best. Over the past few months I’ve figured out a couple of ways to help make this happen.

No coffee after midday: this was a tricky one, as the first thing I’d reach for to get my through my sleep-deprived day was a cup of strong coffee. The caffeine gave me the juice to keep going, yet it was as short-sighted cure as it also contributed to my next restless night.

Exercise: this might sound obvious, but dragging yourself to a workout when you’ve had no sleep is practically impossible. As other insomniacs will know, while you can’t sleep you’re not really awake either – you’re in an awful zombie-like fugue where your limbs feel like leaden weights, and even the most basic functions (speaking, moving) are strenuous.

Vitamin supplements: I’ve also been lucky enough to work with the Swisse UK team on the launch of their SWISSE supplements range in Europe, so one of the things I’ve started doing is taking one of their Women’s Ultivite multivitamins every morning.

I kept a little diary to track my progress:

WEEK ONE: So I’ve just started taking a Women’s Ultivite multivitamin each day and it’s already having a positive effect as it’s forcing me to eat breakfast (yes, I’m one of those people who sorts everyone else’s brekkie out, and runs out of time to eat mine).

First thoughts: these tablets are BIG, but that’s because they’re crammed full of an impressive 39 ingredients, which are designed to enhance energy levels, strengthen the immune system and improve the health of bones, hair, skin and nails. Now I could use help in all these areas, so I’m looking forward to seeing some positive changes.

PS: I’ve been told you can break them in half to make them easier to swallow.

WEEK TWO: I’ve gone to the gym six times over the fortnight. SIX TIMES! I haven’t managed that since before the girls were born, and I love feeling more active. One of the big reasons for this is that I’ve had more energy… is it because of my Ultivite vitamins?

I was told I’d notice some changes within two weeks, but I’m not jumping to conclusions just yet. I’ve also noticed my concentration has improved – especially during the ‘Dead Zone’ of 2-3pm when I usually have a massive stamina slump – which is brilliant, as I really need this last hour to power through as much work as possible before the girls finish school.

WEEK THREE: When a quick drink with some friends after work accidentally turned into a couple of bottles (oops!) I was feeling pretty delicate the next day. But there’s no such thing as sleeping off your hangover when you’re a mum, so I made myself some porridge and took my Ultivite with a litre of water.

I can’t say for sure if it was the Swisse vitamins that made the difference, but what I can say is I felt surprisingly OK by mid morning – enough so that I even went out that evening to a friend’s 40th birthday dinner. Coincidence..? 

In the middle of the week I had the pleasure of meeting up with super glam Alesha Dixon, at a blogger luncheon hosted by Swisse UK at the swish Riding House Café in London. She’s just been appointed their UK ambassador, and has been taking their supplements every day to keep up with the demands of her celebrity lifestyle.

While comparing stories about life as a modern working mums (she’s SO down-to-earth, by the way) she told us she’d also noticed an increase in her energy levels after taking Ultivite.

Because I’d also noticed I was more focused and productive, I asked Alesha what she’d do if she gained an extra hour each day. ‘I’d walk the dog, relax and enjoy some me-time,’ she replied.

Seems our lives are not so different after all!

WEEK FOUR: I’ve noticed another very welcome change; I’m sleeping more soundly, and waking up feeling refreshed (if you’ve ever suffered from insomnia, you’ll understand what a blessed relief this is).

I’ve thought a lot about it and here’s my theory why: because the Ultivite supplements have resulted in more energy and focus during the day, I’m able to get a lot more work done during school hours. This means I’m not forcing myself to stay awake until 1.30am every night, frantically trying to get everything finished while the girls are asleep.

I can listen to my own circadian rhythms (AKA: my body clock) and go to bed when those signs of tiredness kick in, then claw back extra work time by setting my alarm for 6am instead of 7am the next morning. I’m gaining at least another two extra hours of sleep, plus I’m getting better quality sleep because I’m not stressing out about having to get up again in 5.5 hours.

For a life-long night owl this is a HUGE adjustment, but I literally feel healthier and more productive than I have in years. It’s not just down to the Swisse vitamins, obviously, but I genuinely feel they’ve given me that little leg-up, so I could give my life the reboot it desperately needed.

I’ve just started taking the Swisse Hair, Skin, Nails tablets (you can take any of the range of 29 supplements alongside each other). I stopped biting my nails last year at the ripe old age of 42, but they’re still prone to splitting and peeling, so I’m expecting super-strong Dynasty nails within the next few month. I’ll keep you posted! 

• this is a featured post written in collaboration with Swisse UK. If you’d like to try any of the Swisse supplements for yourself, you can pick up the entire range from Boots. You can also join in the conversation by following @SwisseUK on Twitter, and searching #SwisseVitaminsLunch.

• I’ve linked up with Brilliant Blog Posts