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A sleep expert has revealed which sounds help you get to sleep – and which ones are the best to wake up to. Sleep expert Hannah Shore claims ocean waves, a crackling fire and the distant buzzing of a fan are among the top ten sounds that help people fall asleep. Whereas hearing a piece of toast being cut or a kettle boiling is most likely to make them rise and shine gently. It comes after a poll which looked at 2,000 adults, found half enjoy listening to white noise to go to sleep or wake them up. The study, commissioned by Premier Inn, found 26 per cent listen to it every night, with rainfall sounds (40 per cent), music (34 per cent) and the sound of a fan (24 per cent) among the top choices. The hotel chain has launched Nod-Flix: an ASMR channel where guests can have their optimal video and soundscape play as they drift off. Hannah Shore, who is working with the hotel brand in partnership with Silentnight, said: “Depending on the individual, watching or listening to something calming before bed can be part of our sleep process. “Different sounds generate different responses from our subconscious when we’re asleep, so what might be soothing to one, might not be for another. “If you’re sharing a bed or a room, be considerate and invest in a pair of headphones or why not try finding a sound that you both find soothing?” The study also found that if they are sharing a room with other people and unable to listen to their white noise, 27 per cent wouldn’t be able to sleep properly as a result. More than half (58 per cent) normally listen to these sounds or noises on their phone, while 34 per cent tune in via an app. But 15 per cent even have a sound machine. Wind sounds (21 per cent), audiobooks (16 per cent) and a cat purring (seven per cent) also made the list of sounds and noises people like to fall asleep to. It also emerged half of the adults polled feel their sleep varies depending on the season we’re in. And 57 per cent reckon they sleep the best during autumn or winter, compared to only seven per cent who get the best shut-eye over the summer months. Respondents were shown a number of hotel-inspired ASMR type videos from the Nod-Flix channel, from the kettle boiling to a suitcase being pulled along hard floor. It found the sound of sizzling bacon was found to be most relaxing, followed by the trickle of running water from the shower. The study carried out via OnePoll.com, also revealed the sound of a vacuum was surprisingly least calming. Hannah Shore, for Premier Inn, added: “Switching off does not come as easy to some people as it does others and sounds are a great way to help with this. “Some people prefer complete silence whereas to others the silence means they listen out for all the little sounds, in a hotel this can be people walking down the hall, doors closing, the lift. “Others may find they need their brain to concentrate on something else, in these cases there needs to be something in the sounds they can focus on like the slow rhythm of calming music, the repetitiveness of waves lapping on the beach or even the noise of the TV. “This can allow the mind to switch off from the day and therefore allowing you to fall asleep, which we hope the Nod-Flix channel will accomplish for many.” Some noises that help Brits sleep better: Rainfall sounds Music Ocean sounds The sound of a fan The sound of favourite TV show/ streaming service Wind sounds Podcasts Audio Books Jungle/forest/woodland sounds Fireplace sounds Static sounds City ambience Animal sounds A cat purring The sound of a vacuum cleaner Here are some tips for a restful sleep: If you’re going to watch something before bed, make sure it’s calming content Keep the space you’re sleeping in tidy Don’t eat a heavy meal before bed Invest in some bed socks – they help increase blood circulation Make sure your pillow supports your sleeping position Dim the lights – it helps our bodies to produce sleep hormones like melatonin Get some black out blinds or curtains to block out bright lights White noise such as fans, hairdryers, hoovers are great for blocking out sound. If you want to go to sleep in a calmer way, pink noise is also good - think of wind, steady rain and reselling leaves. Green noise is similar to pink but will have an undertone of more constant hissing noise but still nature led such as running streams. To help you focus throughout the day, brown noises such as the crack of thunder which have deeper tones works really well. Read More Sleep expert reveals the simple secret to a good night’s rest Irregular sleep patterns linked to harmful gut bacteria, study suggests What is the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep method? How to spend the perfect healthy Super Saturday – according to science Holidays to the homeland could help children hold onto family’s original language The cure for smelly garlic breath? Turns out, it’s simpler than you think

