Anyone who has experienced insomnia can tell you how difficult an experience it is and the negative impact insomnia has on all areas of our health.
Many clients coming for counselling for anxiety, depression or stress issues will have problems with sleep.
Good quality sleep is vital for our well-being and it helps us to cope with stress in our lives. Six to eight hours sleep per night is one of the cornerstones for health.
Sleep deprivation can weaken your immune system and increases your chances for disease. For some people, it may be a difficulty falling asleep and for others they may find that they wake multiple times a night and have difficulty getting back to sleep. In this week’s article, I would like to share some of the strategies for improving your sleep as borne out by a lot of current research. For those who have difficulty falling asleep, ask yourself if racing thoughts are causing this problem. If so, reducing your overall stress and anxiety levels before trying to go to sleep will help this issue. An effective relaxation for sleep track helps to focus your mind on relaxation rather than trying to go to sleep and can stop the cycle of racing thoughts (available HERE ) Writing your thoughts and worries in a journal before going to bed can also help you to focus on relaxing your body rather than trying to force yourself to go to sleep. Keep a notebook on your bedside table so you can write down anything that can be dealt with tomorrow rather than mulling these thoughts over at bedtime. If you still have issues controlling your thoughts after following the above advice, it may be helpful to speak to your G.P or counsellor about ways to help you to relax and destress. For those who wake a lot during the night, creating a relaxing evening routine doing something enjoyable and calming can help.
The following are my top tips to help improve everyone’s sleep quality. -Try to get outside in the morning light as this helps to set your body’s circadian rhythm for the day (your body clock).
-Avoid screens for two hours before bed as the blue light blocks melatonin production in the brain and stops you from feeling sleepy (remind any teens about this also!)
-Try to read or listen to music before trying to sleep so you are already relaxed.
-Avoid large meals/caffeine/chocolate/stimulants/alcohol in the evening time as these will interfere with your body’s ability to relax.
-A small bedtime drink of Cherry Active (available in your health food shop) helps your body to produce the sleep hormone, melatonin.
-Sleep in complete darkness as even small amounts of light interfere with your body clock. -Keep mobile phones turned off and don’t allow the time to be visible to you as this can add a further stress if you do wake up during the night.
-I massage doTerra Serenity blend or Cedarwood and Lavender oil onto my skin before bed in some fractionated coconut oil because these oils encourage relaxation and peace.
I also never miss taking my Copaiba oil under my tongue before I get into bed. This oil has been a complete game-changer for me. I fall asleep within ten minutes of taking Copaiba every night. If you want to order these or just have questions about them, message me on 087-6836922 or nicolahogg@hotmail.com.
-In my clinic, I teach my clients how to do EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) as a very effective tool to help improve sleep issues and bring about feelings of calm and relaxation.
Remember that there are many ways to help improve sleep problems and to ask for help if you need it!