Why we need sleep? here are 9 easy ways to get a more restful night
Why we need to sleep!
We have all been there, difficulty falling asleep, thoughts racing through our minds and constant tossing and turning. Perhaps waking up in the early hours of the morning with a head full of ideas which are ready to take on the world leaving us with puffy eyes, a less tolerant mood and without energy or vitality.
We know that high-quality sleep is vital for rest, repair and healing of the body and while the body appears to be inactive from the outside, sleep is a time when the body is in fact, very busy!
During the night we restock our supply of hormones, repair damaged tissue, process significant toxins, generate white blood cells for immunity, eliminate the effects of stress and process heavy emotions.
Unfortunately, we have an epidemic of poor sleep which can impair our motivation and impact the way our body behaves then next day.
How do we fall asleep?
Here’s the technical part….within our brain we have a small lobe known as the pineal gland. Following our circadian rhythm, the pineal gland secretes the neurotransmitter and hormone, melatonin.
Melatonin supresses the activity of other transmitters to help calm and sooth the brain, in preparation for a long and deep sleep.
As we become more relaxed, the brain begins to turn off our voluntary skeletal muscle functions so we don’t move around too much in order for our body to shut down whilst asleep.
In order for us to feel relaxed and ready for sleep, melatonin needs to be steadily rising and the hormone cortisol, should be rock bottom.
But here’s the thing….
These hormones are reactive to light and darkness. If it is too light, melatonin production is impaired and if it is too noisy, cortisol levels will remain high.
So how does our lifestyle patterns affect this balance?
With a routine of late-night TV use, mobile phone use, video games, emails, social media right up until the minute we go to sleep we are beaming unnatural light into our vision.
This exposure to late night light messes with the circadian rhythm and makes our brain confused about whether it is day time or night time.
Also, if we watch violent TV shows or decide to read emails that are stressful, this will exacerbate the struggle to get a restful night’s sleep by increasing cortisol, just before bedtime – this is a perfect recipe for a bad night’s sleep!
How can we improve our sleep?
The first thing we need to do is begin working on our sleep hygiene techniques. This is our bedtime routine that promotes a more calmer and quieter evening habits to help us feel rested and ready for sleep.
It takes discipline – but these do work;
1. Choose more calming and quieter evening activities that resonate with you to help you to relax (eg reading a book, taking a bath, a small walk outside or cudling your pet!)
2. Turn off your full-spectrum lights for a full 1-2 hours before bedtime – yes, this means no emails, TV, phone apps – this will give you the chance to discover new, fun activities.
3. Avoid brain stimulation – forget trying to sort your finances out, planning next days meals or having stressful conversations before bedtime – this won’t help your cortisol levels!
4. Lay off the caffeinated drinks – make your last one by 2pm. This includes tea, coffee, fizzy drinks, chocolate, even green tea!
5. Set your room, make it quiet or use ear plus or if it suits you, a fan to create white noise. Keep the temperature cool, if it is too hot, it’ll wake you from your slumber and stick to cotton bedding that is cool and comfortable.
6. Breathe – yes, a simple concept! Shallow breathing will impair your ability to relax so try deep breathing through your nose but making sure they are deep breaths in AND out to down regulate your fight or flight nervous system.
7. Avoid eating too close to bedtime – at least 3 hours before bedtime will help keep your heart rate down. If you go to sleep with a belly full of food, your body will be working overtime in order to digest it and lets face it – there are more important jobs happening during sleep.
8. Create a relaxing night time ritual – herbal teas such as camomile, tulsi or valerian work well. A nice relaxing Epsom salt bath can help or journaling or inspirational reading .
9. Be comfortable – you spend 1/3 of your life in bed, choose a good mattress and pillow and bedding that feels comfortable to you for a long restful sleep.
What else might be at play here?
Certainly other sleep disorders might be at play such as;
- Deep rooted insomnia
- Sleep apnoea
- Restless leg syndrome
Stress can also affect our sleep pattern as can natural stages of life such as menopause (hot flashes) or as we age but also snoring which can cause restlessness and affect the quality of sleep.
How does Nutrition support a healthy sleep?
Diet and nutrition can influence the quality of sleep, especially those that are high in sugar and lacking in adequate protein and essential fats. Healthier eating habits will encourage healthier sleeping patterns and without rest, sustainable healing in the body is nearly impossible.
Plus it can be challenging for any of us to consider lifestyle change when we are exhausted, especially chronically, due to poor sleep.
Want to know more about how you can adjust your eating habits to support a healthy sleep to support your energy, weight and a balanced immune system?
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