WHY BOTHER?
Sleep is vital part of our lives and improving the quality of sleep is just as important as making sure you get the right quantity of sleep. This is no easy task to achieve for the hardworking professional who works long, stressful hours building up their career and commuting to and from work. As if the stress isn’t bad enough, sleep deprivation has potentially devastating consequences, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease. Your health should always come first so here are some top tips, adapted from the British Heart Foundation to help improve your sleep and keep you a healthy, happy individual!
TOP 3 TIPS
- Relax before bed! Try to avoid technology and blaring lights an hour or so before bedtime. Listen to music, read a book, or take a bath instead. These activities should help your mind wander away from the stresses of the day, help your eyes relax, and prepare your body for a good night’s sleep. And whatever you do, don’t watch your clock calculating how much time you would have slept if you fell asleep 12 minutes ago!
- Optimise your environment! Switch off any bright lights. Make sure your bed provides the correct support, comfort and space to ensure you wake up and move about less. Ensure that your room is the right temperature – between 16 °C and 18 °C is ideal. A lack of clutter, along with pale colours and pleasant smells, such as lavender and geranium, can also help create a soothing setting.
- Eat healthy and exercise regularly! Together with sleep, these two components form part of the lifestyle triangle that are the cornerstones of a long, happy and healthy life. Do some vigorous cardiovascular exercise a few hours before sleep and try eating milk, chicken and turkey, whilst avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and spicy and sugary food. Easier said than done, but you can do it. We believe in you!
