Easy habits for getting the best ZZZ’s

Do you sometimes struggle to get a good night’s sleep?  These 6 tips may help…

1. Temperature regulation
Make sure the temperature of your room and bed feels just right. If you’re too cold, try taking a hot shower, using a hot water bottle or warmer bedding. If you’re too hot, try using a natural and more breathable material such as cotton or linen. Similarly, it may help to wear more loose-fitting pyjamas made of light natural fibres.

2. Avoid drinking liquids right before bedtime
Nothing is more annoying than waking up with a full bladder a few hours into the night and feeling too tired to go to the bathroom. The mental energy needed to process this frustrating dilemma is enough to throw our minds back into “alert mode”, thus disrupting our quality of sleep.

3. Moderate your daily activities
Make sure your day isn’t crammed full of mentally stimulating activities, otherwise your mind may have a hard time decelerating in preparation for bedtime. This usually results in non-stop mental chatter that may jeopardise your ability to relax and have you tossing and turning all night. (Could we add ideas to help decelerate before bed time, if you’ve had a busy day?)

4. Resolve stress before bed
Keeping our emotional health in check is crucial to a good night’s sleep. Stressful life challenges are inevitable so it’s important to use coping methods when they do arise. Avoid heated discussions and deliberating before bed. If you must talk to someone, try to get it done earlier in the day or resolve to deal with the issue at a specified later date. Another great method is journaling or writing a “”To Do” list. By doing a “brain dump” of all the things swirling around inside your head, you can unburden your mind so you can enter your slumber with a sense of peace and control.

5. Progressive muscle relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation is a meditative method of deep muscle relaxation, based on the theory that muscle tension is the body’s psychological response to anxious thoughts and that muscle relaxation releases nervous tension.

Lying on your back with your eyes closed, imagine the top of your head relaxing and follow this thought by physically releasing any muscle tension in the area. Shift your focus down to your forehead and visualise the same easing of tension while simultaneously inducing a physical release in the corresponding area. Repeat this gradual visualisation and un-tensing of your muscles from head to toe with all major muscle groups of the body. Areas to work on may include: top of the head, forehead, brows, nose, lips, chin, neck, shoulders, arms, palms, chest upper stomach, lower stomach, glutes, thighs, calves and toes.

6. Blackmores Executive Sleep Formula™
Blackmores Executive Sleep Formula™ contains a combination of herbs traditionally used in western herbal medicine to support those who have difficulty falling asleep due to: nervousness, irritability and unrest.

It helps support healthy sleeping patterns, for those who are tired but mentally alert.

For more information on supplements or to speak to a Blackmores Naturopath, phone the Blackmores Naturopathic Advisory line on 0508 75 74 73.

_{*Always read the label. Use only as directed. Supplementary to a balanced diet. Blackmores Auckland
TAPS NA 9695}