Practice for Better Sleep
Most people don't realise that sleep is a habit, that can be learned and practiced... and just as easily disrupted!
A poor night’s sleep is likely to leave us feeling irritable, tired, and lethargic and can affect how we perform the next day. It causes disruption to our hormones which can have an effect on your weight. If your sleep is disrupted for a number of nights, you’re likely to find it difficult to concentrate and make sound decisions. Risk of accidents (and potential injury) increases, and your mental health could suffer too.
The recommended amount of sleep for an adult is around eight hours. Some people need more, while others can cope with less, but we each need to work out what works for us and then get into a healthy sleep pattern.
So, here are my top tips on how to get a better night’s sleep. Remember, learning a new sleep pattern takes time, none of these are magic so stick with them until you build new sleep habits:
Get into a routine; stick to going to bed and waking up at the same time each day (yes, even at weekends!). This will help your body’s internal clock get in to a routine and sleep becomes a healthy habit.
Brain dump: write down everything that’s rushing round in your head. A clear head with help you sleep better at night. It’s up to you what you do with the paper you’ve written on, you could scrunch it up and throw it in the bin or use it as a to do list for the next day.
Make sure you wind down before bed; limit your caffeine intake and screen time (that includes the TV!), have a bath or shower, get in bed and read a book, meditate or listen to relaxing music.
Increase the amount of exercise you are getting; 3-4 sessions 30 minutes of exercise a week can help you get a better night sleep
Lastly, if you can’t sleep get up out of bed and go and do something to help your mind switch off (still no devices or TV though!) rather than tossing and turning in bed.
Most people don't realise that sleep is a habit, that can be learned and practiced... and just as easily disrupted!
