With some simple lifestyle changes, sleep techniques and tools, you can learn how to sleep better, fall asleep fast and most importantly, get a better-quality sleep so that you can wake up feeling refreshed!
There’s nothing worse than tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep or waking up in the early hours of the morning and unable to get back to sleep. If this is you, you’ll know the toll it has on your entire body and the fatigued ‘zombie’ like feeling. Sleep is critical for our cognitive function, focus, self-control and appetite, blood sugar regulation, balanced hormones, immune functions, gut health and let’s be honest, pretty much everything so it’s no wonder we feel so drained after a bad night’s sleep. Good news is, with a few tips and tricks up your sleeve and some new habits, you will be well on your way for a good night’s sleep and actually staying asleep!
I have had my own troubles with insomnia and it sure is no fun. The stress and anxiety from work, study and other life troubles have all been triggers. You can imagine, after suffering for some time with this, I have done my research to figure out the best ways to work through these times because sleep should be at the top of our priority list, just like healthy food is for our health.
We all need around 7-8 hours of sleep but the effects of not getting enough sleep can affect us all differently. I hear many people say that they don’t need as much sleep and for some, this may be true because there is a genetic variant that may protect some, but this is rare. If you are not getting enough sleep consistently, then you may be sacrificing some other area such as your creativity, memory or performance. Inflammation may also be affecting you or you may find you get sick often or perhaps don’t recover well after a workout.
When you sleep, your body is able to enhance neural growth and muscular repair, adrenal gland function, liver detoxification and immune system function. Your brain also cleans up cellular waste such as metabolic by-products and recognises neural networks. This means, while you sleep, your brain is able to clean up and make sense of all the information learnt, leading to greater memory and focus. It also cleans up waste products and enhances our bodies systems which allows us to heal while we sleep and wake up ready to tackle the day.
Not to worry though, there are many simple ways we can optimise our sleep naturally so let’s dive in!
Tip #1 Reduce Stimulants
This tip is more of an obvious one that I am sure you have heard but It is crucial to get right before we move on to the other tips. I will also explain why it can affect your sleep and how you may be able to counteract this effect.
The most common stimulant is of course caffeine and alcohol. Coffee is the common caffeinated drink but it is also found in some teas and most energy drinks. Caffeine affects your sleep by suppressing melatonin and blocking the neurotransmitter adenosine, a chemical that makes you sleepy. Some of us are more sensitive to caffeine so if that’s you, you may want to consider reducing your intake and consuming your stimulants before noon. This will allow enough time before you prepare for sleep because caffeine can actually stay in your system for 6-8 hours. If you enjoy an afternoon coffee but feel as though it’s affecting your sleep you may want to consider swapping to decaf in the afternoons. Another option is taking L-theanine after your coffee to help counteract the effects. I will explain a little more about this in the supplements section though. Keep in mind, you don’t want to be doing this all the time though. It’s important to work into a habit of swapping out caffeine later in the afternoon if you are affected.
Now I also want to mention, if you are someone who adds a lot of sugar to your coffee or drinks sugary alcohol or energy drinks than this can affect your sleep significantly too. Sugar and other processed high GI foods such as white breads, pasta and pastry dishes are all high on the glycaemic index which means the sugar will reach your blood rapidly, causing a spike in blood glucose levels. This will make you feel like you have had a boost in energy, shortly followed by a crash and if you are sleeping, this can be why you wake up often. I know this is bad news for anyone who enjoy a sweet treat after dinner, but not to worry, there are many options that will satisfy your sweet tooth without causing a spike such as …..
What you want to be doing instead is consuming low GI foods with high fibre. This means you will get a steady release of energy during the night and you will feel fuller for longer. Some simple swaps you can do is sweet potato instead of white potato, wholegrain noodles/rice instead of white and adding in as many vegetables to increase the fibre content.
Tip #2 Sleep enhancing Foods
Certain foods can have a profound effect on our sleep. Consuming fatty fish like salmon or perhaps having fish oil is great for sleep because it contains high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D which is essential for the regulation of serotonin- our sleep hormone.
Another important amino acid, tryptophan, found in poultry, eggs, seeds, nuts, spinach and milk can be converted into melatonin, our sleep hormone. If we combine this with what we know about fibre and low GI foods, this will set you up for a good night’s sleep with a slow release of energy and better regulated sleep hormones.
Tip #2 Supplements and Herbs
Specific supplements and herbs can be a really great way to gently support out body in getting the right nutrients so that we can efficiently regulate our sleep hormones, melatonin and serotonin.
I don’t want you to think of these supplements as a quick fix though, It’s crucial we get everything else under control too and while we are on this topic, only take natural vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements because synthetic sleep supplements have nasty side effects and can block natural processes within your body, possibly causing an imbalance.
