A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for your health and is in fact, just as important as eating healthy and exercising. Unfortunately, our modern fast-paced world is interfering with natural sleep patterns, and people are now sleeping less than they ever did, causing ill health in many individuals. Poor sleep includes shortened sleep time or a sleep pattern that is interrupted. Shift workers will also experience many symptoms of ill health including repeated colds/flu, fatigue and brain fog. Some examples of how poor sleep can affect your well-being include;

• Weight gain (fat burning happens between 2-4am, and disruption at this time can inhibit deep, restorative, hormone production, fat burning processes). Motivation to exercise, energy levels and hormone balance all play a part in how much you move and what you decide to eat.
• Appetite (poor sleep leaves the body craving calories, often carbs, as a way of fuelling the body and keeping energy levels up, leading to weight gain or poor dietary habits which can affect other body symptoms such as digestion or nutrient deficiencies).
• Brain Health (poor sleep affects cognition, concentration, productivity, and performance. Some sleep researchers showed that impaired sleep impairs brain function as much as alcohol intoxication, while good sleep has shown improvement in problem solving skills).
• Increased risk of Heart Disease (a review of 15 studies identified that people who consistently do not receive 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night, are at greater risk of heart disease).
• Glucose Metabolism and Diabetes risk (Poor sleep habits are strongly linked to adverse effects on blood sugar in the general population and those sleeping less than six hours per night have repeatedly been shown to be at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes).
• Poor Mental Health and Mood (It has been estimated that 90% of people with depression also have sleep quality issues. This affects daily moods, self-worth and can even affect relationships with friends, family, and partners).
• Impaired Immune function (Research has been suggestive of a higher risk of cold/flu instances in those with poor sleep quality than those with good sleep).
• Increased Inflammation (Poor sleep quality impairs the body’s ability to repair tissue that has been damaged throughout the day, leading to higher incidences of inflammation and cell damage).

So now we know how our health can be negatively affected by poor sleep, how can we correct it?

How can we improve our sleep?

Getting a good night’s sleep can be difficult, especially when there are many life stresses and worries that can circle through the mind at night. It is important to review your lifestyle to ensure you are not exacerbating the problem with some of your lifestyle habits;

• Reduce all blue light exposure 1-2 hours before bed. This includes all electronic devices and TV’s, as the blue light inhibits the production of Melatonin (sleep hormone).
• Lower the lighting in the room 2 hours before bed. Bright lights will also inhibit the production of Melatonin.
• No food or drinks (besides water) 2 hours before bed. Food and drink consumption require digestion to occur, taking resources away from repair and fat metabolism. High glucose levels are generally used for energy production, which is not what you are aiming for when trying to go to sleep. Drinking too much water may also interfere with your sleep and require you to use the bathroom throughout the night.
• Cool down the bedroom. Ensure the room is at a comfortable temperature for your body to curl up and sleep. Remember that the body will naturally cool down while sleeping, so you do not want the room too cold. For older women who are in menopause, you may want your room cooler than others.
• Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time, to reset your circadian rhythm (natural body clock), aiming for a total sleep time of 7-8 hours. Allowing some natural light to enter the bedroom will also aid in setting rising time.
• Use a Salt Lamp or Diffuser with essential oils to help purify the air and create a sense of calm and restfulness.
• No intensive exercise one hour before bedtime, as this can increase your heart rate and stress hormones, making it difficult for your body to relax and sleep.
• Keep electronic devices out of the bedroom or far away from your head. If you need to keep a mobile phone in the room as an alarm, turn it to “flight mode”. Keep alarm clocks away from your head also and move them to the other side of the room if possible.
• Turn off the household WIFI at night, when everyone goes to bed. Most routers have a switch to allow this, without the need to switch it off completely.
• Practice deep breathing and stretching before turning over to sleep. This helps calm the mind and turn off the “stress response” for the day. When the stress response is on, sleep hormone production is inhibited.
• Reduce alcohol consumption to only one standard drink 3-4 times per week and always 3 – 4 hours before bed. Alcohol is processed by the liver almost immediately, as the body considers ethanol a toxin that is very harmful. Drinking to excess will put additional pressure on the liver and take resources away from healing and detoxification.
• Eat a wholefood diet, rich in a variety of fresh vegetables and plant-based proteins. Keep animal protein consumption lower, aiming for a higher percentage of plant based proteins such as Nuts & Seeds, Beans & legumes, Quinoa, Chia seeds, organic Tofu & Tempeh.
• Magnesium full body bath or food bath. Magnesium is a mineral that is often highly utilised in times of stress and is well known for improving muscle health (including the heart), energy production and relaxation. Used in over 300 different biochemical processes, deficiencies are very common. A bath using magnesium salts (or Epson salts) will provide you with an opportunity to relax and the magnesium will be absorbed into your body via the skin. Magnesium oils can also be rubbed onto the skin if you don’t have time for a bath.
• Address you Emotional Health. Everyone will have life experiences that will cause a lot of stress, and these are not always avoidable. However, how you react and respond to the stress can be improved, and can make a significant difference. Seeing an emotional health coach, life coach, counsellor or psychologist, can help you to share your problems and worries, and provide you with techniques and coping mechanisms.
• Use supplementation short term. Natural forms of Melatonin, relaxation herbs, aromatherapy or homeopathic remedies can be very helpful for inducing relaxation, calm and sleep. They can sometimes be a good short-term aid when facing major stressful events or trauma, especially when all other techniques fail to result in restful sleep or if you are a shift worker. They can help the body form a routine and adjust your circadian rhythm (natural sleep rhythm).
• Address nutrient deficiencies, especially magnesium and vitamin D, which are often depleted or low in those individuals with chronic insomnia.

Other healthy sleep practices include morning exercise, allowing the eyes to have direct sunlight in the morning, which will stop melatonin production and start processes to help you to get moving. If possible, do not use sunglasses until the late afternoon, when you want to keep sunlight to a minimum, allowing the body to start preparing for night-time hormone production.

Remain active throughout the day and avoid napping during the day or falling asleep in front of the television. Read a book and keep lights low.

Meditation and visualisation is an excellent way to turn your mind off, release the stress of what you cannot control and prepare the body for sleep. If you are new to these practices, try using an App such as “The Smiling Mind” to assist you.

Practicing mindfulness and gratitude is also a healthy daily practice, allowing your mind to focus on something else and the positive things you have in your life. You may wish to start by identifying three positive things that you did or experienced today.

Good sleep IS POSSIBLE, when the body is given the right environment. Don’t give up, keep trying and tweaking your environment, lifestyle and diet, and seek help from a professional. It may be the MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU EVER DO FOR YOUR HEALTH!