Life doesn’t always allow us to get the QUANTITY but we can work on the QUALITY of sleep 🩷
1. Bath, Bottle, Book, Bed 🛌
Not just children benefit from routine! Having a wind down process and sticking to a roughly similar time each day can help
NB. For those on shift patterns having the wind down really helps let your brain and body know its time to prepare for sleep.
2. Create a relaxing bedtime routine to signal to your body that it’s time for bed – listen to a relaxing book, hypnosis track – the @calm or @headspace apps are great for sleep stories! 🧠
check out http://www.calm.com or http://www.headspace.com for more information – there are so many apps or meditations available online to help you switch your brain from doing to resting mode.
3. Keep your sleep space comfortable, cool, and dark for optimal rest.
Do you need extra pillows to place between your knees? under your arm or under your hips? Sleep is a place where we are able to let our body “let go” – using supports can really help! Not just in pregnancy.
Making your bed first thing in the morning/when you get up can mean you get to climb in to a fancy bed every night, letting your brain know sleep is a priority and not a waste of time 😍
4. Limit screen time before bed, as the blue light from devices can disrupt your circadian rhythm. Try 1 hour before bed! 📱
You can change the settings on your phone to quiet mode after a certain time which can help keep you accountable and aware of the time.
5. Be mindful of you diet – have a think about how much caffeine you have each day and are you having enough food to fuel a good sleep? Foods like oats, peanut butter & bananas may help with filling you up for sleep! 😴
6. Stay physically active during the day, get outside if you can even for 10-15 minutes and getting light in the day also helps! ☀️
7. Manage stress through relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or meditation. Osteopathy can also be beneficial to help your body reduce muscle tension producing calming effects on your nervous system.
8. A Sleep position where you can actually relax! This might look like – having extra pillows – between the knees, under an arm so your body can really let go! 🛌
9. You might find that supplements such as magnesium or 5HTP can help aid your melatonin production and relaxation. 💊
10. Reducing alcohol consumption to reduce anxiety/‘beer fear’ and preventing disrupted sleep 🍷 🍺
*please note this does not replace bespoke medical advice – if you have any sleep concerns please speak to a medical professional*
