5 Tips for Improved Sleep
Sleep is the cornerstone of health. It is when our bodies regenerate and our mind rests. Our nutrient stores replenish and our memory development lays down new pathways of learning. And our conscious mind relaxes and opens our subconscious to have a go at guiding our souls through this thing we call life.
I’m currently embodying the world of menopause. In some ways it’s great. I know my body is gaining wisdom that only comes from living the cycle of life. I don’t get my period’s anymore – Yeah! But I am experiencing hot flushes, irritability, and insomnia. Waking with a hot flush, mind racing, tossing and turning unable to find that sweet spot of relaxation and letting go. But; interrupted sleep doesn’t just apply to menopausal women. It seems to affect everyone from babies to grandparents without prejudice.
There are two main factors that drive sleep:
1. Circadian cycles
2. Homeostatic or the length of time of wakefulness
Circadian sleep is achieved by a rise in melatonin from the pineal gland and a drop in cortisol which reduces our alertness and the inhibition of the reticular activation system by the preoptic nucleus. What!!!
In layman’s terms this means the parasympathetic nervous system takes over and we feel relaxed and eventually sleep. The issue is, we as humans, have mixed up this process by being overly busy, stressed, not following the natural order of light and dark (yes electricity has had its negative impact!).
Insomnia can be attributed to depression, pain, poor brain function, lack of motivation and lethargy. Over time this can develop into chronic fatigue, long term emotional stress, serious mood swings and lack of vitality.
Regardless of our “role” or busi-ness we all need a level of self-responsibility and a personal commitment to ensure we are healthy and happy.
Here’s my 5 Top Tips for Improved Sleep:
1. Have consistent sleep times. I know this sounds hard especially because your favourite TV show doesn’t finish til 11pm or the kids wake you up or you’re a shift worker. But the more consistent you are with going to bed (within 30mins of the previous day) the better you will train your body to relax at the same time. Allowing the circadian cycles to take effect.
2. Avoid stimulants after midday. I can hear you almost crying now; “What no wine-o’clock”. It’s true I tested this out recently. I avoided caffeine and alcohol for 3 weeks and my sleep improved massively. If you can also not eat within 3 hours of going to bed, you’ll be really cracking the insomnia button.
3. Find time to get your parasympathetic nervous system dominant in the evenings. By this I mean relax. Take some time to do deep breathing before bedtime. Right from the end of your toes, breathe in and expand your belly. Hold this for a second or two and breathe out. The trick is to let the out breath be longer than the in breath. Meditation is great too but I know that can be challenging.
4. Here’s one to annoy your teenagers! Stop “blue” light activity at least one hour before bedtime. Yes, I mean the screens; phones, computers, iPad etc as they emit a blue light that is stimulating. Shut them down and read a real book - your brain and sleep habits will thank you for it. Create a sleeping space; a good mattress, darkness, maybe a relaxing scent such as lavender in a diffuser or spray.
5. Do some exercise each day. Your instinct to improved sleep is to relax, stop, and slow down. In fact, doing some exercise every day will release happy hormones and create neural pathways to be embedded at night while you sleep. You will feel less mentally overwhelmed and a sense of happiness will fill your body. By exercising outdoors, you will also gain the benefit of melatonin which are crucial for regulating the sleep-wake patterns.
Of course, there can be underlying issues for lack of sleep. Physical pain, emotional trauma, a belief that you have to keep pushing yourself, or perhaps you believe you have to be there for everyone else so you can’t nourish yourself. If these are factors in your life, then look to get some help. As a kinesiologist I work with children and adults who struggle with sleep by connecting into a core motivator and resetting your body clock. As well as settling your nervous system so you’re not running on “Fight/Flight”.
Please consider these 5 tips to improved sleep and you never know a month of committing to this may actually see you sleeping through the night like a baby. I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below.
From my heart to yours
Zoe Jack
Zode Kinesiology