Top 10 tips for better sleep and better health

Are you dealing with children waking in the night, insomnia, shift work, a stressful job, or simply enjoying those quiet hours when you are the only one still awake at home? Are you dreaming of consistently getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night, but rarely manage to get yourself to bed early enough? If so, you are probably aware of the side effects of erratic or insufficient sleep.

Personally, sleep has always been a battle for me starting from childhood (can we say “night terrors”) and I am not one to sleep 10 hours even if given the chance for a “lie in”. My mind is always working, I often get a burst of mental energy around 10pm, and I mostly settle in for 6 hours sleep on average.

Over time we can get used to sleep deprivation, but most of us suffer greatly with side effects during daylight hours (me? – I get super cranky even with a quick “I wet the bed” or “I need a cuddle” wake up!). Apart from night wakings which are beyond our control most of us can attempt to improve our sleep habits and routines.

If you have a goal this year to achieve better health like I do, start with the basics – better sleep. When we achieve a solid sleep routine the benefits carry over into other health and wellness areas. With better sleep comes better decision making, reactions, energy to achieve goals in all areas, attitude and the way we interact with others (less snapping, more patience!) and so on.

Here are my top 10 tips to help you get there – most of which can apply to your whole family.

Drink right for better sleep

• Avoid caffeine later in the day if it affects you – know your body. This really varies for people so if you currently drink a coffee in the afternoon or eat large amounts of chocolate AND have trouble sleeping, experiment with moving your cut off time.
• Drinks that can aid sleep are herbal teas like Chamomile or a special “sleepy time” blend, or warm milk with some honey and/or nutmeg in it.

Eat right for better sleep

Certain foods can help with sleep as they release tryptophan, an amino acid known for helping you relax and sleep better. A small evening snack that includes these foods can go a long way to helping you sleep better.

Exercise regularly and reap the benefits at bedtime

• Use up your energy – similar to taking our kids to the park to run them ragged for better sleep later on, apply this to yourself. Move your body more!
• Lower stress – Exercise is a fantastic way to get a clear head, blow off steam or work out any stress stored in your body. All lead to a more relaxed mind and body come bedtime and an easier time falling asleep.

Have a routine

Going to bed at 1am for two nights, then making up for it with 10pm bedtimes, followed by a few 11pm nights may work for some, but most people will see an improvement with a consistent bedtime. Set a reasonable bedtime based on your sleep needs and stick to it.

• You can set an alarm 15-30 minutes before your desired bed time to trigger you to finish up what you are doing and get ready.
• Ask your partner to remind you to head to bed.
• Have a nightly ritual / routine that signals a transitions to get ready for bed

Transition between your active day and sleep

If possible, skip the laptop, smartphone and TV immediately before sleep. Read (a book not on a screen) for a short while, listen to some music or guided meditation, or have a shower.

Use aromatherapy for a non-medicated sleep aid

• Burn an aromatherapy candle or oil while you read/transition and ensure it is blown out before you go to sleep. Some great scents to try include lavender, mandarin, jasmine and bergamot.
• Use a sleep balm – my personal miracle balm that I have used for years is “Badger sleep balm” which has lavender and bergamot and is organic. I also use the kids version on my children when they have had very unsettled periods or travel that requires sleeping in new places.
• Room and linen sprays are also very effective and inexpensive.

Use a notebook or journal to do a “brain dump”

Jot down any tasks that suddenly come to you, anything that is stressing you out or ideas you want to explore. Putting it down on paper lets you tell yourself you have it covered and it will be looked at tomorrow.

I tend to get my best ideas and remember things suddenly just as I reach that relaxed state between wake and sleep so find it important to keep this handy on my bedside table.

Use distraction to tame an overactive mind

• Leave classical music playing in the background.
• Use a sound machine or download MP3 tracks of sounds like ocean waves, rain or white noise. I have used these machines for myself and my children for more than 15 years and they work amazingly well inducing sleep fast.

Use earplugs to drown out noises that interrupt your sleep

• This is effective to block out a partner who snores or has a different schedule to your own.
• This is also great for when sharing your room with a child or a baby monitor on hand. My doctor recommended this to me during that stage when the baby makes a lot of noise in the night, but does not actually need us. You can still hear them if they cry, but muffles the movement and cooing sounds while they resettle.
• Critical for those of us in Queensland with no daylight savings and birds that wake us up pre-dawn!

Block out light as best you can 

Whether it is light from sunrise, a partner reading by lamp light or just difficulty sleeping without total darkness you can try:

• Thick curtains
• Eye / sleep mask
• Block out shades

 

Do you have a tip or sleep aid to share? 

 

Find your simple,

Deb

 

Image credit: Sleep by flickr user Sean MacEntee