Top tips for better sleep
Quality sleep is not always easy to achieve. Sleep debt is a real thing, but instead of owing money to a bank, you literally owe your body.
Getting enough sleep can encourage and protect your physical and mental health, and quality of life. Your body needs sleep in order to restore and repair what it has used during the daytime. Your brain needs sleep in order to transfer information from your short-term memory into your long-term memory. If you get enough sleep, you are more likely to feel equipped to deal with whatever life throws at you and you will be less stressed.
Make a nighttime routine
If you follow a nighttime routine, you will get your body into a state of being ready for sleep. I suggest you leave all devices in another room, drink some hot tea, take a warm shower, read a book and snuggle into bed. All of these steps put your mind into a relaxed state that when coupled with the right sleep environment can help you fall asleep quickly.
Creating a new habit can be difficult, but you will reap the rewards of getting amazing sleep that will boost your overall health and lead to days that are more productive.
Pick a wind-down routine which best fits your lifestyle and you will succeed.
Do
- Wind down
- Shower/bath
- Soothing music
- Reading
- Low lighting
- Dark and quiet room
- Exercise during the day
Don’t
- Caffeine
- Nicotine
- Alcohol
- Artificial light
- Go to bed hungry or stuffed
- TV
Leave all electronic devices including your mobile phone away from your bed and use an old-fashioned alarm clock. The blue light from your mobile phone suppresses the production of melatonin (sleep hormone) and will interfere with sleep.
Keep a consistent sleep schedule
This can be the most difficult to master: go to bed and get up at the same time every day! Being consistent means your body will teach itself to naturally wake up daily, which is much more pleasant than an alarm blaring in your ear. Each person has a different sweet spot of how many hours of sleep a night you need but the average person does need a minimum of 8 hours nightly. Based on your body type and daily activity you may need 7 hours while another person may need 9 hours. Try different bedtimes and wake-up times, and take notes of how you feel on 7 hours of sleep vs 8 hours of sleep vs 9 hours of sleep. You will notice slight differences and be able to tell which day you were operating at your best. Once you have figured out your ideal sleep time, make sure to set reminders to begin your nighttime ritual to ensure you get to be on time to reap the benefits of a full night’s sleep.
Book an appointment today if you feel like you need more assistance or direction to reach your goals.
Online consultation with a Nutritionist is available for clients who live outside the London area or who are unable to come to my London office. You can enjoy the online consultation from the comfort of your home or office and you will be given the same level of personal attention and care that you would experience coming to see the Nutritionist in person.
Milena Kaler is a is a qualified London Nutritionist, sports nutrition, stubborn weight loss, digestive health, and autoimmune disease nutrition specialist. She is trained in the principles of Functional Medicine and practices from her clinic in Central London, Harley Street, as well as providing online consultations.
Milena has helped thousands of people to lose weight and keep it off. Scientific and holistic in approach Milena looks at all aspects of a client’s health. She embraces a systems-oriented approach aiming to get to the root cause of health and weight issues instead of simply focusing on the symptoms.
Milena’s expertise has been sought by celebrities, and she has been featured as a nutrition expert in reputable magazines including Women’s Health, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, GQ, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Women’s Fitness, Peak Brain Training, and Metro.
As a full member of the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT), and the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), the only register for Nutritional Therapy recognised by the government and NHS, Milena is committed to upholding their strict Code of Ethics. Additionally, Milena is a member of the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology (PCSG).
Milena sees patients with chronic health conditions, as well as clients looking for support to optimise their health. Some of the areas Milena can help with include: weight loss, digestive, hormonal, autoimmune disease, menopause, and skin health.
Milena sees every person as an individual with different problems and different goals. She takes time to listen to her clients’ specific concerns to develop customised nutrition and lifestyle plans, based on laboratory test results. Having overcome her own chronic health and weight loss issues, Milena really understands how it is to feel overwhelmed by poor health and can relate to her clients when they first come to see her.
