The Good Sleep Guide
Some of us just aren’t getting enough sleep! - recent research has found 40% of people suffer from sleeping issues. The benefits of a good night’s sleep are essential for our overall health and wellbeing. It promotes a good state of physical and mental performance, while boosting our quality of life. Melatonin often known as the sleep hormone, is central to our bodies sleep - wake cycle and aids the transition to sleep. It effects our heart and blood health plus has a range of other benefits:
- Helps us maintain a healthy weight by controlling our blood sugar levels
- Aids the maintenance of a good hormonal balance
- Sleep helps memory and learning, enabling us to solve problems and make decisions
- Safeguards us against stress, mood swings and depression
So what can we do to reap these benefits and learn to sleep well.
The 7 Steps to a Good Night’s Sleep
First you need to start with good Sleep Hygiene - this means ensuring your bedroom environment and daily routines will produce consistent quality sleep.
The Bedroom: dim the lights and make it a technology free zone. Have a 30-60 minute wind down window, where there are no mobile phones, tablets, laptops and TV. All these increase mental stimulation and decreases the production of melatonin, this is detrimental to quality sleep. Maintain an ambient temperature, you don’t want to be too hot or too cold so ideally 16-18°C (60-65°F)
Bed: seems obvious, but have a good quality mattress and bedding. Go hyper-allergenic if you can, however anything soft to the touch is good; think silk, cotton, linen and bamboo. You should feel irritation free, cool and comfortable.
Lifestyle: habits you make during the day also promote good sleep and support your circadian rhythm (body’s internal 24 hour clock). Get enough daylights hours, and keep your night time routine consistent; even by changing into your pyjamas and doing your night skincare routine, reinforces the mind that its bedtime. Avoid smoking, nicotine is a stimulant which disrupts sleep.
Stress & Worry: we can’t avoid these in our lives, even the act of trying to fall asleep can be stressful. However there are ways to induce a calmer state of mind. *Scents like lavender, ylang ylang and chamomile help promote a positive space. While meditation, mindfulness, guided breathing and light yoga are all beneficial. The practice of Gua Sha is also very meditative and promotes good self-care
Diet: cut down on caffeine in the afternoon and evening. As its a stimulant you’ll be wired even when you’re trying to rest. Keep your evening meals light and avoid heavy and spicy meals & snacks before bed. You want your body to be winding down for sleep not still digesting.
Exercise: staying physically active aids sleep and improves its quality. Its been researched that a workout in the morning or afternoon is best. As your body’s temperature is raised, when it falls back to normal range later in the day, it can release feelings of drowsiness which helps you fall into sleep. However, some of us prefer intense workouts in the evening. So ensure your body’s temperature has enough time to regulate back down before you hit the hay or you’ll remain wide awake before bedtime.
Relaxation & other complimentary therapies: your bedroom should be your sanctuary. It should be your designated space just for sleep and sex. Create an atmosphere of peace and relaxation; de-clutter and surround yourself with your most treasured things. Think colour therapy - decorate with warm and muted tones. Have no time to decorate? Use accessories and soft furnishings in shades that make you feel calm. Block out as much light as possible, and use an app ( when tech is beneficial ) which emits binaural beats or white noise to drown out any outside noise.
Ultimately make gradual changes slowly. Try and stick to the same wake up time even on weekends, try to avoid an inconsistent schedule. You’ll soon start to make sleep a priority and gain the wellbeing and self- care benefits all that brings.
*Note: do not use if pregnant or in children’s rooms
Gua Sha Stone (Rose Quartz) £20.00 & Massage Roller £25.00
Mulberry Silk Pillow Case £35.00
References:
The Sleep Foundation
The Sleep Council
