To feel well, think well, look well and live well…you have to be able to sleep well. The quality of your zzzzzz underpin your wellbeing. Sleep literally gives you super-powers.
We know how to recharge our phones. So, it’s about time we learnt how to recharge ourselves. Sleep is also a free rejuvenation tool. And if that isn’t enough to convince you to get a good night of sleep on-the-daily… then perhaps this alarming fact will: Not enough sleep can age you rapidly.
Without enough deep sleep, you compromise your immunity and learning capacity too. If you’re sleep-deprived, your ability to hold onto new memories feels tricky. You can also walk through life in “slow-mo” and feeling “fuzzy-brained”. Actually, you can’t even think“well” in a sleep-deprived mode.
Here are four sleep tips below that I back and use myself. Sleep is so important to our wellbeing that I feature a whole chapter on it in my book Balance: Food, Health + Happiness. I take this subject of sleeping super seriously and share a lot of sleep ideas, research and tips. I personally try to be like sleeping-beauty; I advise you todo the same.
Four Top Sleep Tips
1. Aim to get to bed at the same time each night. Regularity is everything. Try to get 7.5hours- 8hours sleep minimum every night. This is what most adults need to function at their best and you can’t cheat it. Kids need even more sleep by the way. Make sure you are in bed ahead of this time so you can wind down and bliss out. I have a cut-off time I have to be in bed by – it’s 10pm. I stick to that time like glue so I can rise early and be productive in my work the next day. A lot of people ask me how I balance a family, running a wellness business, writing work, and so much charity stuff… I tell them that sleeping really is my secret weapon!
2. Take 5-10-minutes to do some restorative yoga stretches before bed. Try legs-up-the-wall yoga pose, or child’s yoga pose. These stretches ease tension.They're even more effective when paired with diaphragmatic breathing (deep belly breaths) which calms your nervous system
3. Take time for a bath, sauna or spa close to bed-time to help you unwind. I add soapy bubbles to my bath too for that fun, indulgent factor. The kids know that when I lock the bathroom door at night, they can't chat to me during this sacred and peaceful“me-time”.
4. Try a magnesium-based supplement before diving under the bed covers to help you better access that state of “calm”. me | today has a Goodnight supplement that I’ve tried first-hand and can recommend.