Sleep Hygiene

We all know that sleep is important for our health, but that doesn’t always mean we get a great night’s sleep every night or wake refreshed.

Sleep hygiene doesn’t mean making sure that our sleep is hygienic, instead it represents the routine and habits before bedtime, which have profound and beneficial effects on our sleep quality.

Our sleep is regulated by a sleep-wake cycle, our internal clock known as our circadian rhythm. This tells us when we are tired and need to go to sleep and when we have finished resting and need to wake up. Lots of things in our life can interrupt this cycle and cause an imbalance. Stress, electronics, coffee, and even exercise.

By implementing a sleep hygiene routine and getting a good night sleep, you can:

• Fall asleep quicker

• Wake less often through the night

• Improve the quality of sleep during the night

• Wake more refreshed

• Reset your circadian rhythm

• Even improve your sensitivity to pain

• Improve concentration and productivity

• Have a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and conditions

• Improve glucose metabolism

• Improve immune function

• Improve emotional and mental ability to cope

• And lastly – improved mood

So, what can you do to improve your sleep hygiene?

• Turn off all white and bright lights and switch to warm, yellow bulb lighting one hour before bed – the darkness assists with the conversion of serotonin to melatonin, an important neurotransmitter for sleep maintenance.

• Put your phone and laptop away one hour before bed. If possible, change the settings to a yellow light during the evening to reduce the blue light exposure prior to bed. The blue light can trick our mind into thinking it is still sunlight hours and reduce the conversion of sleep neurotransmitters.

• Go to sleep at the same time each night.

• Wake at the same time each day.

• Spend 5 minutes in the morning light on waking – this will assist with serotonin production, an important neurotransmitter that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.

• Go for a walk daily or implement an exercise regime – ideally, exercise between waking to afternoon times, exercise stimulates endorphins and blood flow which is an excitatory activity. Keeping this away from sleep time will promote calm and assist in improving sleep quality.

Implementing these small things on a regular basis can form habits, that, in the long term, will improve not only your sleep but your overall health.

What will you start implementing this evening to help your health?

Yours in harmony and health,

Rachael xx