By Lauren Tober, on laurentober.com
Good quality sleep is SUCH an important part of our well being. When we sleep we allow our body to restore and heal itself, both on a physical and psychological level.
Depression, anxiety and stress can result in poor sleep, and poor sleep can result in depression, anxiety and stress.
So whichever way you look at it, getting a good nights sleep is vital for our well being.
If you’ve had poor sleep (and let’s face it, most of us have at some point), you know the symptoms. We’re talking fatigue, impaired memory and concentration, irritability, general aches and pains, reduced immune functioning, poorer overall health, decreased capacity to solve problems, increased emotionality and anxiety and relationship problems.
I know for myself, life just feels so much lighter and more joyful when I’ve had at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
But what if you can’t get to sleep at night? Or you wake up at 2am every morning and can’t get back to sleep? Let me share some ideas about improving your chances of getting a good nights sleep.
What to stop doing for good sleep
Try cutting back on these things to promote good sleep:
- Caffeine, nicotine and processed sugar – try giving these up altogether, it can make an amazing difference, but if it feels too hard, try cutting out after midday
- Alcohol – again, if this feels too hard, just stop drinking a few hours before bed, and resist the temptation to drink yourself to sleep
- TV, computer, iPad just before bed – give yourself at least an hour without screen time before you head off to bed
- … continued