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Naomi Campbell, Gigi Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski stormed the runway as the Victoria’s Secret fashion show returned for the first time in five years. On Monday (25 September), the lingerie company broadcast Victoria’s Secret: The Tour ‘23 on Prime Video. Part fashion show, part documentary, it marked the brand’s first televised catwalk show since 2018. It also follows a major rebrand for Victoria’s Secret, after the company was accused of promoting unrealistic body image and failing to protect its models against sexual misconduct. The Tour ‘23 – described as a “reimagined fashion show with a new generation of women from around the world” – is narrated by Hadid, who also appears on the catwalk. Doja Cat provides the musical accompaniment for the show. The feature-length film began with a black screen, before a statement said: “In 2021, Victoria’s Secret began a journey. The goal was to give a new generation of creatives from around the world the opportunity to tell their stories and see their creations brought to life on the world stage. The platform? The VS Show.’ Hadid then appeared barefoot in a nude tasselled dress, walking alongside other models around Barcelona. Campbell, meanwhile, donned a black leather trouser suit and corset-style top as she stood beside Hadid. In a later clip, Hadid was shown in a gold jewelled bustier and matching shorts, teasing in the voiceover: “I mean, come on. We had to bring back a little of the old show.” Also taking part in the show were Hailey Bieber and Emily Ratajkowski, who wore a crystal-encrusted strapless top and a crocheted bikini, respectively. Julia Fox, meanwhile, showed off a vibrant yellow dress, while Winnie Harlow appeared in a gold sequin crocheted outfit. Also modelling the collection were Amelia Hamlin, Abby Champion, and Ziwe Fumudoh. Several former Victoria’s Secret Angels, including Candice Swanepoel, Adriana Lima and Lily Aldridge, also returned for the fashion show. Following criticism, Victoria’s Secret got rid of its team of Angels in 2021. Over the years, Tyra Banks, Rosie Huntington-Whitley, Chanel Iman, Heidi Klum, and Lily Aldridge were all part of the group. The Angels were replaced by the VS Collective, a group of seven successful women. The group now includes models Adut Akech, Paloma Elsesser and Valentina Sampaio, as well as journalist Amanda de Cadenet, athlete Eileen Gu, footballer Megan Rapinoe, and actor Priyanka Chopra Jones. Members of the VS Collective and some classic Angels, as well as models Campbell and Gisele Bundchen, recently appeared in the brand’s Icons campaign. Last year, the brand faced further criticism after it was the subject of Hulu documentary series Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons. The documentary delved into the brand’s “misogynistic culture” under former chief marketing officer Ed Razek, who had previously been accused of multiple incidents of inappropriate contact with models. Razek previously denied the allegations, calling them “categorically untrue, misconstrued or taken out of context”. Read More Naomi Campbell wears black lingerie on Dolce and Gabbana catwalk Cindy Crawford reflects on ‘traumatising’ haircut in her early career Fans convinced that Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell are ‘feuding’ after Instagram snub Kim Kardashian unveils ‘iconic’ new look for magazine cover Travis Kelce wears ‘1989’ inspired outfit after leaving NFL game with Taylor Swift See Cate Blanchett champion sustainable fashion at glamorous Giorgio Armani show

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If you caught the recent series of Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars on BBC1, you will no doubt be familiar with Florence – usually Flo – Rebattet. After searching in vain for cookery classes for her young son that would offer healthy options and make him as passionate about food as she was at his age, Rebattet decided to found her own cooking school for children and teenagers. She was inspired by the time she spent with her Italian grandma during the school holidays. “I used to spend weeks at her home and cooking was our daily activity,” she says. “I still love to remember how long our spaghetti was and she always let me lick the spoons!” For Rebattet, it’s fundamental to see the new generations cooking from scratch with seasonal ingredients. “To add flavour to our meals, we used to go to the garden and pick the necessary aromatic herbs. We also had plenty of strawberries that we would pick in the morning before it became too hot.” She decided to leave her nine-to-five job in HR and train as a chef in order to open her business, drawing on her experiences cooking with her son, who around 13 months old at the time. “Because of the memories I have of creating and enjoying food with my family, my dream is to recreate some of that with my son and all the kids who come along my cooking school, En Cuisine.” Here, she shares some recipes that are suitbale for children (with adult supervision if necessary) and are some of the many recipes she teaches at the school. Gateau de Savoie “I spent most of childhood in Biarritz, on the beach, with this cake stuffed in my mouth! I absolutely loved it and couldn’t get enough.” Prep time: 60 minutes | Resting time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 15-20 minutes Ingredients: 75g sugar 3 eggs 50g flour 20g cornflour 2 drops vanilla extract 60g sugar Utensils: 2 large bowls Wooden spoon Cake mould Weighing scale A whisk Method: 1. In two large bowls, separate the egg whites and yolks. 2. Whisk the egg yolk until you reach a smooth texture. Then, add the sugar and keep whisking. 