Healthy sleeping habits can make a big difference in your quality of life. Over recent years we have come to understand how important good sleep is to our health and well-being.
Along with good nutrition and exercise, sleep is now recognised as one of the pillars of good health. A lack of sleep can have a major impact on concentration, memory, mood and quality of life.
When we are stressed-out, living with a million things on our mind, it just isn’t that easy to drop off to sleep. Below we outline 5 tips to get to sleep.
“Lack of sleep has been linked to many health issues, including high blood pressure, lowered cortisol levels and unsurprisingly, fatigue and concentration. Conversely, good sleep is known to improve concentration and the body’s ability to handle inflammation.” [1]
So what can you do about it?
1. Get a good pillow and mattress (ask your Chiropractor about being fitted for a pillow).
2. Having a bedtime routine that signals to your brain that it is time to wind down and get ready for sleep.
3. Making sure you don’t take work or activity into the bedroom. This means that your mental association with your bedroom is rest and intimacy.
4. Setting your body clock by waking up at the same time every day and going to bed at the same time every night.
5. Avoid caffeine and other drugs that may inhibit sleep. Follow the above recommendations to catch a good night’s sleep.
1. Staff Writer, (2014), “Information About Sleep,” National Institute of Health, http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih3/sleep/guide/info-sleep.htm, retrieved 2 February 2014
2. Stickgold, R., Malia, A., Fosse, R., Propper, R., & Hobson, J. A. (2001). Brain-mind states: I. Longitudinal field study of sleep/wake factors influencing mentation report length. Sleep, 24(2), 171-179.