During a recent stay at a Crowne Plaza Hotel I received a complimentary box of This Works: Sleep products. I was very impressed with them and took mine home with me, plus my friend's box too.

My sleep patterns are erratic. I often have broken night's sleep and sometimes I can't relax and switch off. I don't tend to have any specific dilemma keeping me awake, other than the fact I can't work out why I can't get to sleep. Suffering from low iron recently relating to other health problems meant this also made sleep more challenging. Plus, like many people, I can have 'strange bed syndrome' (I am not sure if it is medically recognised or something I just made up), where I don't sleep well when away from home in an unfamiliar room/bed.

This little box was then a blessing whilst away. I didn't use it the first night, as I didn't think about it, but I used it the second night and had a better night's sleep. Obviously I can't say for sure this was down to the product exclusively, but I like to think it played a part. The little box contains a small 5ml bottle of pillow spray. At first I sprayed it all over the pillowcase, but really a spray at each end suffices before ling down. The pillow spray contains various oils such as lavender, patchouli, camphor and chamomile which are known to help the mind and body relax and de-stress. The lavender is the dominant scent for me. It takes a few seconds to dry on your pillow, and I have not noticed it staining the pillowcase. You can smell the lavender after you spray but this disappears and you then get a subtle scent from the pillowcase, but I think that depends on where you position yourself on the pillow. Once I move about I lose it. It doesn't linger noticeably, but these are scents that I associate with relaxation and comfort, so I do think they help.

The other products is a 'breathe in: inspiration' and is a little 5ml bottle with a roll on top. You remove the lid and rub on your pulse points. I put a little at my temples and again on my wrists. This also contains lavender, but I mainly get the scent of eucalyptus. It lingers longer than the spray, but that maybe because my wrists are closer to my nose, and I can find the scent again, I am not sure.

All in all these little bottles can help towards a better night's sleep I am sure other factors need to be involved, but I find these relaxing products to use, and probably half the battle is that I believe they work and trust them. You can buy the little kits off the This Works website for £10. Or ask anyone staying at a Crowne Plaza to bring you a box back! You can buy the pillow spray separately at £15 for 75ml . The 'breathe in' bottle doesn't appear to be available separately, but they do sell a sleep balm (£12) or a 'stress less' bottle which seems similar (£12) if you wanted to try only one product.

This Works in a British company and I am increasingly hearing good things about their products which are manufactured in the UK. The company work with British Farmers to source their high quality, sustainable, often organic, natural ingredients where they can and they do not test on animals. Packaging is also recyclable. Their branding and labelling is clear and modern.

For me these products really do work, and I would recommend giving them a try is you also find settling down to sleep a problem alongside other common sense solutions such as avoiding caffeine or high sugared drinks before bed, and avoid watching the news/horror or action films or anything that could stress or stimulate you immediately before bed.