Mastering the art of sleep: Proven strategies to enhance your sleep quality
Sleep in one of the most underrated health superpowers we have.
It is an essential physiological process that plays a vital role in overall wellbeing. Gone are the days of bragging about who got the least amount of sleep and let’s welcome in sharing how to get a great full 7-9 hours!
What’s the big hype about sleep anyway? Well let me let you in on the secret. Sleep has endless benefits:
It can actually make you smarter, well kind of: Sufficient sleep is crucial for optimal cognitive function, including attention, concentration, memory consolidation and problem-solving abilities!
It is immune boosting: A 2019 Study in the European Journal of Physiology found that sleep deprivation can impair immune function and increase susceptibility to infections. Adequate sleep plays a vital role in maintaining a strong immune system.
Weight management tool: Sleep plays a role in regulating appetite by influencing hormones such as ghrelin (hunger hormone) and leptin (satiety hormone). A 2010 study found that Inadequate sleep disrupts this balance and leads to higher calorie consumption.
All these benefits are great but not everyone finds getting the recommended 7-9 hours as easy as others seem to. Luckily for you, we have researched the best ways to hack your sleep environment so that you can finally experience what all the fuss is about.
Screen time: This one is a no brainer, and you are probably already sighing thinking I have heard this one before but let’s go a little more in depth so you can actually understand why this is such a necessity. The blue light from your phone is an artificial colour that mimics daylight. Studies have shown that it throws off your body’s natural internal clock by effecting melatonin and cortisol (the two hormones responsible for controlling your sleep-wake cycle). Not only does this hormone relationship regulate sleep but when its low, it can also contribute towards tiredness and irritability during the day!
Sleep routine: Humans thrive off routine and sleep in no different. Matthew Walker (a sleep expert and neuroscientist) has shown that maintaining a regular sleep routine – waking and going to bed at similar times each day - complimented your circadian rhythm. Your body starts to anticipate sleep thus making you sleepier at night.
Take a bath: it might sound paradoxical, but taking a warm bath before bed drops your body temperature once you are in bed. Low temperatures have been shown to aid sleep so try keep the room temperature on the lower side.
Get some rays: Getting natural sunlight first thing in the morning for between 10-30 minutes has been shown to help regulate not only your sleep patterns but also regulate cortisol (your stress hormone!)
Food, alcohol, and exercise: All three of those can influence the quality of your sleep. Research has shown to avoid exercising 2-3 hours before bedtime as for some people it can make it harder for the brain to winddown. Alcohol before bed has always been seen as a nightcap but did you know it robs you of your REM sleep – the deeper sleep that your brain needs for optimal restoration? Eat light! Eating heavy foods means your body spends the night digesting which can interfere with sleep. Rather compliment sleep with a cup of camomile tea.
Neurobalence: Electrical imbalances in the brain can be caused by many factors. Brain Optimisation is an EEG, Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven process that makes real, lasting and often dramatic differences in the quality of sleep amongst other things!
Rest is a gift, something that allows us to show up as the best versions of ourselves. We hope tonight you will gift yourself with this powerful and undervalued process.
Sleep tight
Rory.