 Did you know that humans, on average will spend 26 years of their lives sleeping? That translates to roughly one-third or 33% of your whole life that will be spent in bed! (Sounds lovely, doesn't it?) Whilst we are asleep there's a lot of amazing work going on... our brain is processing the events of the day, sorting information into boxes, releasing hormones that help to grow and repair our body . Alongside that, the cortisol (Stress hormone) levels in your body will decrease, leaving you refreshed and ready for the day when you wake up! With all that work to do, it's really important that we prioritise sleep and ensure that we get the right amount of uninterrupted, quality sleep. Whilst the amount of sleep we need slightly decreases as we age, the average time that adults should be aiming for is between 7 - 9 hours each night. So with a hectic lifestyle, what steps can you take to make sure that you're giving your body the best chance of a good nights kip? Here are 5 top tips that may help you to relax, unwind and start each day feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world! 1.) Routine is key! As with most things, keeping a good routine helps our bodies to know what's coming next and to adjust accordingly. Whilst everyone's routine is different based on family commitments, working schedules and often hectic social lives, step one of forming a healthy sleep routine should be to set a specific bed-time for yourself each day and to set an alarm for the same time each morning. As with all good intentions, life does get in the way sometimes and the odd late night out or lie-in shouldn't have too much of an effect on this... but if you can knuckle down on a set schedule for 95% of your week, you should notice an improvement in sleep quality and in turn your mood, alertness and concentration levels should all improve too! 2.) Time to unwind... Taking the time to unwind before bed every night is super important to let our bodies know that it's almost time to sleep. Winding down will look different to everybody, depending on your interests and personality. What helps one person to relax can be quite stressful for others! Here are some examples of common activities you can do to help wind down for the night. *Read a book - An old favourite, this helps to relax our eyes and focus our minds on just one activity as opposed to the hectic events of the day! If you've got access to a small reading light, this is even better as low light will also prepare our bodies for sleep. *Light exercise - Whilst brisk exercise before bed isn't recommended and can actually have the opposite effect, Light exercise such as stretching and yoga can help you to unwind and relax before heading to bed. *Take a warm bath - Soaking in a warm bath will help your muscles to relax and adjust your bodies temperature to the perfect temperature for sleeping... you can go all out on this one, play some chilled out music, light a few candles, grab yourself some scented bubble bath or a bath bomb... whatever helps you to relax! *Write a journal or a list - Keeping a notebook or journal before bed has been proven to help our minds decompress and let go of any thoughts and worries that could potentially keep us awake! If you've had a busy or are worrying about upcoming tasks and events, get into the habit of writing these down before settling into bed. Visualise letting the information flow from your mind onto the page, shut the book when you're finished and put it away. The idea is that those thoughts are for tomorrow and will allow you to focus purely on the task at hand... getting a good nights sleep! *Play some relaxing music or a podcast - Again, this is down to personal taste... music that helps one person to relax will drive others up the wall! Choose some relaxing music that you enjoy (this will usually be something acoustic or chilled out... although if you sleep best to the sound of heavy metal then that's fine too!) - there are also many playlists, CD's and podcasts available freely online that could be useful, from rain sounds to windchimes, the sound of the ocean or even the sound of a tumble dryer! (White noise can be a fantastic sleep remedy for some). 3.) Switch off those screens! In today's world of social media feeds, laptops, emails, televisions and games consoles, it's incredibly rare for many of us to spend much time away from a screen during the day! As useful as this technology can be to us throughout our daily routines, the light from a screen can actually be detrimental to our quality of sleep. That being said, it's recommended that you switch off from any screens at least 1 hour before settling down to bed. Make a habit of switching your phone to silent, wind up any emails, finish that last episode on Netflix or beat that boss before you move into your last hour of the day... hopefully completing one of the activities listed above! 4.) Create your dream space! Creating your ideal environment for sleep is very important to ensure you get the best possible night's rest! Much like your personal wind-down routine, this is incredibly personal and what works for one may not necessarily work for everyone... the idea is to declutter your sleeping space, ensure that any potential disturbances, lights and sounds are minimised and make sure you're as comfortable as possible with the mattress, pillows and bedding that suits you best. Set your mind up for sleep by removing any electronic devices, darkening the room using blackout curtains or blinds and regulating the temperature - ideally this should be between 18c and 24c according to NHS guidance. Some people find that essential oils and scents such as lavender can be useful too, these can usually be purchased online or in craft stores and come in a variety of forms. 5.) Start a sleep diary Similar to journaling before bed, keeping a sleep diary can be useful in identifying any barriers that could be keeping you from a good nights sleep! This involves writing down what time you woke up, what activities you've completed during the day, what you've eaten and any notable events from throughout the day. If at any stage you notice that you are struggling to sleep or even sleeping too much, you can then refer back to this to identify where the problems could lie. Couldn't get to sleep? It may have something to do with that Coffee you had just before bed! Sleeping more than usual? Ah... it was your first week back at the gym after a break and your body needs extra time for recovery. A sleep diary can be an incredibly useful tool to make sure that the above points are working for you and in helping you create and maintain a brand new, healthy sleep routine for yourself! Those were just a few tips to get you started on your journey to a better nights sleep! As with anything, if sleep problems are becoming a frequent issue for you and you feel you need more support then always seek help from your GP who may be able to prescribe medication or alternative therapies to help. Until next time, goodnight and sleep well! Steve Migan |
