Photo by Vladislav Muslakov on Unsplash
Hands up if you would like to wake up in the morning feeling restored, refreshed and actually alive? Studies show that a third of people don’t get enough sleep, this leads to your feeling groggy, grumpy and distracted and also has long term effects. Insufficient sleep increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, hormone imbalances and cancer. I am going to share with you my favourite sleep hacks. Start my introducing these one at a time and take note of how your sleep improves.
Measure your sleep
I love measuring my sleep. There are various ways to do this but what you want to find out is how much deep sleep (REM) you are getting and how often you are waking through the night. Measuring your sleep also gives you something to compare to as you try different options to support your sleep. You can use a Fitness Watch (FitBit, Garmin, Apple Watch, my personal favourite BellaBeat) or a sleep app on your phone, this one is tricky because eventually you want to aim to not having your phone in your bedroom but this is still a good place to start. Sleep Cycle App is a great option it is suitable for both Android and iPhone and you can turn your phone on Flight Mode so it doesn’t disturb your sleep with notifications and circadian rhythm with EMF waves.
Drink Water
Recently I have been experiencing my own difficulty sleeping. Because I have so many of the other hacks I am going to mention already in place, water is usually the cause of my lack of deep sleep. I find when the season changes so does my water drinking habits and if I make a conscious effort to drink more water my sleep improves greatly!
Exercise
Regular exercise, even just 10 min of aerobic exercise a day can dramatically improve your sleep. Exercise improves sleep quality and duration, it also bolsters sleep because it reduces stress and tires you out.
Supplements
Taking high-quality full spectrum supplements to ensure your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs to repair and restore is extremely helpful for sleep. Look for wholefood, bioavailable supplements. Magnesium is also very helpful for relaxing the mind and body. My favorite supplements are doTERRA’s Lifelong Vitality.
Essential Oils
Essential Oils can relax the body and mind to assist in getting to sleep and staying asleep. Does your head hit the pillow and then your brain starts spinning? My fave is Restful Blend or Vetiver which we call the brain switch, switching off that spinning mind. Diffusing Lavender is calming and soothing as well or making a spritz for your pillow is a lovely way to incorporate essential oils too.
Turn down the lights
Improve your body's natural rhythms by turning the lights down or off leading up to bed time. This sends a signal to your body that it is time to “power down” for sleep. Your body will start to reduce cortisol and increase melatonin which is a naturally occurring sleep hormone.
Turn off your screens
Using your phone or watching TV right up until bedtime makes it harder for us to wind down for sleep. Electronics emit a blue light that signals our body to keep producing cortisol (stress hormone). You can choose to turn off your screens at least 30 min before bed or look at blue light emitting glasses to wear in the evening, worn during the day they also help to negate eye strain.
Be well adjusted
Maybe the least expected hack. If you are experiencing pain or discomfort regular chiropractic adjustments can assist you to having a more comfortable sleep. As an added bonus when our brain is able to communicate with our body without blocks we sleep better and recover faster.
Would you like help to hack your sleep? Get in touch with Anna Mabey today for a Free Wellness Consult
Email: anna@empireofwellbeing.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/empireofwellbeing
