It seems that a staggering amount of us are struggling to nod off with the NHS estimating that more than a third of us suffer from episodes of insomnia.
Sleeping well is as crucial to our health and wellbeing as exercising appropriately and good nutrition is. Yet it is something that we often take for granted until suddenly Snoozeville eludes us.
Numerous studies have shown there is a link between reduced sleep time and morbidity illnesses such as diabetes, stroke and heart disease. The Tokyo Medical University conducted a two year study that found that those who had trouble sleeping are twice as likely to suffer from depression. It has also been proved that sleep restriction leads to weight gain and the risk of obesity.
So how is it for you? Are you more ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ or ‘Sleeping Beauty’?
Do you have hundreds of white sheep traipsing through your mind in the pursuit of forty winks?
Perhaps you have trouble staying asleep?
Or possibly you have a recurring fight with that snooze button every morning?
Ok, so how much is enough? We would suggest that 7 hours is an optimal amount for most. Too little can be seriously harmful to the body and oddly the same appears to be true if you are having over nine hours each night.
When you are sleep deprived the hormones that affect appetite (leptin and ghrelin) are affected resulting in you wanting to eat more. Additionally the body will crave sweet and starchy foods which in combination with an increased appetite will result in weight gain. Being sleep deprived will also impair your body’s insulin sensitivity, allowing your blood sugar levels to get too high which is linked with Diabetes.
Another hormone that we can link with sleep and sleep deprivation is cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that your body releases and if you are emotionally or physically stressed your body will release more. If your cortisol levels are too high it can keep you from entering the land of nod, wake you frequently and can leave you waking unrefreshed. Here lies the problem that if you are not sleeping well, you will become stressed and you will release more; a vicious cycle. We can help you to understand how to break this cycle, chose appropriate exercise methods and the correct supplements.
We are here to help you feel refreshed, rejuvenated and able to function well throughout the day and equip you with the knowledge of the benefits and effects of sleep on your body….and if you have a skip in your stride; even better !
Top tips for banishing the sleep gremlins
- Hydrate yourself well throughout the day but aim to have no water for 2 hours before you ‘hit the sack’.
- No caffeine after 4pm with no more than 2 cups of coffee a day.
- Similar to coffee, smoking a cigarette will act as a stimulant which will also keep you awake – best avoided for numerous reasons.
- Avoid alcohol. As many as 7.9 million Britons have used alcohol to get them to sleep. Alcohol may help you to feel dozy but once you nod off you will often wake up a few hours later and not be able to fall back to sleep and certainly alcohol prevents you from entering the healing deeper stages of sleep.
- Regular bedtimes and wake-ups. Also try to avoid playing catch up; in other words try and spread your sleep evenly throughout the week.
- If you are struggling to fall to sleep and it is starting to frustrate you then it is better to get out of bed and read a book for example as it is better to not attach negative feelings to your sleep environment. For those who can stay relaxed whilst thinking positive thoughts it’s better to stay tucked up under the covers.
- Keep your room as quiet and dark as possible – consider installing blackout blinds and consider that even the tiny luminous rays from a digital alarm clock can disrupt your sleep cycles even if you are not fully woken as it causes a decline in a key sleep chemical.
- Cool as a cucumber…ever noticed feeling restless on a hot summer’s night? Scientists recommend a cooler bedroom as it mimics the body’s natural temperature drop that happens during sleep.
- Allowing time to wind down before bed; perhaps by taking a warm bath or reading. We can also improve our ‘sleep hygiene’ by keeping electrical devices such as laptops and TVs out of the bedroom. Avoid iPads etc for 2hours before hitting the sack. In fact experts say that one of the most alluring sleep distractions is the accessibility of the internet and our inability to switch off. Most screens emit blue light which interferes with sleep as it is the type of light we find outdoors during daytime hours. Any device should also be on airplane mode and not charging whilst you sleep.
- Resist the temptation to clock watch as it tends to make us more anxious.
- To reduce stress write what you are grateful for in a gratitude log and perhaps if you have things swimming around in your head that you have to tackle tomorrow; make a list so you can put those thoughts to bed, literally.
- Avoid sustained cardio work as it elevates cortisol levels and reduces magnesium but do increase resistance training.
- And finally…… insufficient stores of the mineral magnesium can pretty much guarantee that you will struggle to sleep so we highly recommend a supplement of Magnesium Bisglycinate as it helps lower cortisol levels that we know can affect your ability to get to sleep, stay asleep and feel rested.
If any of this rings a bell with you, contact the team at The DVCC to help turn you back into Sleeping Beauty.
