Lifestyle Tips for Sleep

There is nothing more frustrating than lying in bed wide awake. Our mind can wander down all those paths we wish it wouldn’t. We might start to worry about jobs we have to do the next day, which we will now be too tired to do. It can be stressful! So, what can we do about it?!

The good news is there are lots of small steps we can take, creating new sustainable habits, to help us get a good night’s sleep.

Routine

Our bodies love routine. Having a regular wake-up time and bedtime is the first step towards better sleep. Try to go to bed early enough to ensure you are getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Our bodies work off a 24-hour body clock, called the circadian rhythm. A great way to reset and regulate this 24-hour cycle is by getting out into natural light for around 15-20 minutes in the morning. Could you try a short walk before work? Or even sit by a window? Getting into natural light in the morning will impact the quality of your sleep that night. This can be trickier in the wintertime but try to squeeze some natural light exposure into your day somewhere.

Wind-down ritual

We often expect our bodies to just switch off and fall asleep immediately when we turn off the lights! But that’s not how it works. Adults, just like children, need to have a wind-down routine before bedtime.

Throughout the day we can over consume calories, caffeine, information as well as artificial light (think of all that screen time), which can leave us feeling overstimulated and very “awake.” Sometimes an inability to sleep at night can be caused by excess “wakefulness”.

Here are some tips to create a routine, unwind, and bring us down to a level, which will allow us to surrender to sleep and let go of being so awake:

Have your evening meal at least 2-3 hours before bedtime. You should also try avoid sugary snacks or caffeine before bed. Try drinking some warm herbal tea instead like chamomile or valerian hops. The Pukka range has lovely night-time tea blends. Dark chocolate contains Magnesium, which can aid sleep and relaxation. One or two squares can be great to quench those cravings.

Be aware of drinking alcohol before bed. It is often looked upon to help us sleep, but it can disrupt sleep, causing you to wake up in the middle of the night due to the way our bodies break it down! Just keep this in mind if this is happening to you.

Simulate dusk into darkness at home, keep the lighting low. Use lamps instead of bright lights in the evening.

Light an aromatherapy candle with a relaxing scent like lavender or use a lavender pillow spray. Our bodies can then associate this smell with getting ready for sleep, creating a little ritual

This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray is a naturally effective sleep spray with Lavender, Vetivert, and Camomile essential oils to help restore normal sleep patterns. It is safe to use during pregnancy and the scent will last for up to 8 hours promoting deep sleep.

Choose your TV wisely- comedies or light dramas will aid better sleep, compared to a tense thriller or negative news, which can fill your body with adrenaline and stress.

Try to reduce screen time, especially the final hour or two before bed. Try reading a book instead of scrolling through social media. Most smartphones now have a sleep mode, where you can set the screen to a black-and-white setting. This feature has been a game-changer for me!

Take a bath or hot shower using something like the Trilogy botanical wash to relax your senses and help you unwind

BetterYou Magnesium flakes

Bath salts are another useful way to absorb Magnesium through the skin. A soak in a bath full of BetterYou Magnesium flakes is incredible for aching muscles. Your body will be left feeling extremely relaxed and ready for a deep restorative sleep after this one!

Tretch – wringing out any tensions from the day. I love a 10-minute wind-down yoga videos on YouTube. There are so many to choose from. Where possible, keep more intense exercise for earlier on in the day.

Play some calming music or nature sounds. You can use a sleep timer on Spotify that will automatically turn itself off after a certain time.

Another option is journaling, a great way to reflect on the day, focusing on anything positive that happened. Being thankful for a certain person or thing in your life, or feeling lucky to have a roof over your head. We can take so much for granted. This tool is one of my favourites, try it for a few nights and see how you feel afterwards.

Breathe. Just 4 or 5 slow deep breaths can transform our nervous system, relieving stress and anxiety and slowing the heart rate. I love the “4-7-8 breath”: Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Try this when you are in bed with the lights off…zzzz!!

Spacemasks Self-Heating Eye Masks

Spacemasks Self-Heating Eye Masks are another lovely option to ease tired eyes and tension, promote relaxation, and give a helpful hand in getting to sleep. Drift off to another relaxing dimension with these jasmine-infused eye masks.

Supplements available that can really help aid a good nights Sleep

There are lots of different supplements available to help cope with restless nights and troublesome sleep.

Magnesium is a very popular mineral used to help with sleep issues, especially when suffering with anxiety or restless legs at night. Magnesium is essential for so many functions in the body, including energy production, muscle function, and the production of serotonin and GABA, which are feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters that help to reduce anxiety and stress and produce a calming effect. We sometimes forget that our heart is also a muscle, so taking magnesium is great for promoting relaxation of the heart and producing a calming effect. Magnesium bisglycinate is the preferred form of magnesium to take as a sleep aid, as it gets transported into the bloodstream to where it is needed and is very gentle on the stomach.

Supplements available that can really help aid a good nights Sleep

There are lots of different supplements available to help cope with restless nights and troublesome sleep.

Magnesium is a very popular mineral used to help with sleep issues, especially when suffering with anxiety or restless legs at night. Magnesium is essential for so many functions in the body, including energy production, muscle function, and the production of serotonin and GABA, which are feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters that help to reduce anxiety and stress and produce a calming effect. We sometimes forget that our heart is also a muscle, so taking magnesium is great for promoting relaxation of the heart and producing a calming effect. Magnesium bisglycinate is the preferred form of magnesium to take as a sleep aid, as it gets transported into the bloodstream to where it is needed and is very gentle on the stomach.

PrizMAG Magnesium Bisglycinate 90 Capsules

One of our favourite magnesium bisglycinate supplements in Meaghers Pharmacy is  PrizMag, it comes in a capsule form. You can take it during the day for anxiety and stress management and/or at night as a sleep aid.

MAG365 Magnesium Supplement Un-Flavoured

Mag365 is a powder that you make into a hot or cold drink and is brilliant for restless legs, and muscle recovery and contributes to a restful sleep.

Pharma Nord BioActive Magnesium Tablets

Another great Magnesium product is Pharmanord Bioactive Magnesium, which delivers a blend of three Magnesium salts in a tablet form. It is available in a pack size of 150 tablets and at one tablet per day, is a very cost-effective option.

KIDS

MAG365 Magnesium For Kids Passionfruit 150g

Mag365 kids powder is available for children from 4+ years which not only contributes to sleep, but it can also help with anxiety. Plus, it even has added vitamins and minerals of Calcium, Zinc, and Vitamin C & D, which  help with teeth and bone health, as well as boosting the immune system. It is available in a tasty passionfruit flavour.

BetterYou Magnesium Sleep Kids Body Lotion

For kids aged 12 months and upwards, BetterYou have developed a Magnesium chloride body lotion, infused with lavender and chamomile. Magnesium chloride gets absorbed through the skin, helping to calm the nervous system, relax muscles, and aid a restful night’s sleep. It is paediatrician-approved and is suitable for children with sensitive skin.

They have an adult version too, which is a beautifully relaxing moisturiser for before bed.

Leapfrog Snooze Chewable Tablets

For children 7+ years, Leapfrog SNOOZE chewable tablets support the nervous system with Lactium® & Lactoferrin (sourced from cow’s milk) & Vitamin B6. These ingredients combined help to reduce stress and anxiety in the body and promote relaxation, leading to a more restful sleep.

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You can find these products and many more on Meaghers Pharmacy.ie. I hope you have found this helpful, sweet dreams everyone!

Oonagh O’Hagan

Meaghers Pharmacy Paid Partnership with Meaghers.