One of the most crucial things we can do to keep ourselves fit, healthy, and active is to get enough sleep. Those who lead stressful lives frequently experience severe sleep disturbances, which can lead to a wide range of other health problems.
Our brains have time to reset while we sleep, but if finding it difficult to sleep or when interrupted or fail to adequately reset and recharge. We may have poor mood and energy as a result, a weakened immune system and make us more susceptible to health concerns including weight gain and cardiac troubles. In this article, Katarina Cepinova a nutritional therapist and external expert for Well.Actually, shares her top five suggestions to help you minimise those influences and leave your anxieties at the bedroom door.
1. Sleep Environment:
Creating the right sleeping environment is essential for better sleep. With the right combination of lighting, temperature, noise levels, bedding materials and other factors that affect how you sleep – you can create a room just as conducive to restful slumber as any professional spa or retreat! Make sure your bedroom is cosy but not overly heated and that your drapes or blinds provide a cosy environment for sleeping and blocks out light. Make sure your bedroom is the one place where you feel comfortable and relaxed. Keep it as your sanctuary of calm and have as strict cut off time an hour before sleep or don’t watch the TV or use gadgets in it. Instead read or listen to a book and disconnect from the outside world by applying lavender spray on your pillow.
2. Try a Supplement:
To help you fall asleep at night, you might occasionally need a little more assistance in the shape of a supplement. You may not realise but there are the many roles that key nutrients play in promoting restful sleep. If you've been having difficulty sleeping or wake up feeling groggy, it could be due to an inadequate intake of specific vitamins and minerals — like calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin B6 — known as ‘sleep inducing’ nutrients. You might want to try a product like Well. Actually's. Neuro Night 5-HTP+ capsules. Nutritionists have carefully crafted a potent combination of nine vitamins, minerals, and botanicals, which research shows, can help you transition from day to night and promote peaceful sleep by calming a busy mind.
3. Avoid Stimulants:
Whilst it sounds obvious, avoiding activities that stimulate our brains before bed, will result in a deep more restorative sleep. Reduce or avoid Alcohol consumption and most certainly Caffeine before bedtime. They can interrupt your sleep cycle by suppressing production of melatonin, our sleep hormone and ultimately lead to a very disturbed sleep. Cut out the screen time as bright blue light from electronic devices overstimulates our brain, keeping us awake longer. Setting a time for your phone to charge and resisting the urge to use it again will help you sleep better. If watching TV, pick a soothing show that won't make your pulse rate go up.
4. Establish a Routine:
Unwind before going to bed. The key is to establish a set time that you start your night-time relaxation and stress-reduction regimen. It is crucial to take some time to unwind before the day is through. Consider taking a little stroll after supper to re-establish a connection with nature and take in some fresh air. Take a warm, relaxing bath with Epsom salts, concentrate on basic deep breathing to settle your mind, or read or listen to a book, calming music or meditate for 5–10 minutes.
5. Exercise:
Exercising, especially throughout the day, aids in resetting our circadian rhythm, which controls our sleep and waking cycles, as well as reducing the negative effects of stress on our bodies (which affect sleep). Studies suggest that physical activity helps your body relax and makes you more likely to fall into a deep slumber quicker.
