By Huruliegn Shadiqe, Aromatherapist
Do you experience problems achieving a good nights sleep? You are not alone. You may be surprised to know that this is a common problem for more than 30% of the population across all age groups. Sleep problems are different for each person with many different causes resulting in – difficulty falling or staying asleep, restless sleep, getting back to sleep after waking or waking up too early.
Surveys show sleep deprivation causes disruptive symtoms such as fatigue, depleted energy, irritability and poor memory that can interfere with even the most routine activities.
Here are a few health and lifestyle tips that may help to improve the quality of sleep and promote relaxation and restfulness:
- Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule
- Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time as much as possible every day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your body’s internal clock.
- Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine
- Over stimulation to your brain affects sleep. Wind down and create enjoyable pre-sleep rituals, such as reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practicing relaxation exercises like meditation or deep breathing. Hint: Diffuse Natural Elements Aromatherapy relaxing essential oils before bedtime to create a calming mood or use Be Calm roller ball to relax the body. This signals to your body it’s time to wind down.
- Optimise Your Sleep Environment
- Create a bedroom space that is comfortable and conducive to sleep. Keep it cool, dark and quiet. This includes having a relaxing ambiance, with supporting mattress and comfortable bedding. Minimising noise, disruptions, light and temperature disturbances assists sleeping well.
- Limit Blue Light Exposure Before Bed
- Blue light emitted by phones, tablets, computers and TVs can interfere with the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
- Best to put away all devices at least an hour before bedtime.
- Eating Well
- Eating well is important for optimum wellness. Avoid large meals, excess sugar, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine close to bedtime. These can disrupt sleep or make it harder to get to sleep. Caffeine in coffee, tea, cola or energy drinks have stimulating effects on the body.
- Movement and Exercise
- Engaging in regular physical activity can help to promote better sleep.
- Managing Stress
- Chronic stress can impact the quality of sleep. Practice stress-reducing techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation. Or have a regular massage at your favourite spa. These are great ways to quieten the mind and reduce stress.
- Short Naps
- While short naps can be beneficial, long or irregular napping during the day can interfere with night time sleep. If you need to nap, try to keep it short (20-30 minutes) and earlier in the day.
- Hint: Minimise What You Drink Before Bedtime
- Limit the intake of fluids close to bedtime to reduce the likelihood of waking up for multiple bathroom trips during the night.
- Regularly Expose Yourself to Natural Light
- Getting exposure to natural light during the day, especially in the morning helps regulate your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
- Walking is a great way to exercise and relax body and mind.
- Seek Help if Needed
- If you’re consistently having trouble achieving a good night sleep, consider consulting a healthcare professional or sleep specialist. This may help identify and address any underlying issues that are affecting your sleep.
References: Websites from –
- National Sleep Foundation(NSF)
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Mayo Clinic
- PubMed Database of biomedical literature – Scientific studies on sleep and related topics
THE BENEFITS OF AROMATHERAPY FOR SLEEP
Check out our next blog as we share the many ways that the therapeutic benefits of Natural Elements Aromatherapy products can help promote relaxation, reduce stress and help you achieve a more restful sleep.
