Can’t Sleep? Here’s 7 Tips For a Better Kip…

So we all love sleep, that’s no lie! For some reason though a lot of us struggle to get a good night’s sleep which often results in us being grumpy or lacking motivation.

We have got 7 excellent tips to help you get a decent night’s kip!

Firstly, Sleep Science. . .

Sleep is a lot more complicated than a lot of people think, its not just closing our eyes and forgetting the world for the next 7 hours. There are four different stages of sleep. There are three non-rapid eye movement stages and one rapid-eye movement which is associated with dreaming!

The first two non-rapid eye movement is the period of being awake and the body preparing to sleep for example the reduced body temp and the slower brain operation. The third phase of sleep is where the hormones are working. If you go asleep about 10pm and are awake between 1am and 3am it is an almost certainty that this part of sleep was disturbed. The final part of your sleep is responsible for establishing memory retention so this is why we dream, people who state not to remember dreams may have been disturbed during this phase of sleep, or not reached it at all!

So there we have it, sleep is definitely more complicated that jumping into bed and hoping for the best! Below there are 7 great tips to help you sleep better!

1. Keep a regular sleeping pattern!

Try to keep to the same sleeping pattern throughout the week and weekend! Try to dismiss the idea that you can catch up through the week when you are sleep deprived over the weekend. It’s much easier to get a decent night sleep if you go to bed the same time every night!

2. Sleep in a cool room!

Sleeping in a cool room can help your body regulate the body temperature and help you fall asleep easier and for a longer period of time.

3. Make your room a cave!

Ok, not literally. By cave we mean separate yourself from any noise pollution and avoid any noises from mobiles, tv’s and laptops. Any lights can also distract you from falling asleep and make you skip some phases of sleep.

4. Take magnesium supplements!

Magnesium is a vital part in aiding cortisol management and therefore assists slow-wave sleep by resetting insulin sensitivity – making you feel more relaxed ready for a better night sleep.

5. Try some Californian Poppy Extract!

This is a great herb that helps to relax brain waves into slow-wave sleep patterns. (another benefit is that is detoxifies the liver whilst your sleeping).

6. Eat Better. Eat Healthy.

Food can play a massive part in our sleep patterns. Foods that are high in carbohydrates (Carbs to me and you) may increase our serotonin production (serotonin is the neurotransmitter responsible for a calm, happy and relaxed mind). The downside to this is that when serotonin levels begin to drop, we become hungry for more food high in serotonin resulting in our brains triggering and us interrupting the early phases of sleep.

7. Use supplements to detoxify your Liver.

If you find yourself waking up after 2-3 hours this could be a clear sign that you liver is stuggling to detoxify and the change in hormones is affecting your sleep. Increase fibre in your diet maybe morning or evening time or add Glucuronic Acid to your diet. Glucuronic acid can help the body to unbind phase two of the detoxified substances – in simple terms for us that simply means removes substances from the Gastrointestinal tract.

By Jason Porter

Writer / Presenter

My Fitness Agent

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