Currently featuring in the Plympton Magazine (Plymouth) is this article of mine...
When your alarm clock springs into action, do you groan and bury your head in your pillow, anxious for a few more minutes or do you stretch and feel wonderfully refreshed as you leap out of bed? Okay, so perhaps the latter is a bit exaggerated for us to experience all the time, but it is possible to gain from the immeasurable benefits of a good nights sleep once you create the right setting and follow a few useful tips.
But what are these benefits that experts talk about?
Your brain is at a serious advantage if you can give it the much required sleep it deserves because this is the time that it can repair damaged cells and put data into your memory (very useful when revising for exams) as well as work at repairing other damaged muscles and tissue. This will increase understanding of facts and retention through memories being appropriately sorted and correlated.
Sleep is energising too as it can revitalise a tired body ready to face new challenges as well as relax a stressed mind and/or body. It can lower blood pressure as a result of anxiety and tension. As well as benefiting your overall health and wellbeing, sleep can help you live longer, can make you look younger, improve cognitive functions and provide a healthier life. Additionally and very importantly, while you are in the land of nod, sleep helps maintain a healthy heart as it reduces the levels of stress and inflammation in your body. So sleep can keep our emotions healthy and positive.
Sleep can also help regulate the hormones that control and normalise your appetite so you can even control your body weight. Researchers have discovered that when we are deprived of sleep we have cravings for fatty foods and carbohydrates which lead us to put on weight. So if you are on a diet; you need to get a good night’s sleep!
So, it is very useful to know that sleep will allow your body to rejuvenate and restore itself and that every part of the body is involved in this; the lungs, the immune system, hormones, emotions, heart, etc. This suggests that better sleeps leads to a better life but what can you do when you find yourself unable to slip into slumber land?
Everyone is unique and there is a whole host of reasons why different people are unable to sleep from circumstances such as looking after a crying newborn baby to a stressful job but while such situations need to be examined to see if a compromise can be reached, certain tips can be beneficial even for the chronic insomniacs amongst us.
If you find you are going to bed worrying and feeling unable to relax then you need to be able to master the skill of slowing down your brain and your body for at least two hours before you go to bed. Don’t exercise prior to going to bed unless it is something calming like yoga or involves deep breathing and relaxation exercises. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and heavy or spicy foods in the hours leading up to bedtime. Replace them with foods that contain tryptophan such as bananas, dates, milk and turkey. Foods high in carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread/crackers can also improve your sleep as they raise the levels of serotonin in your body. Herbal teas make a good bedtime drink. Chamomile, Valerian or 'Sleepy Time' teas are calming choices. Try also taking a warm bath that isn’t too hot. This can be wonderfully relaxing, especially if you add aromatherapy oil for that added extra touch of calm inducing bliss.
A natural cure for insomnia is to sleep in an environment that encourages restful sleep. Your bedroom should be cool, dark and quiet. Make sure that the curtains are closed so that you aren’t woken up before you have to get up the next morning. Curtains can help keep out some of the light and noise from making its way into the bedroom.
Simply wear what you feel comfortable in and you shouldn’t have a TV in your bedroom if you want to get a good night’s sleep, although most people have one. Make sure that once your bedtime comes, you turn it off and go to sleep without noise and distraction.
Consider buying a new mattress if yours is uncomfortable, old or lumpy. There is a vast range to choose from. If you have a neck or back problem, you are now being catered for, but shop around and find a mattress that you feel comfortable lying on.
Go to bed at a set time each night and get up at the same time each morning. Disrupting this schedule may lead to insomnia. "Sleeping in" on weekends also makes it harder to wake up early on Monday morning because it re-sets your sleep cycles for a later awakening.
If you wish to consider a natural remedy rather than an over the counter prescription than aromatherapy is a suggestion to think about. Adding a few drops of essential oils to your bathwater, using aromatherapy massage oil, or sleeping with a pillow filled with relaxing herbs are methods that have worked for many others. Scented candles in your bedroom can also be very relaxing. Try Lavender, Chamomile or Ylang Ylang.
Meditation and visualisation are means of diffusing anxiety and tension, as well as learning deep relaxation exercises. Consider these strategies if getting to sleep is an issue. Visiting a herbal specialist may help. Keep a sleep diary to identify specific problem areas. Here you should note the time you go to bed; when you wake up; how long it takes you to fall asleep; if you wake early; and the time you spend napping during the day. If you plot out this information in a sleep diary for a couple of weeks, you may discover patterns and the reasons for poor sleeping or insomnia. Consult http://www.sleep-aid-tips.com for more help.
Following these tips may help you realise that lovely dream of actually leaping refreshed and positive out of your bed tomorrow morning!
