Most people I have been speaking to recently are having problems with their sleep; vivid dreams, finding it harder to fall asleep and waking in the night. This is probably because of recent challenges we’ve all had to face and having to re-adjust to our new daily routines.
It seems I am not the only one experiencing this and usually when my head hits the pillow I fall fast asleep, but lately I have had to work on it more consciously to ensure I get good, quality nights sleep.
Here are a few of my tips to help anyone who might be in the same boat:
❖ Reduce intake of caffeine in the afternoon ❖
Caffeine stimulates your nervous system and may stop your body from naturally relaxing at night.
❖ Keep active during the day ❖
Studies have proven that regular exercise can help to boost your sleep duration as well as sleep quality. Try to increase your daily exercise. If you are starting out, start small and increase it day-by-day.
❖ Limit screen time ❖
Our devices emit large amounts of blue light which effect your circadian rhythm, tricking your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. This is one I am usually very good at; switching my phone or certain apps off in the early evening until the next day and it really helps. If you enjoy TV in the evening, try turning it off 30 mins before sleep time so you can start winding down.
❖ Practice meditation or listen to sleep apps ❖
There are some great apps out there which help with sleep, I like the calm app – it has lots of variety to choose from and a timer to automatically switch off. Meditation is great for calming the mind too.
❖ Enjoy some herbal sleep tea ❖
Choose organic teas with ingredients like chamomile, lavender, valerian root, ginkgo biloba, oat flower, lemon balm, lime flower, passion flower and magnolia bark. There’s some great ones on the market, I like the Australian brand Love Tea which is also available in the UK. I use the same tea bag for up to 3 cups.
Our sleep is so important for our well-being and also our immunity. Try these tips and if you find it is not helping to improve your sleep then it might be a good idea to speak to your GP to seek further advice.
I would love to hear your sleep tips too, so please comment below ⚘
Here’s to a good nights rest,
Aimee x