Sleep is one of the foundations of good health. You might not always get as much sleep as you want, but it’s still important to set yourself up for quality sleep. Poor sleep can contribute to everything from food cravings to chronic health conditions. So it’s important to get the best sleep you can.
Did you know that lack of sleep may be causing your weight issues? Studies show that people who don’t get enough sleep eat more and gain more weight. This is partly due to cortisol rising in your body. Not only does this mean increased insulin which causes your body to store more fat, but it also increases the secretion of a hormone called grehlin. Grehlin tell your body to eat. Lack of sleep decreases a hormone called Leptin. Leptin signals to your body when you are full – so you can see the balance between good sleep and a healthy waistline!
Common sleeping problems such as insomnia are often caused by bad habits re-inforced over years or even decades. I was someone that had suffered with chronic sleep issues for more than 25yrs. Not only did I find it really difficult to get to sleep, but when I did, I was a very light sleeper, waking regularly during the night, often during the early hours, and then struggling to get back off to sleep again…waking in the morning I would feel sluggish and struggle to think clearly during the day. Any of this sound familiar?
I’ve put together some helpful hints and tricks to help you get a better night’s sleep.
Environment
Right up ensuring you have the right environment for sleep is essential. What does that mean?
Firstly keep your room clean and clear to ensure your eyes and mind aren’t focusing on a pile of laundry, items to sort or a never ending ‘to do’ list.
Invest in new pillows if it’s been more than 9mth since you changed them. If you or the kids are prone to waking with a stuffy nose, putting your pillow in the freezer for 24hrs can really help!
Avoid using your bed as an extension of your office, dining table, lounge room etc… so don’t watch TV, eat, pay bills, work on your laptop etc so your body can associate your bed as a place to sleep and rest.
Time your caffeine right
There’s nothing wrong with enjoy caffeine in moderation, I’m not a coffee girl, but love a good old Tetley or English breakfast tea. But caffeine can stay in your system for a good amount of time.
The half-life of caffeine – how long it takes to eliminate half of the caffeine – is around 5 hours. So if you have a double-shot coffee at 3pm, you still have the equivalent of one shot of coffee in your system by 8pm.
Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. This comes down to how quickly you metabolise it – some people can still feel wired after 6+ hours. If you’re experiencing sleep issues, try keeping your coffee to 1-2 cups for the morning for a few weeks.
Minimise any bright light at night
When we used to live in caves, the sun going down would be the end of our day. But when we come home these days, we have bright lights in every room.
If you’re exposed to bright light, your body thinks that it’s daytime. This can switch off production of your main sleep chemical, melatonin. So when you go to lie down in the dark, it can take hours for your body to get the message that it’s time to sleep.
This doesn’t mean you have to go stumbling around in the dark. But you might want to switch from overhead lights to lamps in the evening, and turn off any lights that aren’t necessary.
The same goes for technology like TV, tablets and smartphones. It’s best to have a minimum of 30-60 minutes tech-free before bed. I aim for around an hour before bed – or at least try to! Sometimes work is essential and then a blue-light blocking app and programs like f.lux and Twilight can be helpful (as long as they don’t become the norm!)
Find a way to de-stress
A common cause of poor sleep is high stress levels. You lie down for the night, only to have a million thoughts and to-do items rush through your mind.
There are dozens of ways to reduce stress naturally – it depends on what you prefer. Some ideas might be:
- Talking with a partner or friend about your day
- Journalling
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Stretching
- Sipping a cup of herbal tea
- Having a warm shower
- Going for a walk around the block
- Read a chapter of a book
- Epsom salt bath
- Using essential oils
Create a night ritual
Habits and routine can tell our bodies what we’re likely to do next. A good way to ‘train’ your body to sleep at the correct time is to have a routine that you do each night before bed.
This routine can be as little as 30 minutes. Maybe you have a shower and change into your pyjamas, then make a cup of sleep-blend tea. As you sip your tea, you might review your to-do list for the following day, or ‘brain dump’ your thoughts/lists onto paper so your brain doesn’t need to start ‘filing’ ideas when you are trying to sleep. Maybe you set out your clothes. For those with kids at home, you might help them get their own screen free bedtime routine before you start yours – you might make lunches for the next day whilst your tea infuses.
If you make small habits that support sleep part of your regular routine, you’re more likely to get a good night sleep on a regular basis.
If you’re constantly struggling to sleep, it’s important to create a diet and lifestyle to support good sleep. For me the one thing that changed 25yrs of poor sleep was getting an individualised diet plan. I was already consuming a healthy diet, but it obviously just wasn’t optimal me for me. For more information on receiving your own personalised nutrition plan, go here https://peaknaturalhealth.com.au/metabolic-balance/
- What’s your top tip for getting a good night rest? Mine is to drink a shot of tart cherry juice before bed to boost melatonin naturally! I also love using essential oils – let me know if you would like to try our awesome sleep blend.
re
–
