Ways to Well-being: Sleep

Here are my top five tips on how to achieve a good night’s sleep as part of our ‘Ways to Well-being‘ series.

Any of you who have read, studied or heard about Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” will be aware that he was afflicted with a great curse – the inability to sleep. This had detrimental consequences for his state of mind and all the relationships in his life. He couldn’t reason or function on a daily basis, and no one could bear to be around him because he became so grumpy and moody!  Even his wife, his partner in crime, felt so distanced from him that her that she felt like she had to cope with life’s daily challenges on her own and well, she didn’t fare too well in that regard.  

Why is sleep so important?

Without getting the sleep we need we may be irritable and difficult to be around, flying off the handle, a bit like Macbeth! We may find every day setbacks overwhelming and we may lack the energy or enthusiasm to motivate ourselves to do essential work or even basic tasks. Sleep is also essential for listening and learning and for bodily restoration.  

How much sleep?

We all vary when it comes to the quantity and the quality of sleep that we get on a regular basis, however it is highly recommended that as adults that we should be getting somewhere between 7 and 9 hours of QUALITY sleep each night.

If you are, like me, someone who finds it difficult to drift off you might like to try one or all of the following.

Bedside notebook

Have a notebook & pen beside your bed (old school) and before you go to sleep write down anything that may be weighing heavily on your mind like your ‘To Do’ list for the next day or anything that is bothering you. That way whatever may have been on your mind is out of there and down on paper, leaving your mind free for a good night’s sleep.

Goodnight device!

Say good night to your devices 30 minutes prior to sleep. Turn your phone on silent, or better still leave it outside the room altogether.  If you are a serial phone checker or Insta queen/king, well, absence makes the heart grow fonder! If the thought of not having your phone by your side causes you concern or even anxiety, perhaps leave the phone within view in the room but out of arms reach.

Naps with apps

Apps to help you to drift off. Like so much of the content that is available online these days it’s worth spending a bit of time bouncing in and out of different apps and finding the best match for you. Personally, I am a fan of the CALM and HEADSPACE Apps. I love the Calm App which has a range of medatitive stories which help me to get lost in a different world and to drift off. It offers a lot more than the stories, like breathing exercises, body scans, mindful exercises and more, so check it out. Headspace also has a lot to offer. With both offering a free trial it’s worth giving them a go and seeing what you think.

Wave goodbye to sleepless nights

If I don’t feel like tuning into a story what nearly always works for me is listening to Delta Waves on YouTube. It does sound a bit weird at first if you’re not used to it, but believe me, it works! This is my go to! Delta waves are slow, high frequency brainwaves that that penetrates deeply and helps to induce a very deep sleep.  I find this one to be the most effective in helping me to drift off quickly and into a really deep, undisturbed sleep.

Make waking up less alarming

Why not set your alarm to a nice, soothing wake up call as opposed to the ‘end of the world’, prisoner attempting to escape from Alcatraz siren in your ear?! Or better still, set your phone to wake you to the sound of the dawn chorus or your favourite song that cheers you up. This will set you up for the day.

In addition to these sleep foundation.org has some really good tips for creating a positive pre-bed routine and fostering positive sleep habits during the day.

Hope you found these sleep tips helpful and if you did please be sure to link in and read some of our other articles in the ‘Ways to Well-being‘ Series. New one coming soon.

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