Do You Find it Hard to get Enough Sleep? Expert Advice From Elite Health & Fitness

Mac (far right) with Cameron and Harry from
Corinium Radio on their 30 hour radio marthon.

Find out from Mac, fully qualified and tested nutritionist and personal trainer, how you can improve the quality of your sleep!

What to do when you are having bouts of

insomnia. Develop a good bedtime routine and watch your sleep patterns improve in no time. See below for simple but effective tips on getting that good nights sleep:

1.      Drink plenty of fluids during the day and then stop drinking at about 90 minutes before bedtime.

2.      Exercise before bedtime can also disrupt sleep. It may stimulate you too much.

3.      Develop a bat cave – the bedroom should be completely blacked out when you close the curtains - the darker the better.

Do you rarely feel like this? Read on...

4.      Switch OFF  - When your eyes are exposed to light, your brain produces less of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Light towards the blue end of the spectrum is especially stimulating and, unfortunately, computer screens, tablets, smartphones and LED lighting all emit a lot of blue light. Try not to use these devices in the two hours before you go to bed. If you must use them, turn down the brightness or wear amber-tinted glasses designed to block blue light.

5.      Stay cool - When we sleep, our body temperature drops. Having a cooler room temperature helps the body cool a bit, which helps with sleep. Room temperature. 55-68 degrees is ideal, warmer and it can disrupt sleep and make it harder to fall asleep.

6.      Eating before bedtime affects sleep quality. Avoid sugar, alcohol and simple carbs, all of these affect sleep quality.

7.      Brain dump- Are you struggling to fall asleep because you are worrying about a problem, or thinking about what you need to do the next day? Put a notepad on your bedside table and, before you nod off, make a list of what’s on your mind or make a to-do list for the next morning.

8.      Brain trickery - If you want to nod off, try to keep your eyes open and stay awake. Oddly, attempting to stay awake is surprisingly tiring and helps you fall asleep. But remember that you have to use the power of your mind – you must try to keep your eyes open (you are allowed to blink), but are not allowed to read, watch television, or move about.

9.      Magnesium is known as the anti-stress, anti-anxiety mineral and is a natural sleep aid. Numerous studies have shown its effectiveness in lowering anxiety and reducing stress levels as well as helping with deeper more restful sleep.

Not all forms of magnesium are easily absorbed by the body. Magnesium citrate powder is a highly absorbable form that can be mixed with hot or cold water and sipped at work or at home throughout the day.

10.  Belly Breathe – As you lay there diaphragmatically breathe (deep belly breathe) and only concentrate on the breathing eliminate all other thoughts.

11.  Meditate – Listen to a relaxing tune or a guided meditative track. If done repeatedly this will train the brain its time to sleep.

 

A training session with Elite is one way to improve your
quality of sleep!

If you’re awake for more than about 20 minutes during the night, get out of bed and do some form of non-stimulating activity, such as working on a jigsaw or a colouring book (remember to avoid bright lights and computer screens). This helps to prevent you associating your bed with sleeplessness. And if the problem arises later in the night, climb back out of bed and distract yourself again.

Lying awake makes many people feel anxious, and this anxiety disrupts their sleep even more, creating a vicious cycle. If you are struggling to sleep, remember that you are probably getting more sleep than you think.

 Sweet Dreamzzzzzz

Contact Elite below:

http://www.elitefit.co.uk/ (01285) 239283