So, making sure you use good quality natural supplements is critical and the ones I have found most success with and some quality research behind are:
· Magnesium
· hemp oil
· omega 3 fatty acids
· vitamin D
These nutrients are all important for serotonin and melatonin production and regulation.
A Note on vitamin D:
I think it’s important we get our vitamin D from the sun but in order to convert it to it’s active form, you must have enough magnesium and zinc. If you are feeling stressed often, consume high amounts of caffeine, alcohol or are on any medications, you may want to supplement with zinc and magnesium as these things can deplete these nutrients.
Another really great supplement that I have already touched on is L-theanine. Like I said, L-theanine can counteract the effects of caffeine but it also has an influence on our central nervous system by lowering the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. This means it can help us feel calm, but it won’t make you feel drowsy. I like to keep a powder form of L-theanine handy because I am quite sensitive to caffeine but I’m also a coffee lover, plus L-theanine is also just great to have in general especially if you are feeling stressed, anxious and even tired! It sounds counterproductive but L-theanine can benefit both ways and that’s because it helps with tension management to relax you but not make you drowsy.
There are also some really great herbs that can support your sleep and regulate cortisol, your stress hormone. Stress can be a big reason why we struggle to get to sleep and I will touch on that a little later.
· Chamomile
· Ashwagahnda
· Shisandra
· Valerian
· Kava
· Hops
· Passionflower
You can have these herbs in a tea form, tincture/extract or powder.
Tip #3 Reduce the Effects of Blue light
Technology is another stimulant which can have a number of negative implications. The Blue light emitted is a major one and suppresses your body’s natural production of melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy. The stimulating effects of technology on the brain can also trigger the release of cortisol and adrenalin, keeping you tossing and turning and unable to sleep. It doesn’t stop there either, studies have shown that the WIFI signals can also disrupt your sleep if you sleep with your phone or other devices nearby and many of us use our phones as alarm clocks so this can be difficult to overcome. What I usually do is turn my phone onto flight mode or you can invest in an alarm clock and try leave your phones out of your room. As for blue light, this one we can prevent in a number of way’s but blue light isn’t just emitted from our screens, it’s also emitted by our house lights. For this reason, we have candles set up all around our house to reduce the blue light and to try keep our circadian rhythm balanced. I also put blue light blocking glasses on as soon as the sun goes down for more protection. Another thing you want to do is put your phone on night mode setting which will make the screens more orange. Your phones and laptops will already have this function built in if they are newer but I also download flux on my laptop, this works a lot better and that way I can still be on my laptop once the sun goes down and not be stimulated as much by all the blue light. With that being said, you still want to be technology free an hour before you sleep so this is where I have a night-time routine where I dry brush, stretch, meditate and shower. If you are a night shift worker, you can still do this. Block all the light out of your room and instead of going to sleep straight away, spend some time allowing your body to wind down and reduce that cortisol and adrenalin before you try to sleep.
#4 Create a Bedroom Oasis
If you have ever been to a day spa, you would know how it instantly makes you feel relaxed when the walk in. The beautiful smells, soft sounds and flickering candles flood your senses and make you feel calm. Now, I’m not saying create a day spa in your bedroom, but it is a good idea to make your space as calming as possible. Keep your room tidy and clutter free, put on some soft music, light some candles instead of using lights, diffuse some essential oils like lavender, get yourself a decent pillow and bed sheets (we sleep on these for 8-9 hours every night or day so we want to make sure we are comfortable). If you are a shift worker or if you live near lots of streetlights, it would be a good idea to invest in blackout curtains so there’s no light disrupting your sleep. Lastly, try make sure the temperature of the room is cool because your body temperature naturally lowers when you prepare for sleep.
#5 Move Your Body Daily
Exercise has been scientifically proven to help with sleep and better-quality sleep too. Try to move your body daily, especially outside because the vitamin D is an important nutrient in regulating serotonin and therefore sleep. You can exercise any time of day but make sure you don’t exercise within 2-4 hours of going to bed because exercise causes an increase in endorphins and raises your body temperature which will make you feel more awake and energised. You can do gentle relaxing movements before bed like a nice walk after dinner which will help with digestion, some yoga or just stretching. This will calm the parasympathetic nervous system, lower cortisol and help to regulate your circadian rhythm which are all important for a good night’s sleep.
#6 Tools
We can use different sound apps to help calm the mind. Sleep stream is a great free noise app that will help you to fall asleep more easily and you can also use it for getting into a meditative state. I would recommend turning your phone on flight mode and using the night shift mode or flux otherwise this will be counterintuitive to step 3!
I hope these tips will help you to sleep better but just keep in mind, we are all different so you may need to try a few things to find what works for you!
Allison xo
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