5 Ways to Improve Your Sleep

Of all the ways we can look after ourselves, sleep is one of the most beneficial and often overlooked. Adults need 6 to 8 hours sleep every night for the body’s restorative systems to work fully. While asleep the body releases hormones, repairs cells and recharges the mind, making it essential for both physical and mental health. Without adequate sleep there is an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, obesity and mental health problems. However, the simple desire for sleep is not enough to ensure a good night’s rest. In fact, sadly the knowledge that we aren’t getting enough sleep is enough to increase stress levels, thereby reducing sleep even more.

Making sleep a priority in your routine can improve your day to day life in many different ways, including increased energy, mood, memory and clarity of thought. Anyone who has suffered from insomnia or even insufficient sleep on a regular basis can testify that it can have a detrimental effect on your entire life. There are a number of ways to aid sleep, although everyone is different, but finding what works for you and implementing it on a regular basis is half the battle. Everything from what colour your curtains are, to what you had for breakfast can affect it, so for times when nothing seems to be helping, here’s a few tips on how to make trouble sleeping a thing of the past.

1. Set the scene – All of the senses are involved in ensuring a good night’s sleep, from the light keeping us awake, to the feel of the sheets, to the sound of the cars outside. Typically, many people who suffer from sleep problems find that black-out curtains can significantly improve their ability to fall asleep and stay asleep for the right amount of time. There are those who find matching their sleep routine to the sunrise and sunset is very beneficial – in particular, the sunrise gradually filling the room with light is a very gentle way to wake up – but for the majority this is impossible given the time restrictions of many businesses. Ensuring that the mattress is the right firmness for support and comfort and the room is warm enough are also essential elements for setting the scene. Smell can also play a huge part, as many essential oils, such as Lavender, are great sleep aids and allow the individual to relax. You can buy sleep mist that you spray onto your pillow which aids sleep. However, some people are very sensitive to smell and find they need a completely neutral aroma to fall asleep.

1. Establishing a routine – Following the same bedtime routine every night notifies the body that it is time to relax and sleep. As the blue light from digital devices blocks sleep hormones, keeping us alert, it is best to stop using them an hour or two before bedtime and to dim any other lighting. Meditation, yoga, reading or listening to music or audiobooks are all good late-night activities that allow the mind and body to relax, preparing you for sleep. Even if your schedule only allows you a limited amount of downtime before you need to sleep, taking 15 minutes to wind down and relax will significantly improve your chances of falling asleep quickly.

3.      Finding the exercise balance – Regular exercise is commonly known as beneficial for sleep, but it can be a double-edged sword. Exercising late in the day can prevent sleep as it raises stress hormones, leaving you feeling wired yet exhausted. If you are particularly sensitive to this, exercising in the morning is probably more suitable as it will wake you up for the day and enable you to sleep soundly by the night. The exception to this is gentle forms of yoga and pilates. The gentle combination of breathing exercises and poses can prepare the body and mind for sleep, slowing the heart rate and clearing the mind of any troubling thoughts. Even as little as 5-10 minutes of yoga or meditation before bed can significantly increase sleep quality.
4.     Diet and sleep – Similarly to exercising, there is a balancing act to be found with diet. Eating too close to bedtime will prevent sleep, but trying to go to bed hungry will not work either. If you are eating a particularly heavy meal you will need to leave enough time before you go to bed. Some find that eating a light evening meal is most suitable, but for most it is a matter of trial and error. However, it is not only your evening eating habits that affect your sleep. Your diet as a whole needs to be taken into consideration. Eating a balanced diet with limited processed food and plenty of water has been shown to significantly improve sleep quality. Some people find that supplements also help, such as magnesium and melatonin, although again this depends on the individual and their specific nutritional needs.

5.     Mental preparation – Sometimes having trouble sleeping has nothing to do with the body and is an entirely mental problem. More often than not it is a combination of the two. Mentally preparing for bed is a process of clearing the mind of any issues that are buzzing in the background. Where possible, resolve any issues that are bothering you before you go to bed, to ensure you can fall asleep with nothing on your mind and wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead. This is of course, not always possible, and if the problem cannot be solved immediately, making a plan to solve it or outlining possible ways to tackle it can significantly reduce stress and allow you to sleep more soundly. Attempting to fall asleep with a problem going around and around in your mind can feel impossible, but listing ideas to solve the problem gives you a feeling of control and allows you to fall asleep.

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