Your Sleeping Pattern Can Predict Your Mood, Stress Levels And Much More
Sleep is particularly vital in times when stress and anxiety are present. In addition, good quality sleep reduces the chance of weakening your immune system.
Studies show this biological need to sleep helps maintain our health and that sufficient sleep is associated with reduced infection risk and improves infection outcomes, view medical research paper.
Get a Better Night’s Rest with Sleep Hygiene
Sleep hygiene is a combination of practising habits in preparation for sleep. It enhances and improves sleep quality, supporting and balancing your body each night. To improve your sleep, may I suggest following the “Sleep Hygiene Checklist”. If you are having trouble sleeping, do your best to align yourself with the checklist suggestions, and keep refining the process each night until you get success.
How Long Should You Sleep to Feel Healthy?
Sleep duration varies depending on age. However, some people do well on 6 hours of sleep per night, while others do better on 10 hours per night. These duration times are general in nature and should be used as a guideline to give you a benchmark. With that said, here are some general duration times recommendations:
- Adults need between 7-9 hours per night, no less than 6 hours or no more than 10 hours. Too long can be just as detrimental as too short.
- Toddlers age 1-2, need between 11-14 hours
- Preschool age 3-5, need between 10-13 hours
- Children age 6-13, need between 9-11 hours
- Teenagers age 14-17, need between 8-10 hours
15 Amazing Benefits of Getting Enough Sleep
- More alert the next day
- More energy
- Reduces inflammation
- Better memory
- Reduces reflux, GERD
- Less chance of obesity
- Improves weight loss
- Improves immune function
- Reduces the risk of infection
- Reduces stress, anxiety and mood disorders
- Reduces symptoms of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
- Reduces the risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes
- Reduces the risk of stroke
- Reduces the risk of kidney disease
- Sleep improves any condition.
Sleep Hygeine Checklist
- Develop a sleeping routine that prepares your body for rest each night.
- Decide what time you want to go to bed. For the best sleep, I recommend around 9:00—10:00 pm, before cortisol levels start to build up at midnight.
- Make sure the bedroom temperate is comfortable for you. Ideally sleep at a temperature that is slightly cooler than your body temperature.
- Have a warm bath to relax your mind and body and prepare you for sleep. Take it up a level, add 1 cup of Epsom Salts to enhance muscle relaxation.
- Eating a small amount of protein before going to bed may help you sleep through the night. An example of the amount and protein—one mouthful of chicken.
- Spray lavender in the bedroom 10 minutes before going to bed.
- Is the room dark enough? If not, wear a sleep mask.
- If noises are bothering you consider earplugs, white noise from a fan or soft relaxing music playing in the background that you can go to sleep too.
- Limit daytime naps to 20-minutes or less. Longer naps can interfere with your normal sleep cycle — circadian rhythm.
- Don’t work in bed. It is a place to rest and sleep.
Are the sheets clean, fresh, and is the bed made correctly? - Limit alcohol, caffeine and nicotine at least 3-4 hours before bed. These are stimulants and will keep you awake or disturb your sleep.
- Eat your dinner at least 3-4 hours before going to bed.
- Go to the toilet just before you go to bed. This can prevent you from getting up to empty the bladder during the night.
- Limit exercised in the last 3-4 hours before bed. The best time to exercise is in the morning before breakfast.
- When you get home and before you retire, write down anything you have to do the next day, so it is not bothering you during the night.
- If taking natural remedies, make sure they are suitable and don’t stimulate you if taken at night. For example, taking B-vitamins after 2:00 pm can disturb your sleep.
- Relax into rest with Diaphragmatic Breathing. Lie down on your bed, facing up and place your hands on your belly. Start by slowly breathing in through your nose and then release the breath gentled out through the mouth. Focus on moving the hands up and down on your belly as you breathe in and out. Do this until relaxed.
- Calm the mind for sleep with Mindfulness Meditation. On your bed, lay down, facing up with your hands by your sides. Gently breath in and out through the nose. Bring your awareness to the sensation of air moving through the nostrils. If your mind drifts, bring your attention back to the feeling of air moving through the nostrils. Repeat until calm.
- If you cannot sleep, don’t watch the clock. It creates more stress and anxiety. Read a book.
- No pets, moving around the house or on the bed? Train your pets to sleep on their bed.
- If insomnia persists, it may be helpful to do a “saliva sleep profile” that measures cortisol and melatonin levels.
How to use this information
The suggestions here are general in nature and do not take into account your specific needs. Before you make changes to your routine or embark on any herbs or nutritional supplements, it is wise to check with your health care professional.
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As a community service, I am making myself available to do my best to provide some advice, every Monday from 9:00 am to 9:30 am (Australian Eastern Standard Time). Ring if there are any aspects of your diet or supplements that you would like to discuss. Prefer to arrange you FREE No-Obligation meeting online click here to book
In health and wisdom
Brendon
Written by:
Brendon Groves
Clinical Naturopathic Practitioner
Founder of “Groves Naturopathics” and “The Groves Lifestyle Diet”
Adv. Dip. H. Sc. Nat, Dip. H. Sc. H.M., Dip. H. Sc. Nut.
Advance Diploma of Naturopathy, Diploma of Nutrition, Diploma of Herbal Medicine.
Special interests in: Weight loss, digestive issues, anxiety and mood disorders, immune support.
