Tips and hacks for better sleep

Do you often find yourself tossing and turning in bed all night?

And sometimes even when you know you’ve got something important the next day and need to get to sleep ASAP.

But you just can’t get your brain to shut down..

Here, you’ll learn about tips and hacks to improve your sleep, beat insomnia and get some well deserved rest.

Insomnia is difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, even when a person has the chance to do so. If you’ve insomnia, you’re probably dissatisfied with your sleep and usually experience some of the following:

• fatigue, tiredness
• low energy
• difficulty concentrating
• mood disturbances
• decreased performance at work or school

There are many different reasons which might be causing you insomnia. Common ones are stress, anxiety, biological (i.e. hormone imbalance), environmental (i.e. disruption to your body’s circadian rhythm), caffeine, medication, poor sleeping habits, etc.

We spend averagely 1/3 of our lives sleeping. And there are good reasons for it! Sleep provides an opportunity for your body to repair and rejuvenate itself. It plays a critical role in your immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions.

So much so that lack of sleep could cause:

• weakened immune system (your body is less able to fight off pathogens)
• obesity. Studies have shown that poor sleep result in changes to your appetite and food intake.
• more inflammation in your body. Inflammation is the root of many modern diseases.
• and much more!

During the day..

• Expose yourself to outside light for at least 30 minutes. This helps to regulate your body’s master clock and circadian rhythm.

• Try not to nap after 3pm and keep your naps to 20 minutes or less.

• As much as you love coffee, stop drinking them after 4pm.

In the evening..

• Cut out or at least reduce exposure to glowing screens. Blue light in the evening tricks your brain into thinking that it is daytime. This inhibits the production of melatonin. Which then reduces both the quantity and quality of your sleep.
  If you absolutely have to use them, do consider setting the brightness to the lowest.

• Wind down 2 hours before your sleep. Relax and maybe do some deep breathing exercises.

• Take a short warm shower before hitting the sack. When you come out of a warm shower into a cooler bedroom, your body temperature will drop. That signals your body that it’s time to rest, slowing down essential metabolic functions including heart rate, breathing, and digestion.

How about your environment?

• Sleep in a pitch dark room. Make it as dark as possible. Block out all the light sources you can. Either by using blackout curtains, black fabric or black electrical tapes.

• Keep your room (temperature) cool. Research suggests that a cool room of about 18°C makes for the best sleep.
  Cool tip: use your feet to regulate your body temperature
  > If cold, wear a pair of socks
  > If warm, stick your feet out of the blanket

• If you sleep with your phone nearby, put it on airplane mode to avoid EMFs. These can disrupt your sleep and prevent you from getting a good night’s rest.

You could also take these to help with sleep:

• GABA – is a neuro-inhibitory transmitter. Helps to relax and calm you down.

• Magnesium supplements – the relaxation mineral. Some of the best forms to take are malate, citrate, aspartate, and others. Avoid oxide form as absorption is poor.

• Chamomile tea – calming, warm cup of tea to help you fall asleep.

• Valerian – has been used as sedative and anti-anxiety for more than 2000 years. Might leave you groggy in the morning.

• Melatonin – natural hormone that helps regulate your circadian rhythm. Studies show that melatonin not only helps some people fall asleep, but also enhances the quality of sleep.