Snooze, sleep and snore your way to happy
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to help you stay fit, healthy, energized, and focused. Unfortunately, some of us are just pretty bad at it. How are you going to snooze, sleep, and snore your way to happy?
Why do we need sleep?
Having a regular 8 hours has been shown to improve concentration, learning abilities, muscle recovery, weight loss, reduce stress & inflammation, and keep your heart healthy. The Metro recently published an article highlighting that research has shown that just an extra hour in bed a night can reduce your calorie intake by 270kcals! Need we say more?
Your mind and your body need a chance to recover from whatever they have been subjected to during the day. If you don’t give yourself enough time to recharge your batteries, you’ll end up in a state of permanent exhaustion or burnout. You need to get some decent sleep so you can switch off and be ready to take on the next day.
What can you do to help you sleep?
If you’re having difficulties with sleep, try avoiding all electronical devices for at least 30 minutes before you go to bed to slow your brain down and relax your eyes. Try not to fall asleep in front of the TV, as your brain will be more active and it’s likely to disturb you later on. If you wake up during the night, resist the temptation to peak at your phone, as this will instantly get your brain buzzing.
You can also experiment with your room temperature, what PJs you’re wearing (or not), the amount of light in your room and levels of noise. Some of us react well to a very low level of noise in the background such as the hum of traffic or sounds of the sea. Others will need complete silence and should be reaching for the earplugs.
Your lifestyle will play a huge part in how good you are at sleeping. What you eat and drink will affect how you fall asleep and the quality of it. Although a couple of large glasses of wine might be just what you feel you need to relax fully and doze off, alcohol is a stimulant, and you are more likely to have a restless night. Heavy, rich food close to bedtime can cause digestive issues which will disturb your sleep. For those of us hitting middle-age or older, a big “no” is to drink large quantities of water, or any fluid, right before you snuggle up. Your bladder won’t thank you and a trip to the loo in the small hours is a major sleep issue for many.
All sorted?
There’s no single plan that fits all. But if you’re just not getting enough sleep because you’re burning the candle at both ends, it’s time to look at your habits and schedule in those all-important resting hours.
Written by Becky Barrett.
Becky Barrett is an international talent manager and personal fitness coach with over 15 years’ professional experience and a 1st class Honours degree in Business & Law.
Driven by her unique values of compassion and a holistic approach to talent management, Becky has devised an innovative solution to take on the fitness industry with a brand-new personal fitness concept that aims to inspire and boost ‘new normal’ approaches to exercise routines.
Features include: Health & Wellbeing, Natural Health, Arden University, The Telegraph, BBC, Time & Leisure, Bdaily News, The Stage.