Good sleep” for nearly all of us means 8-9 hours of unbroken sleep. Of course, due to lifestyles (and children), this is not always possible. Here are a few tips to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep.
Turn off all lights.
Have the room as dark as possible: lined or black out curtains.
Turn off (and ideally unplug) all electrical devices, including standby lights.
No phones, computers or TV in the bedroom.
Avoid “blue light” from screens for at least 30 minutes before sleep.
Read fiction - gets you ready for dreaming.
Avoid anything sugary or milky within 2 hours of going to bed. Whilst this may help you get off to sleep, it can wake you up later on by disturbing your blood sugar.
Take time to wind down: read, relax, stretch.
Limit alcohol to a maximum of 1 small glass. Many people notice a significant difference in their energy levels the following morning by cutting out alcohol all together. Switch to herbal teas including ingredients such as cinnamon, passionflower and valerian.
Write a grateful list: everyone and everything you are grateful for: good things that have happened that day.
Consider supplements to help promote relaxation and support your adrenal glands: I use a magnesium drink which also includes tryptophan. People who struggle to sleep are often deficient in tryptophan.
