Author: Rachel Fitzpatrick
Are you getting the best out of your sleep? Good quality sleep is a non-negotiable!
Sleep is SO important in cultivating health & well-being! Sleep is absolutely a non-negotiable when it comes to cognitive function, emotional & social intelligence, hormone health, gut health & overall immune function! So why not try & get a good night's sleep?
Here are 5 ways to help you start getting a restFULL night!
1. Make it consistent - a regular bed time & waking time is the most beneficial, yet simple way to regulate your circadian rhythm. Most people require between 7-9hrs of sleep per night! Find what is right for you & stick to it!
2. Make sure your bedroom is dark, comfortable & free of clutter and electronics! It should be a sleeping sanctuary! If you use your phone as your alarm, turn it onto aeroplane mode or invest in an alarm clock!
3. Avoid screen time in the hour before bed! The blue light from our phones, computers & even TV signals to our brain that it is still daylight, stimulating cognitive activity & reducing the body's production of melatonin. If you are particularly sensitive to blue light, try changing your screen to a warm tone light or using blue blocking glasses throughout the day too!
4. Establish a night-time routine to help wind down! Take a bath, make some herbal tea, read a chapter in your book, meditate for 10 minutes! Make it a ritual you enjoy!
5. Move your body daily! Exercise is so, so beneficial for regulating sleep patterns! Be sure to leave the strenuous exercise for morning and early afternoon though so you aren't feeling wired for bed! If partaking in night time exercise, try some gentle yin yoga or qi gong to calm the nervous system!
BONUS TIP! Get acupuncture! Research suggests that acupuncture can influence melatonin secretion, reduce sympathetic nervous system activity, promote relaxation & regulate levels of neurotransmitters (or their modulators) such as serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine, GABA & neuropeptide Y. This may result in a good night's sleep!
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