How to Sleep Deep...

#StayBalanced

Sleep comes to many as soon as their head hits the pillow. However, lots of people, including myself, can find themselves fighting a losing battle when it comes to a little shut-eye. Infact, trouble sleeping is becoming an ever more current topic with the rise in technology. The constant whizz of noise and stimuli from our phones, tv's and laptops can mean our brains only get chance to switch off at bedtime. And this, they rarely do. Night time is often the first time in many people's day that they get chance to listen to their thoughts. According to the APA, by the time your head hits the pillow, you could have up to 150 life events swirling round in that head of yours. From agnosising problems, to little niggles, it all surfaces when your brain no longer has to focus on the stimuli the day bombards us with. It's no secret that stress and lack of sleep are linked. Likewise, anxiety and over-analysis or rumination of problems is also correlated with higher rates of insomnia.

How do we stop this happening then? And what other ways, other than leaving technology at the door, can we improve our quality of sleep?

Here are 10 ways to get some more quality shut-eye.

1) Eat well

This may seem obvious to many but the decisions we make about what we eat and when can have a serious impact on our sleep. Going to sleep hungry is a big no-no, likewise, going to sleep too full can leave us feeling uncomfortable.

Avoid sugary food before bedtime and if you are feeling hungry after dinner opt for something like a glass of milk and a handful of cashew nuts.

Tryptophan is an amino acid found in nuts and dairy products which helps with the production of melatonin (our sleep hormone).

2) Exercise

Regular exercise can help to reduce our stress hormone (cortisol). As mentioned before, stress increases liklihood of insomnia. Thus, exercise is the perfect natural remedy to stress. Check out my blog post on how to get motivated to work out if you are struggling to get off the sofa.

A study conducted at a Univerity in the USA, shows that those who do 30mins of exercise a day get to sleep quicker, sleep deeper as well as longer than those who do not workout. Even going for a walk can be enough to allow your brain some time to think and process your thoughts before bed.

3) Mindfulness

Take a few moments both at lunch time and bed time to slow down and think. Look out the window, take in your surroundings, slow your breathing and your pace of living for just a few moments. These few minutes each day can be enough to stop the build up of 150 life events before sleepy time.

Learn how to body-scan. You can do this at lunch but more so, before bed. Simply scan each and every part of your body, systematically, tense and release all tension from that area. Often, we hold tension in places we haven't even realised and a body scan is the perfect way to recognise and reduce the tension in our muscles.

Ok so some of you may find this a little airy fairy. If so, make time for yourself and book a massage. Our bodies are the most important thing we have, they keep us going so they need looking after. Shedule in some me-time and get those muscles released of any tension you maybe holding on to.

4) Avoid caffeine before bed

Obviously, caffeine increases our alertness. Alertness is not necessarily something we need when it comes to getting a good night's sleep. If you can, avoid caffeine after lunch or after 4pm if you rely on your pick-me up to get through that last hour in the office.

5)Ditch technology at meal times

It's easy to use breakfast time and lunch breaks to check your emails or catch-up with friends on your phone. However, not only are you more likely to eat more when you are distracted with visual stumuli, you also never give your eyes a rest from the screen and never let your brain re-coup and process the morning's events. If you can't manage it every day, start with the weekend and then slowly increase the number of days you ditch your facebook friends for an hour at lunch time.

6) Write your thoughts down before bed. Now, throw them away...

Writing down your ruminations, stresses and general niggling thoughts is a physical way to get them out of your brain. Once they are on the paper, you can screw them up and throw them away. Once they are thrown away, they are gone for this evening and they can wait until breakfast for some going over. If it's all a bit much keep the thoughts on the breakfast table and switch off the light so you can leave them until morning to focus on.

7)Sexy time

Not only does sex and physical contact release endorphins, it is also a great way to get you prepped for some shut-eye. Like exercise, sex, inhibits the release of cortisol, allowing the body to feel more relaxed, at ease and ready for sleep.

8) Have a bath

Bathing before bed has been shown to improve sleep quality. Get yourself some candles, dim the light and give yourself full body preparation before hitting the sack.

9) Get comfy

Both the quality of your mattress and pillow, can be affecting how well you snooze. If the mattress is too hard, you can be putting too much pressure on your shoulders and hips. If it's too soft you could find yourself struggling with back problems. Investing in your sleep is worth it!

10) Stay cozy

Some studies suggest that wearing a pair of socks to bed can improve your chances of nodding off quicker. However, the key to a good nights sleep is the temperature of your enviroment. A bit of fresh air from an open window and the thermostat at the right level can make all the difference. Science suggests 18-19 degrees is optimum sleeping temperature.

If you have any questions on sleep or would like to see a post on something you believe is important to our general health, do not hesitate to give me a quick tweet or get in touch on facebook @ComposureActive.