Sleep. Something which we need to do everyday for every signal day that we’re alive. When there are many different stresses or commitments in our lives, the amount of time we sleep most often gets ‘squeezed’. The quality of sleep can be adversely also be adversely affected. Poor sleep has been shown to increase inflammation in the body which decreases your immunity, making you more susceptible to disease. Plus being sleep deprived just feels rotten! Therefore it is important to consider what we can do to promote healthy sleeping, which is a cornerstone towards our wellbeing.
Wake up at the same time everyday
Train your brain what is ‘day’ and what is ‘night’ by consistently keeping the same wake up time. This also helps the brain in separating sleep activity from the other activities we do when we are awake.
Follow a 1-hour wind down routine
Help your brain be lead towards sleeping time by reducing the amount of stimulation it is exposed to. Try to do things that are relaxing and enjoyable, that cultivates a sense of calm and stillness. Dim lights, low level music or calming smells can help.
Only go to bed when you are sleepy
Listen to your body. If you go to bed too early, which doesn’t match your own body clock, you may find it more difficult to settle into sleep. You might yet bored, so it’s important to have relaxing activities to do that help your mind ‘switch off’.
Use the bed only for sleep (and sex!)
The bed is the space to rest and recover from the day. If your work and home space has merged into the same property, it’s crucial that you don’t undertake your work from bed. Just using the bed for sleep encourages the brain to make those associations.
When our sleep patterns are disrupted, it can often take a while before we re-establish them. Sleep, unfortunately does not come easy to many of us. If we are in pain, have things weighing on your minds, have too much to do and not enough time to do it, sleep seems like a luxury. However, if we are able to create an environment makes it more conducive towards healthier sleeping, our minds and bodies will thank us for it.
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