Cart 0
Despite what society likes us to think, you’re not doomed to toss and turn every night and there is nothing glamorous about sleep deprivation.
With the Festive Party season around the corner, the quality of our sleep could be make or break for our physical health so it is a great time to consider simple tips for better sleep;
Many factors can interfere with a good night’s sleep — from work stress and family responsibilities to illnesses. It’s no wonder that quality sleep is sometimes elusive.
You might not be able to control the factors that interfere with your sleep. However, you can adopt habits that encourage better sleep. Start with these simple tips.
1. Stick to a sleep schedule
Set aside no more than eight hours for sleep. The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours. Most people don’t need more than eight hours in bed to be well rested.
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends. Being consistent reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle.
If you don’t fall asleep within about 20 minutes of going to bed, leave your bedroom and do something relaxing. Read or listen to soothing music. Go back to bed when you’re tired. Repeat as needed, but continue to maintain your sleep schedule and wake-up time.
2. Pay attention to what you eat and drink
Don’t go to bed hungry or stuffed. In particular, avoid heavy or large meals within a couple of hours of bedtime. Discomfort might keep you up.
Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too. The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine take hours to wear off and can interfere with sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, it can disrupt sleep later in the night. Keeping a food and rink diary can be a great way to identify any sleep disrupting trigger foods.
3. Create a restful environment
Keep your room cool, dark and quiet. Exposure to light in the evenings might make it more challenging to fall asleep. Avoid prolonged use of light-emitting screens just before bedtime. Consider using room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs. What can we learn here from baby sleep training – temperature is key, white noise is your friend, and avoid lights and distractions (phone?) at all costs. I mean would you send your baby to bed with their favourite electronic toy and expect them to doze off?
Doing calming activities before bedtime, such as taking a bath or using relaxation techniques, might promote better sleep too and this is where a routine involving calming botanics can really help. Check out the new Tincture Tailor Find Your Zen package to see how those tailored ingredients promote relaxation and calm.
4. Limit daytime naps
If you are lucky enough to embark on long daytime naps, the may actually be doing you more harm than good when it comes to getting good quality zzz’s. Limit naps to no more than one hour and avoid napping late in the day.
However, if you work nights, you might need to nap late in the day before work to help make up your sleep debt, so using natural sleep aids like the Power Down Terpene blend (£32.99 for 30ml) and incorporating some of these tips could be even more important to achieve quality as well as quantity of sleep.
5. Include physical activity in your daily routine
Regular physical activity can promote better sleep. However, avoid being active too close to bedtime due to the hormone boost exercise causes. This doesn’t need to be running or a high intensity workout, walking and stretching are so beneficial and if you can combine this with spending time outside every day your sleep cycle should reap the benefits.
6. Manage worries
Try to resolve your worries or concerns before bedtime. Jot down what’s on your mind and then set it aside for tomorrow. (we love journalling here at TT to uncover and unpack those worries that otherwise take up way too much of our precious head space).
Stress management might help. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting priorities and delegating tasks. Meditation also can ease anxiety. CBD is also great as a simple, natural stress relieving supplement. You can take it as drops orally as part of your bedtime routine to really support that wind-down stage of your evening.
In summary, sleep is an absolute game changer when it comes to mental and physical health and our overall quality of life. But if you ( like a 3rd of brits) are battling insomnia then some of these practical tips and tools could be the lifestyle medicine within YOUR control.
Or do you know someone who could do with better sleep? The Find your Zen kit includes a high strength pure CBD oil, plus a Power down functional botanical terpene blend, for just £64.00, what better Christmas gift than the gift of sleep and energy!