3. Whisk the egg whites until you get a stiff peak. Don’t forget to add a pinch of salt. 4. Add the egg whites to the egg yolk by folding the white into the yolks. Do not mix and always fold in the same way. 5. Add the vanilla, and the plain and corn flours into the mixture. Fold the flours into the egg mix. 6. Pour the mix in a mould and cook it for 30-40 minutes in a preheated oven at 170C. Gratin dauphinois “This is a typical dish from Savoie in France and is regularly eaten over the winter. The recipe below is from my mother-in-law who lives in Grenoble.” Prep time: 40 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1kg of potatoes 1 litre of double cream 5 garlic cloves Salt and black pepper 1 tsp grated nutmeg Utensils: Chopping board Big knife Peeler Grater Method: 1. Wash the potatoes and peel them. Keep the skin in a separate bowl. (These can be fried later to avoid wasting them.) 2. With your knife slice your potatoes (1cm thickness), using the bridge technique. 3. Peel your garlic cloves. Chop them into small pieces and then crush them using the blade of your knife. 4. Put some crushed garlic in the bottom of your pot and rub it all around. 5. Pour some double cream into the pot, sprinkle in some salt, black pepper and grated nutmeg. 6. Lay the potatoes on the cream until covered then pour more cream and seasoning. Repeat until you don’t have any more sliced potatoes. 7. Put in the oven at 190C for 1 hour. Little chef tips: The quality of the potatoes is very important. Don’t use jacket potatoes as the texture won’t be good when cooked. Instead use potatoes for frying. Belle de Fontenay and Desiree are the best varieties for the Gratin Dauphinois. Lemon and chia seed muffin cakes “One of my first sweet recipes when I started teaching children to cook at En Cuisine. This recipe can also be found in my cookbook Cook with Flo.” Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 20 minutes Makes: 6 muffins 100g of plain flour 80g of coconut sugar 80g of unsalted butter ½ lemon + zest 1 tablespoon of chia seeds ½ tablespoon of baking powder 2 eggs Utensils: Wooden spoon Weighing scale 2 large bowls Method: 1. Melt the butter and let it cool down on the side. 2. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and the sugar until the mix is slightly white with bubbles on the top. Then, pour the flour into the mixture and stir. 3. Squeeze the lemon and add the zest. Pour the melted butter in the mix. 4. Add the chia seeds and the baking powder. Stir until you combine all the ingredients together. 5. Pour the mixture into the muffin tray and put it in the oven at 220C for 15 minutes. Little chef tips: You can swap the chia seeds with poppy seeds for a different flavour. Madeleines “This recipe for mouthwatering madeleines is from my recipe book Cook with Flo.” Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes Makes: 20 madeleines Ingredients: 120g of plain flour 120g of granulated white sugar 120g unsalted butter 3 medium eggs Zest of one unwaxed lemon 1 lemon 1 teaspoon of baking powder Utensils: Madeleine tray 2 bowls Wooden spoon Grater Scale Method: 1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, the sugar and the baking powder. 2. Crack the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. The yolk goes with the dry ingredients and the whites in a separate bowl. 3. Whisk the white with a fork until you get bubbles on the top. Add them to the flour and yolks mix and combine. 4. Melt the butter and wait until it cools down before pouring it on the mix. 5. Add the lemon juice and the zest. Stir well. 6. Pour into madeleine moulds and put them in the oven at 240C for 6 minutes and then 180C for 8 minutes. Your madeleines are ready when you see a little mountain on the top and a nice golden colour Little chef tips: Swap the lemon for ½ an orange or rose water. Roasted vegetable tray “I really like mine with rose water and dry pieces of rose in the dough! A classic dish which will bring crunchiness and colour to any meal and is particularly delicious served with the gratin dauphinois.” Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour Serves: 4 1 butternut squash 6 carrots 2 onions 250g Brussels sprouts 4 potatoes 2 heads of garlic Fresh thyme and rosemary Utensils: Chopping board Big knife Peeler Method: 1. Wash your vegetables and preheat your oven at 150C. 2. Boil some salted water and cook the Brussels sprouts for 15 minutes. 3. Peel your butternut squash and chop it into big chunks. Do the same for the carrots, onions and potatoes. All the vegetables need to be the same size to cook evenly. 4. In a tray, drizzle some olive oil and add all the vegetables. Toss with some salt, black pepper, rosemary and thyme. 5. Put the tray in the oven for 40 minutes. Check if the vegetables are cooked before getting them out of the oven. Little chef tips: You can play with the flavours by adding some spices. Smoked paprika and turmeric deserve a go for this recipe. Read More Is there such a thing as British pizza? The dish that defines me: Rosie Grant’s grave recipes Courgette season is nearly over – here’s three ways to make the most of them London’s new dessert was made by space engineers – and cost £50k How to cook to keep your gut healthy Leave Rick Stein alone – it’s totally reasonable to charge £2 for mayo and ketchup

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