If you wake up feeling tired or you sleep less than seven and a half hours, you’re likely suffering from insufficient sleep. Lack of quality sleep is one of the most significant and common contributors to heightened stress and illness, so much so The World Health Organisation has now declared a sleep loss epidemic throughout industrialised nations.
Modern life is riddled with sleep hazards. From attitudes that glorify productivity on very little sleep, to environments that play havoc on our natural 24-hour sleep cycle, to being completely oblivious to how essential sufficient sleep is for mental and physical wellbeing and effective productivity — not to mention the enjoyment of life!
The elastic band of sleep deprivation can only stretch so far before it snaps. Diseases linked with lack of quality sleep include heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s and depression.
Our Sleep Therapist has been guiding people into healthy sleeping patterns for 16 years. Her approach is encouraging, empowering and individualised. You’ll acquire invaluable skills and information you can use for the rest of your life to improve sleep and reduce anxiety. Imagine waking up from deeply rejuvenating sleep with energy, clarity and a spring in your step.
Here are a few practical tips to get you started:
Wake up to your need for sufficient quality sleep. Most sleep-deprived people don’t realise or acknowledge they need more and better sleep — they often put the issue on the back burner or in the too hard basket until their body buckles with illness or burnout. The first step towards becoming a great sleeper is to acknowledge your need for quality rest and take steps towards change.
Prepare for sleep. How you spend the hours before going to bed have a huge impact on your ability to fall asleep and to sleep deeply. It’s during deep sleep that we get the most rejuvenation, and most people are making choices that lead to shallow sleep and waking up tired. Prepare for sleep by reducing stimulation and exposure to light one hour before going to bed – this will enable your body to make the hormones it needs to get the best sleep possible.
Learn how to quiet your mind Thinking is useful in many situations in life, but when you’re in bed needing to fall asleep — freerange thoughts are a serious sleep hazard. You can cultivate the ability to slow your thoughts down and quiet your mind, which is a very helpful skill if you want to feel at ease (especially in the middle of the night when thinking often snowballs into overdrive). Try starting with this simple practice: bring your attention to your body. Notice what physical sensations you’re experiencing right now. Are you cold or warm, tense or relaxed? Just notice. Now bring your attention to anything your body is touching – the texture of the clothes you’re wearing, the temperature of the air on your bare skin, the seat your sitting on etc. When you’re in bed, notice the softness of your pillow and the texture of your sheets. This will bring your thoughts back from the future or the past, and allow you to truly relax.
Like all skills, it can take a little practice but will get easier the more you do it.
This article has come to you from the expertise of our own in-house stress & sleep therapist Ahna. Book into one of our upcoming retreats to meet with Anha to find out how you can access your full potential and alleviate stress & insomnia from your life.