We spend about a third of our lives asleep. Sleep is vital for maintaining good mental & physical health.  Sleep is when the body does its vital repairing, restoring, and cleaning.

Sleep and overall health go hand in hand. Insufficient sleep can increase your risk of diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and mental health conditions. Sleep also affects your ability to function at a job and perform work safely. When you’re sleepy or overtired, you move slower, your attention drifts more easily, and you can suffer from headaches or brain fog.

Without enough sleep, your cognitive abilities can decline, making it harder to think critically, solve problems, be creative, and make intelligent decisions

How’s your sleep? And how could you improve it?

Here are some top tips to aid our overnight recovery.

1. Start your wind down for bed – aka tech/blue light/stimulus wind-down. Set an alarm for 1 even 2 hours before you go to bed. And do it! Phones and devices emit sleep disturbing blue light, so get off the gadgets. Get out of the habit of watching the news/politics in the evening. A crime drama during in the evening just before bed may be the ramp up you don’t need! (And even I can take heed of this advice and not binge on The Responder!)
2. Create a routine – read, meditate, or do some mindfulness instead. Experiment with an Epsom Salt Bath/shower before bed. See what works for you to wind down for rest.
3. Create a sanctuary. Have you got cosy bed socks? Good pillows that support you? Nice clean, crisp bedlinen? A candle? Nice pj’s?
4. Less alcohol, caffeine and sugar before bed (or ‘liquid stress’ as Dr. Chatterjee refers to it) preferably none. Alcohol may help you get to sleep but you are less likely to stay asleep and can wake you up during the night, interfering with your REM sleep. If you fancy a glass, as earlier in the evening as possible.
5. Create a light block – Black out curtains help regulate your melatonin levels and help you get and keep a better-quality sleep. If you must use your laptop, tablet, or phone, try wearing blue light blocking glasses like Blublockers.

For more about sleep check out headroom for their mindful mix https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0955pks and for sleep science & how to take control of your sleep.

And Dr Chatterjee for tips on getting a good night’s sleep https://drchatterjee.com/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep-the-very-best-tips-on-sleep/