Better Sleep
Sleep, we need it more than we realise…
I don’t know about you, but when I have not slept well I feel the same way I do when i have a hang over. Sluggish, headachy, lethargic, pessimistic, impatient. It’s not my preferred state of being.
We all know sleep is important but not until recently has science managed to figure out how important. In fact, the results of sleep science are so overwhelming that I predict that in the years to come the prestige of “burning the midnight oil” will be replaced by the 8 hour sleep standard for maximum productivity and creativity. In-fact larger corporations such as google have installed nap pods for their employees as they have grasped this connection.
Sleep is our first line of defence against chronic illness, burn out, stubborn weight gain, and premature ageing.
But what then, is a good nights sleep? Why can some people survive on 4 hours of sleep and others need a solid 9 hours to feel rejuvenated?
The simple truth is only 4% of the earths population can thrive on 4 hours of sleep, the rest are simply used to running on half empty. In-fact most of us are perpetually sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation turns on our flight & fight (sympathetic nervous system) which increases inflammation in the body which over time weakens our immune system making us susceptible to a host of various issues. It also ignites our amygdala which directs our survival brain firing off defensive & protective reactions such as anger, impatience and irrational logic. Another area that sleep deprivation will effect is our metabolism, slowing it down, and over time it erodes our memory.
How do you know if you have had a good nights sleep?
When you wake you should feel refreshed and energised, not groggy or sluggish. There should be no need for caffeine or other stimulants to ‘wake you up’ and you should have enough stable energy to get you through a day with no major energy dips.
Studies are showing the importance of deep sleep in relation not only to productivity and problem solving but also to memory, weight gain and the healing strength of the body when the immune system is compromised.
How to foster high quality sleep
If you do suffer from morning grogginess, afternoon fatigue, patchy memory, irritability, sluggish metabolism/stubborn weight gain you might want to look to your sleep.
Here are some simple ways to help improve your sleep quality.
Regular sleep times: our body thrives on routines. When we go to bed and get up at the same time our body knows when to start pumping our sleep inducing hormones (melatonin) and wake up hormones (serotonin).
Ambient light: turn down the lights in your home in the evening, this helps tell your body that it’s dusk and it will know to produce sleep inducing hormones.
Screens: Shut off screens at least 30min prior to bed. LED lights & Blue light from digital screens disrupt our natural sleep rhythms and impact our quality of sleep and how alert we feel during the day. Suppressing the sleep inducing hormone melatonin. (You can also consider using blue light blocking glasses at night or install a blue light reducing app on your screens).
Lower bedroom temperature: studies show that a colder bedroom temperature results in a deeper longer sleep.
Exercise: Our body was made to move. We all know we get a most rest full night if we have done some exercise during the day. However strenuous exercise before bed will exit and stimulate your nervous system so that it will be harder to wind down.
To any client I work with I often highlight the importance of creating a window for winding down. It takes time for your body to switch from awake to sleep mode. To maximise your sleep hours, set aside 30min before bed to unwind, help it along with soothing, relaxing rituals such as;
Take a warm bath, use epsom salt to help your muscles relax (footbath will do too). 1 cup per bath.
Drink a nervine tea in the evening; lemon balm, oat tops, tulsi, valerian, chamomile, catnip all have a calming effect on the nervous system.
Drink a warm cup of milk* & nutmeg (any type of milk*). Many studies in the past have shown nutmeg as an effective measure to treat insomnia.
Listen to relaxing sleep music, binural beats or white noise to drown out noises that may trigger your nervous system.
Sleep supportive nutrients: L-theanine, magnesium, reishi mushroom extract, ashwagandha.
I hope you find this useful. If you or someone you know could use help with sleep, gut health, parental well-being simply click the link below for a free 30minute consultation.
