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Optimizing your sleep


Sleep is crucial for balancing blood sugar levels, reducing inflammation, release of growth factors for cellular regeneration, motor retaining, and cognitive function and processing.
Everyone needs between 7-9 hrs of sleep per night so don't try and fool yourself into thinking you can operate on less. Recovering from 1-2 nights of sleep deprivation is manageable but any more than this we simply can not make up for with a few sleep in's or afternoon naps. 

🙌 Respect your individual body clock and circadian rhythm. Find out what works for you. Keep a diary for a few weeks of what time you went to bed, what time you woke up, and how well you felt and performed each day. 

⏰ If you have a set time that you need to get up in order to go to work, gym, exercise then plan your bed time around this. Set an alarm at night to remind you it's bed time and allow enough to wind down and start your bed time routine.

📱Turn off devises an hour before bed if you struggle to fall asleep.

❄️ The idea temperature for sleep is between 19-20o which is easy to achieve if you have a heat pump otherwise ensure you have adequate ventilation and appropriate blankets and clothing. On hot days try a cool shower before bed to help drop your core body temperature. 

🔺 Try some relaxed breathing for 5 or so minutes to help you drift off into the land of nod. Breathe in through the nose and let your belly expand and fill, exhale through the nose for a count of 5-7 seconds. Focus on your breathe and if the mind wanders just simply let that thought float away and return to your breath.

🕮keep a note book by your bed so if any thoughts continue to plaque you or you have an epiphany then you can get it out of your head safe in the knowledge that you have noted it down to address in the morning. 

🌞Get some morning sun - take a short walk at morning tea time. This can help with your melatonin levels in the evening which is a key hormone in regulating sleep-wake cycles.

🍷Limit alcohol intake to 2 nights per week. Alcohol might help you fall asleep but it can interfere with the quality of your deep, restorative sleep phase.

👶 Sometimes sleep interruptions are beyond our control. babies are a prime example of this. Naps are a great way of counteracting the effects of sleep deprivation in these cases but if this continues for more than 6 months consider working with a baby sleep consultant to help establish a better sleep routine for your little one (an ultimately yourself too).

☕️Avoid caffeine 5 hours before going to bed, 10 hrs if you have difficulty sleeping.

👉Invest in a bed that you love and that will help you wake up refreshed. We spend 30 percent of our day in bed so support and comfort are crucial.

👉 Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Change of wake up time can vary 30 mins either way but more than this can create unnecessary disruption in your energy levels. 

Make your sleep routine as important as exercise and diet in maintaining your optimal health an be sure to see a professional sleep consultant if you are struggling to get the restorative sleep that your body and mind needs.

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