EVENING

Get ready for a solid night’s sleep

Turn off all the main overhead lights two hours before bed and switch to lamps or dimmer switches. If possible, put your phone and screens into a draw or onto night mode. Light some candles.

Aim to leave a gap of about three hours before finishing dinner and going to bed. In winter, gently refuel with a nutrient-balanced mix of seasonable vegetables and fish or warming stews aiming to keep portions roughly sized to a bowl that you can easily cup with two hands.

Using coconut oil or any basic carrier oil, massage the soles of your feet and/or your scalp before bedtime. This helps the body to relax and unwind and to prepare for night mode.

“Try a mug of golden milk before bed. This is an anti-inflammatory drink that, in Ayurveda, is traditionally a bedtime drink – the tryptophan in the milk and nutmeg helps to bring on a good night’s sleep,” says Susan Weis-Bohlen. Mix together 1 cup of goat’s or cow’s milk (vegans can use any non-dairy milk, such as almond, oat or hemp),

1 tsp ghee (vegans can use almond, coconut or sesame seed oil) and one pinch each of turmeric, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg

(if using before bed). If you like it sweet, add

1 tsp jaggery or sucanat unrefined sugars. Heat all the ingredients together in a small pan until it just boils (non-dairy milk will come to a simmer), then pour into a beautiful mug and enjoy!

Seasonal Self-Care Rituals: Eat, Breathe, Move, and Sleep Better According to Your Dosha by Susan Weis-Bohlen (Tiller Press) is published next month.