Do you have a Sleep Routine? Are you getting 8 hours? Or are you having troubles sleeping?
We can spend all the time in the world eating well, exercising, thinking positive, practicing yoga, meditating but if we are not getting at least 8 hours of sleep then all of our hard work comes unstuck as getting enough sleep is key.
Sleep experts recommend that as adults we need 8 hours a night, however some people are a little bit different and can function on 7 to 6 hours sleep.
If you are waking up feeling tired, irritable, moody, exhausted the chances are you are not getting enough sleep. Weight loss experts suggest that if you are carrying excess weight on your stomach it can be from not getting enough sleep as the brain needs sleep in order to repair, restore and to re-balance the chemicals in the brain and as the health of the brain is so important without adequate rest and sleep it can affect so many things when it comes to our health and wellbeing. Sleep is needed also to lower your stress levels and for your brain and body to repair getting enough sleep is not a luxury it is vital to your health and wellbeing.
According to sleep experts stress is the number one trigger and that if you are having a hard time financially, at work, in your business, relationship, family or coping with the loss of a loved one, or a serious illness with a loved one all of this stress can trigger a bad’s night sleep. Also, Drinking alcohol or beverages containing caffeine in the afternoon or evening, exercising close to bedtime, smoking before bed, or having an irregular bedtime and wakeup time can contribute to sleeping problems and having a bad nights sleep.
When it comes to your own health and wellbeing the most important thing is sleep and getting a good nights sleep. If you don’t have a bedtime routine then that is the first thing you need to do. You might think that Bedtime Routine’s are only for kids but it’s also for adults too as we get older we just trick ourselves thinking we can do what we want when we want after work and that it’s our time and that we don’t need to get 8 hours sleep because the world has changed and social media is here but one thing that will never change is that we need or sleep.
The first step to creating a bedtime routine is by understanding that you are not a machine and that you need your sleep. Just because the world is now connected via smart phones 24/7 and via social media doesn’t mean you don’t need your sleep. Accept that it’s ok to go to bed early and to turn off the lights at 8.30pm or 9.30pm the more you get into a healthy bedtime routine the better you will feel and if you have been struggling feeling moody, a bit up and down, irritable, exhausted, lethargic and just not feeling your usual self than looking at your sleep patterns and if you are getting enough sleep is the first thing you must do before anything else.
You might be eating well, exercising regularly, but if you are not sleeping well or getting enough sleep it really counteracts all the great things you are doing through the day and night because sleep is needed for your brain to repair, restore and renew it’s the time when the chemicals in your brain are rebalancing and without adequate sleep if your brain is now resting, repairing it can lead to serious health issues.
So what can you do if you’re having a hard time going to sleep?
The first thing is don’t stress about that you can’t get to sleep as that is only going to make you even more anxious and harder to go to sleep.
Put a plan in place work out in order to get 8 hours sleep when must you go to bed and when must you wake up.
From there work backwards so you can get everything done prior, dinner, lunches for the next day, your to-do list for the next day, make any phone calls if they are necessary early evening don’t leave it till 8.30pm or 9.30pm to starting talking to people or to be looking at your social media facebook news updates because you didn’t have time to do it at work as all of this just keeps you up and wired and wide awake.
If you are finding it hard to sleep try a couple of these things:
- Meditate—breathe in and out 20 times or try a guided meditation for sleep
- Do some stretching in your bed or before bed just to lose up if you are feeling all tense and stressed out
- Power down – and switch off all screens – two hours before bed.
- Do something that mellows you out. Like a nice warm bath, or shower, listening to relaxation music, yoga for sleep,
a guided meditation for sleep, a heat pack on your aching neck, reading a feel good book. - Get rid of any anxiety with a few mists of a lavender spray, or squirts of Rescue Remedy Sleep Spray.
- Make a to-do and to-don’t list for the next day, to help get things out of your head.
- Create your bedroom that is a calm place to rest and sleep, make sure your bedsheets are clean, your pillow is comfortable, if you bed gives you a bad back consider getting a new one, minimise the noise in your bedroom, take out the tv you don’t need it, make sure your bedroom is clean, and feels good, turn the lights down, make it dark use block out blinds if you need to, check the temperature is just right you don’t want to be waking up in the middle of the night freezing because you don’t have enough blankets on your bed. Have a shower, brush your teeth, put your pyjamas on, turn your phone on to silent, or flight mode, and then get to bed, tuck yourself in close your eyes, take a big deep breath and go to sleep.
Try your Best for Put SLEEP and your BEDTIME ROUTINE AND YOUR OWN HEALTH AND SELF BEFORE EVERYTHING ELSE the chances are you will naturally start waking up in the morning so you will have plenty of time then to check your social media feeds or to send a facebook message to the people you love. What would you rather a good nights sleep? to push yourself through the next day feeling tired, cranky, exhausted? The choice is your’s.
@SPAitgirl