Tips for better sleep

Happy world sleep day!

As today is national sleep day I’m sharing with you my top 5 tips for better sleep. Sleep is so important for our physical and mental health, and generally just how we feel and interact with other people on a day to day basis. But, unfortunately, for lots of us it can feel like a real struggle, whether that’s due to stress, busyness or not being able to switch off. However, since finding these techniques my sleep has dramatically improved and i tend to wake up feeling more refreshed and ready to take on the day. I really hope these help you too!

1. Get away from a screen at least an hour before bed. We all know that screens give out blue light which prevents the body from winding down and relaxing ready for better. One of the biggest things which has improved my sleep is getting away from my phone earlier in the evening.

2. Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Our body has a natural in built sleep wake cycle, called a circadian rhythm (or body clock), which tells us when to fall asleep and wake up. If your sleep schedule is all of the place and you’re going to bed at a different time every night your body won’t know when to produce the sleep hormones and you’ll find it difficult to drift off. Try to go to bed and wake up at around the same time every day to improve your sleep.

3. Do some relaxing yoga or mediation before bed. I always try to do a relaxing activity in the evening to help me wind down for sleep. You can’t expect your body to go from being awake to asleep in the blink of an eye so doing something that gradually shifts the body into a more sleepy state really helps you to fall asleep more easily when you get into bed. You can try my bedtime yoga for sleep on my YouTube channel.

4. Get some sunlight during the day, preferably in the morning. Sunlight in the morning tells your body to wake up as it signals to the body that it’s day time so your body makes hormones that get you feeling pumped and ready to go. This again helps to regulate your circadian rhythm so that in the evening when you spend more time in lower lighting your body knows to produce sleep hormones so that you can fall asleep more easily.

5. Listen to a sound bath whilst you lie in bed. I recently discovered Holly Husler and became obsessed with her sound bath mediations. She plays beautifully relaxing music using crystal singling bowls that help me wind down and relax. On nights when I’m feeling quite wired and sleeping feels a bit tough I’ll stick my headphones in and listen to one of her sound baths in bed, I’m generally asleep before the end. You can find loads of free ones on her Instagram page and I love her ones on the Deliciously Ella app as well.

I hope these tips help you to sleep better and that you get a lovely nights sleep this world sleep day.

If you have any other tips or questions drop them in the comments below.

Zzzz….

Megan xx