Wellbeing tip #3: Sleep

The third of a monthly series where I’ll offer some suggestions for tools and strategies that can help with our well-being.

Each one of us is different, and what one person finds helpful, may not resonate with others. 

We may find that what has helped previously, may not be connecting with us in the same way in the present.

Or you may have a well-established set of tools that are ‘tried and trusted’, but you’d like to add some more.

It is my hope that these tips will give you some ideas. 

March: sleep

Does this sound familiar – feeling tired at the end of the day, you head to bed with a feeling of relief as we sink onto the mattress and rest our head on the pillow and close our eyes… and a few hours later, we’re still awake, starting to feel restless, frustrated, and no amount of counting sheep is making a difference? 

Or perhaps, you know that it’s time to head to bed but that next episode of something is calling you, or just another chapter of a book, or the emails that you didn’t get chance to do today?

But it’s ok, we’ll catch up any lost sleep another day?

Or maybe you’re someone who likes a nap during the day?  Or you sleep soundly, but still wake feeling tired?

There will also be people reading this who sleep well, consistently waking feeling rested and ready for the day ahead.

There are also times when all the above may feel relevant.  Instead of 4 seasons in 1 day, it’s perhaps 4 different sleep experiences in one week or month?

It’s easy to forget sometimes, the importance of sleep, or we might know it, but find it hard to establish a pattern, or routine.  Or sometimes, for many different reasons, it just falls by the wayside,

It feels that there is now more of an emphasis on sleep, and ‘sleep hygiene’ and the contribution that it makes to our wellbeing, both physical and mental.  It seems that there are more studies into it, both from a science (how it works) perspective and an everyday perspective (how it fits in our lives).  There are products that help us track it, understand it, and learn from it.  Podcasts and other resources share information and insights into it.  But why?

The benefits of sleep are widely documented, and include:

·       Improving our mood – how do you feel about the world, events in your day or other people after a goods night sleep, compared to a disrupted one, or when you feel tired?

·       Improving cognitive function, clarity & focus – if someone gave you a task to do, which required clear, complex, thinking, after a poor night sleep, how do you think you would find it, compared to after a good’s night sleep?

·       Improving our immune system – sleep gives our body chance to rest, to recover and recharge from the day.  If we don’t have this, our body doesn’t have this opportunity, thereby meaning that not only do we feel tired in ourselves, but our body and mind ‘battery’ is also running on low, which can impact its ability to heal and its defences against infection or illness.

·        Other physical health benefits – sleep can help with hormone regulation which can have a positive impact on metabolism.  It can also help with regulating blood pressure and heart rate, thereby supporting our cardiovascular health and wellbeing.

The impact of a good night’s sleep can be significant. 

It’s a time when the magic that maintains our body happens.

It’s a time when our physical, emotional, and mental batteries can recharge ready for the next day.

It’s a time of stillness that nourishes and nurtures.

So, what can we do to aid our sleep and ensure as much as possible that we can reap the maximum amount of benefit from it?

·       Establish a consistent sleep routine or schedule – going to bed at the same time each day, and waking at the same time each morning, helps to regulate our body’s natural sleep rhythm, or sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm).

·       Create a relaxing bedtime pattern – this will be individual to each of us, as what works for one person, might not for another, but by incorporating relaxing activities into your pre-sleep routine can help prepare your body for rest and sleep.  It can also act as a ‘signal’ to your body that you are getting ready for sleep.  This might include reading, listening to relaxing music, some gentle nighttime stretching, or taking a warm bath.

·       Avoid screens for at least an hour before sleep – the impact of blue light from screens is well documented.  It can disrupt melatonin production, which can make it harder to fall asleep.  As well as before sleep, it can also benefit us to keep our phones out of easy reach from the bed, as it can be the first thing we reach for if we can’t sleep, again exposing us to blue light, preventing us from sleep.

·       Limit caffeine or alcohol

·       Get regular exercise

·       Sunlight exposure – getting natural sunlight during the day, and particularly first thing in the morning, can also help to regulate our circadian rhythm, subsequently helping with sleep.

·       As counterintuitive as it may seem, if you can’t sleep, get up!  If you’re struggling to sleep, rather than lay feeling frustrated and trying to force sleep, try getting up and doing a quiet, gentle, activity such as reading, until you feel sleepy (not your phone!), and then return to bed.

Sleep can be challenging, and when we don’t get enough sleep, or struggle to fall asleep, particularly for prolonged periods of time, it can have a significant impact on how we feel, physically, emotionally and mentally. 

If you are experiencing difficulties with sleep, why not try some of the above, and see if they make a difference.

Invest in your sleep and unlock its restorative power.

*Note - if difficulties persist, you may wish to seek the advice of a healthcare professional, who will be able to advise you further and consider other possible underlying causes or factors.