With our hectic lifestyles, it’s not easy to get truly restful sleep. Yet, sleeping well is essential for our physical and mental well-being. So before rushing to sleeping pills and other medications, try out these few tips and you’ll want nothing more than to fall into the arms of Morpheus.
The results of the 2024 Global Sleep Survey conducted by the medical equipment company, ResMed, are unequivocal. Only 13% of the 36,000 people surveyed in 17 countries reported to have restful sleep every night. The rest only benefit from one to three full nights of sleep per week. Lack of sleep affects their mood and productivity as they report feeling depressed or irritable (39%), having difficulty concentrating during the day (30%), or excessive daytime sleepiness (50%).
Among the most common causes are anxiety and work-related concerns. Moreover, it seems that women are more affected by sleep disorders because they are more prone to stress. But our ultra-connected lifestyles and the presence of screens until bedtime are also to blame, as well as certain dietary habits. All of these bad behaviors prevent us from getting restful sleep, which is essential for our good health; lack of sleep results in a decrease in immune function.Here are 5 expert tips to sleep like a baby.
Establish a routine
Clinic director,Guy Meadows, co-founder of the Sleep School in London, insists that establishing a routine before going to bed helps synchronize your biological clock by indicating to the body that it’s time to relax. This includes going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, including weekends. There’s no need to sleep in on Sundays hoping to catch up on lost sleep. This will only disrupt our rhythm. And, as a reminder, it’s recommended to sleep between 7 and 8 hours per night to be fully functional.
This routine also involves creating an environment conducive to relaxation. In the bedroom, the lights should be dim, it shouldn’t be too hot (between 16° and 18° Celsius), and there shouldn’t be too much noise. To relax, you can spray a soothing scent on your pillow and even play some white noise in the background. These soothing and continuous sounds are known to promote falling asleep. It’s not for nothing that they are used to calm infants.
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Ban screens and stimulants
Whether it’s your phone, computer, iPad, or television screen, all these everyday devices emit blue light. However, being exposed to them until late in the evening prevents the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Disturbed by this brightness, the brain thinks that it’s still daylight and that it should stay awake.
To benefit from easy falling asleep and restful sleep, it’s advisable to abandon all our electronic gadgets at least an hour before bedtime. Instead, opt for reading, illuminated by soft light, or a calm activity like yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises.
Additionally, avoid consuming stimulants like coffee, alcohol, and nicotine in the evening. You should normally drink your last cup of tea or espresso 10 hours before bedtime. Afterwards, opt for relaxing herbal teas like verbena, chamomile, or lime blossom.
Improve your lifestyle
Too much sedentary behavior also prevents good sleep. Regular physical activity allows you to maintain good health and improve the quantity and quality of sleep. Along the same lines, think about having a light dinner. If you indulge in a heavy meal in the evening, digestion will require more effort from your body, which will be forced to raise its temperature which is contrary to what your body needs for restful sleep.
Take magnesium supplements
Try regularly taking magnesium supplements as well. This mineral helps the body relax and it’s one that we lack the most. In fact, we deplete it as soon as we stress. Magnesium also helps regulate the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), whose high levels are associated with insomnia and sleep disorders.
Invest in accessories
Depending on individual preferences, know that adding specific accessories can also promote sleep quality. We’re thinking in particular of weighted blankets. These promise therapeutic benefits thanks to their evenly distributed weight on the body. The pressure applied helps release any tensions and encourages relaxation. This then produces more serotonin, the happiness hormone, which is closely related to the secretion of melatonin.
Back pain is often the cause of sleep disturbances. After investing in an orthopedic mattress and pillow adapted to your needs, try using a leg pillow. Generally used by pregnant women, this accessory allows for a natural alignment of the body by ensuring a correct and anatomical position of the hips and pelvis when sleeping on the side. It also reduces tensions felt in the knees, legs, and back.
Test dedicated techniques
There are many methods designed to clear your mind, thus promoting restful sleep. Often, it’s our thoughts that prevent us from relaxing. Once in bed, you can divert your anxiety by doing a body scan. This trick involves mentally scanning yourself from head to toe, starting with the little toe and ending at the top of your head. You clear your mind by being aware of your body and the sensation of your muscles relaxing.
Another technique getting a lot of attenton is brain tapping. Also called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), it combines elements of Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and psychology. This involves tapping various parts of the body about ten times while repeating positive affirmations like “I am relaxed,” “I am falling asleep,” etc. You start at the top of the head, then move down between the eyebrows, to the temples, under the eyes, under the nose, and on the chin. You finish with the collarbones, chest, and underarms. Of course, you tap more and more gently to promote relaxation. While there’s no scientific evidence of its effectiveness, there’s no harm in trying.
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Among the most common techniques are breathing exercises, which have more advocates. The Sleep Foundation particularly recommends the 4-7-8 method. You inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, then exhale for eight seconds. This technique helps eliminate unwanted carbon dioxide hidden in our lungs and slows down our heart rate. Repeat until you fall peacefully asleep…
Picture (c) : Vogue
