Getting enough sleep is of paramount importance for our overall health. You need sleep to function: mentally, physically, emotionally, biologically... Every cell in our body feels the impact of the hours we do or do not get each night.
How does lack of sleep affect our health? Let us count the ways.
A few hours less than usual that will impact your day to day activity:
Mood fluctuations
Inability to concentrate
Inability to remember details or tasks
Fluctuations in blood sugar levels, meaning you'll be relying on caffeine or sugary treats to see you through the day
Hormone imbalances
Dark circles caused by the a build up of fluid below your eyes, leading to swelling and the appearance of bruising. A compromised immune system. People who sleep less than 7 hours per night are 3 times more likely to develop a cold than those who sleep 8 hours or more – this is a result from a two week long study, so imagine how damaging it is long term.
Strained relationships caused by your bad mood, inability to perform well, unwillingness to socialise and lack of communication.
Speaking of long term, these are complications that you may not consider now, but may hurt later on: Inability to make decisions which may be small day to day, but problematic if your judgement is clouded facing bigger issues
Weakened memory and memory loss Prolonged anxiety Depression Raised blood pressure Slower metabolism Damages natural abilities for cells to regenerate which can lead to more serious illness
ENOUGH OF THE NEGATIVES. What can you GAIN from better sleep?
SHARPER BRAIN – get more from your working and your learning. You will be able to really engage in what you’re focusing on and will thrive in what you set your mind to doing. Then when you're asleep, the brain works to consolidate and retain the experiences you had each day, even if you don’t acknowledge it as it happens.These hours are essential for strengthening and preserving your short term and long term memory too.
EMOTIONS will be stabilised - When you’re sleeping, not only does your brain rest and repair, but it also processes the emotions that you consciously and unconsciously feel. A good nights sleep also enables you to “close” the previous day and any negativity it may have had, enabling a refreshed attitude and energy for the next day.
EMOTIONAL CAPACITY – your ability to love, to feel joy, to open up and to feel the extraordinary is amplified as you gain stability and confidence in your feelings.
BETTER CONNECTIONS - You will be able to connect to yourself and to others with ease and with confidence that you are at the best you can be. Your SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE is maximised and relationships will feel more defined.
ENDURANCE – boost your performance in business and in pleasure. All the muscles, cells and chemical processes that go on in your body will be balanced, clarified and strengthened as a result of better sleeping, meaning more energy and ability for you to work and play.
BALANCE – better sleep brings balance to your body and mind. Sleep naturally synthesises hormones, checks the chemical balances in your body, contributes to a natural healthy appetite, checks your natural body clock and strengthened organs.
IMMUNITY - Every. Single. Cell: Repairs, regenerates, and recovers.
SLEEP AIDS
RITUALS
Create a night time ritual and do it so often that it becomes habitual. By doing the same thing before bed each night will begin to act as a signal to your body and mind it will begin to associate the ritual with relaxation and the anticipation of sleep.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: establish a bedtime and use it as a time-out zone. Disconnect with the outside world and even the rest of the house. Take time to reconnect before you reset as you sleep.
Don’t expect to fall asleep right away. Like a car needs time to brake before your stop, your body and mind needs time to slow down before it switches off. Be wise about your buffer time and plan ahead accordingly.
Show yourself some TLC as you wind down. Use essential oils or an indulgent lotion and massage it in for a few minutes. Really engage with your touch – how does it feel on your fingers, how does it feel in your muscles? TLC looks a bit different for everybody – find your niche and work with it.
Remove your worries: write them down and close the book. They are no-go topics or thoughts whilst your light is out.
NUTRITIONALS
Deficiencies in minerals and vitamins are just as important for your night time bodily functions as well as in the day. You have heard that spicy food or caffeine before bed will keep you up at night, but so will lack of omega 3s, magnesium, iron and zinc. Try to incorporate the following foods into your diet for a bit of extra help.
Salmon, Mackerel, Tuna = VITAMIN B6 and MELATONIN PRODUCTION, which helps regulate your sleep cycles and acts as a calming agent in the brain.
Wholegrains = MAGNESIUM, which works to calm your nervous system in readiness for sleep.
Turkey = high levels of TRYPTOPHAN, an essential amino acid that cannot be produced by the body. This is used to make serotonin and is a precursor to MELATONIN production. Again, this supports your body's natural body clock and sleep-wake cycles.
Fruits, especially cherries and bananas = Cherries are a natural source of melatonin and bananas are rich in vitamin B6, which supports melatonin production.
So a bowl containing wholegrain cereal, flax seeds, almond butter, almond milk and cherries is ideal, not just for breakfast but as a perfect combination for a pre-sleep snack.
ENVIRONMENT
Keep your bedroom quiet, cool and technology free. The bedroom is a place of S's: For sleep, for sex, for sanctuary.
Make your bed a bed you want to sleep in. Clean, fresh, and comfortable. Invest in good quality sheets, a weighted blanket, a heated blanket, a mattress topper… make it a place your body wants to go and spend 8 hours (minimum!) in.
PILLOW TALK
Silk pillow cases aren’t just for the aesthetic. There are a few surprising benefits of investing in a bit of shine. Because of its smooth texture, silk pillows are much softer on your skin and your hair as they don’t cause the same levels of friction that traditional bedding fabrics do as you move in your sleep. This means switching to silk may help minimise frizz and splitting ends, and keep a blow dry intact for a day longer. Silk is naturally less absorbent than cotton fabrics, meaning your serums and lotions actually stay on your skin and are more effective as a result. If you perspire whilst you sleep, switch to a silk pillowcase as the fabric is much lighter and keeps your naturally cool instead of trapping the heat. Look for fabrics with a high momme count. This measures the quality and durability of the silk, so a 25-momme will be a little more expensive than a 20, but a whole lot more luxurious too.
Products on my Radar:
SLIP Beauty Sleep Sets, How many masks is too many masks? Obsessed! Products from £50
Quay Australia Blue Light Glasses, These filtering glasses have lenses to help block out the HEV light emitted by digital screens, essential if you do find yourself still attached to your laptop late at night. Starting from £40.
The ritual of Jing Linseed Eye Pillow, Rituals, £14.90 Heat for 30 seconds in the microwave for bedtime serenity or keep in the fridge and use in the morning for a 10-minute invigoration to set you up for the day.
Cult Product: This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray (Lavender, Vetiver, Chamomile), from £16
Personal Favourite: The Ritual of Jing Pillow Mist (Sacred wood and lavender), £17.50
Other Products you may want to consider:
Meditation Pillows to use throughout the day to improve posture and at night to support your lower back or thighs as you sleep.
Full-body Pillows. You don't have to be pregnant or 80 to need a full body pillow. They are ideal for soothing pains or aches as you sleep due to the extra support and they are really comforting psychologically too.
FINAL WORD: A sleep tracker app is good to have to track how you sleep, but it isn’t going to help you sleep. The data they provide won’t give you answers to your slumber problems and are more likely to worsen your relationship with sleep as you become more conscious about your tracked hours.
Sweet Dreams. A x
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