Probably the most underrated wonder drug is available to us all for free.
Improving sleep quantity and quality can have a massive impact on your overall health. Whilst its worth noting if you are consistently sleeping over 10 hours a night and still feeling unrested then it can be a sign of some underlying issues and I would highly recommend seeking help from a medical professional.
Whilst too much sleep might be an indication of poor health too little can be catastrophic for your physical and mental health. So much of our bodies ability to recover is linked to good quality sleep that not enough can impact everything from growing and repairing muscles to remembering new things you have learned. It is very likely that increasing the quality and quantity of your sleep will result in more energy, better temperament, a sharper mind, lower body fat % and potentially weight loss.
With so many upsides of sleep it is crazy how little some of us get each night. In sleep studies 4 hours of sleep is considered horrific sleep deprivation. Driving whilst sleep deprived causes 1000’s of deaths each year. The downsides of not enough sleep are bad and the ability for good sleep to impact us in a positive way is far reaching.
What can be done to improve sleep? Here are 5 of the top tips to improve your sleep:
1) Make your bedroom pitch black. Use black out blinds and/or black out curtains. Tape all LED lights in the room.
2) Stop looking at screens for at least 30mins before sleep. If you choose to watch screens after dinner use blue light filtering glasses or select this mode if available on your device. Blue light alters your body’s ability to produce melatonin which is a key element of the sleep process.
3) Ensure you have enough magnesium in your diet. Either through plenty of fish or supplementation. I use ZMA before bed as zinc is also a mineral, we are often deficient in. I really find this helps me sleep deeper!
4) Have a hot shower or bath before bed. As we get out our core temperature falls which helps get our bodies ready for sleep.
5) Charge your mobile phone in another room. Buy a battery-operated alarm clock which is usually blank. I must tap the top of mine for it to flash up the time. This way it keeps the room dark but ensures I wake up on time each morning.
Challenge: Implement one of the suggested changes above for the next 7 days and see if your sleep improves!