How is your sleep? If you’re anything like 71% of people in the UK you may not be getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours sleep per night, quite possibly surviving on just 5 hours of slumber, which can quickly lead to uncomfortable health issues. If you’ve ever had a bad night’s sleep, you’ll know that food cravings, low energy, mood swings and difficulty concentrating are all too common problems, but did you know that several nights of extremely poor sleep can even lead to symptoms of prediabetes? Sleep impacts way more than how tired we feel; it controls our blood sugar, hunger, brain power, heart health, hormones and so much more. This is why it’s so important to know how to improve and even optimise your sleep. How do you think you’d feel if you woke up from the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had? How would you feel if you knew you could slide into bed and drift away into a deep, uninterrupted snooze?

In this blog, you’ll learn the key tips and tricks to optimise your sleep; from making small changes to your daily routine, to choosing the right foods at the right time of day, and using effective yogic breathing techniques and essential oils to calm your nervous system in preparation for bedtime. Read on for the tips you need to know on how to get better sleep starting tonight!

What is sleep?

Before we dive in, it’s useful to know a little more about what sleep is. Many sources define sleep as a state in which the body and brain are dormant and resting, and when the body is less responsive to outside stimuli. The truth however, is that our brains and bodies are actually more active at specific points of our sleep than they are when we’re awake.

When we sleep, we move through 4 stages; the first two phases are relatively light, whilst the third stage is what we know of as ‘deep sleep’. In deep sleep, the breathing and pulse rate noticeably slow, and brain waves are dominated by ‘Delta’ waves, which are thought to be critical to truly restorative sleep. This is the part of sleep when most recovery and repair is taking place, and when growth hormone is released, which is essential for immune health, repairing wear and tear from daily activity, and helping create stronger muscles after exercise. In the 4^th stage of sleep, brain activity picks up and we may have vivid dreams; it is thought that this sleep stage is vital for memory, learning and creativity, as well as processing emotions.

As you can see, experiencing a full ‘sleep cycle’ is important, and if you notice you feel groggy as you hit the ‘snooze’ button on your alarm clock in the morning, it could be because you’ve woken up in the middle of a cycle, and the body isn’t quite ready to get up yet.

Now you know a little more about how important sleep is, here are 3 key ways to start optimising your sleep tonight!:

Balance Darkness & Light

Your body clock relies upon signals from the outside world in order to function in a balanced way. Also known as the ‘sleep-wake cycle’ or ‘circadian rhythms’ the body clock is essentially like a 24 hour clock within our cells that tells us when to wake up and feel energised, and when to feel sleepy and go to bed. The main trigger that sets the body clock up each day and night is light. Essentially, our bodies need a good dose of bright natural light in the morning in order to flip the ‘on’ switch on the body clock and release hormones like dopamine and adrenaline, and they need a lot of darkness at night to stimulate the release of melatonin, the ‘sleep hormone’. The biggest disruptor to our sleep today is a lack of bright light in the morning and throughout the day, and way too much bright light from screens and ceiling lights at night. Re-setting your circadian rhythms can really work wonders for sleep, energy, mood, as well as hormonal balance and the ability to maintain a healthy weight. Here’s how to do it:

• When you wake up, head outside ASAP into natural morning light. This is the best time of day to roll out your eco yoga travel mat somewhere outside for a few rounds of sun salutations first thing in the morning. If the weather is still a little chilly where you are, pull on the Varley Davidson Sweater and simply sip your tea in the garden, or take a short walk. The natural sunlight is like an alarm clock for your brain to start clearing away sleep hormones and ushering in the hormones we need for an energetic day.
• At night, turn down the lights in your home, and avoid screens if possible. Gift yourself The Stories Behind The Poses by Dr. Raj Balkaran, where you’ll discover the traditional tales behind your favourite yoga postures. If screens are non-negotiable, try wearing blue light blocking glasses, and aim to spend at least 10 minutes in darkness before you want to go to bed.

Power Up & Power Down

For around the first 30 minutes upon waking, we have naturally pretty high levels of cortisol, which in this case is a good thing. Cortisol is known mostly as the ‘stress hormone’, but when at a balanced level, we really need a spike of cortisol in the morning to help us get up and get going; cortisol should then gradually decline throughout the day, dropping right down at night. Today, many of us experience disrupted cortisol rhythms; perhaps your cortisol is too low in the morning and you feel fatigued and struggle to get out of bed; perhaps your cortisol is too high at night and you feel ‘wired and tired’. Just as we need a balanced body clock, we need balanced cortisol rhythms too. Here’s how to balance yours:

• Upon waking, engage in things that get your body moving and help you feel upbeat. This is a great way to help your body understand that it’s morning, and time to wake up! Roll out your Yogamatters eco everyday yoga mat, sustainably made from natural tree rubber, and move through a dynamic vinyasa flow practice, or grab the Bala Bangle weights to add more resistance and challenge to your morning movements. Any type of movement in the morning is beneficial; slip on the Girlfriend Collective high rise shorts and head out for a jog, or use the Tangram smart skipping rope outside to combine both morning light and movement – the rope has accurate magnetic sensors placed in the handles to measure jump counts, and provides a mix of jumping modes to keep you on your toes.
• In the evening, it’s so important to calm the nervous system and communicate to the body that it’s time to rest and unwind, yet many of us spend our evenings fitting in extra work or emails, catching up with housework or generally keeping up with the demands of life. Ideally, after sunset the body and brain need to relax. If you’re not able to make it to a studio yoga class to help yourself find calm, you can bring the calmness to you by kitting yourself out with the Yogamatters hemp restorative yoga kit, and committing to a regular evening practice of just a few restorative postures like supported child’s pose, restorative twists or legs up the wall pose. You’ll find more inspiration for your restorative practice in Restorative Yoga: Power, Presence & Practice For Teachers & Trainees by Anna Ashby. Other effective ways to wind down include a long bath filled with Spritz Wellness Bath Salts, or a deeply relaxing guided Yoga Nidra

Foods For Better Sleep

You probably already know that drinking coffee just before bed isn’t a good idea, but for many of us, drinking caffeine even several hours before bed can be problematic. There are two types of coffee drinkers; fast caffeine metabolisers who can drink an espresso and sleep like a baby, and slow caffeine metabolisers, who feel jittery even hours after just one cup. For this reason, it’s worth stopping any caffeine (that’s both tea and coffee) before 1pm; opt instead for Wunder Workshop’s Golden Mylk Chai Turmeric Latte, support a strong immune system and sound sleep.

Other than what not to eat, there are actually many foods that make a big difference when it comes to getting better quality sleep. Here’s how to create an evening meal plan to help optimise your sleep:

• Carbohydrates are calming for the nervous system, as they stimulate the release of serotonin, which makes us feel relaxed and sleepy. Good quality whole-food sources of carbohydrates also help decrease cortisol, so consuming them in the evening is a great way to encourage a restful night. Choose sweet potato or regular white potatoes, beetroot, carrots and other root veg, brown or basmati rice, fermented sourdough bread, or well cooked beans for your healthy carbohydrates. Including a small amount of banana in your dessert is also a great way to give yourself the nutrients your body needs for better sleep.
• Be inspired by recipes from Moon Milk: 55 Plant-Based Recipes For A Good Night’s Sleep by Gina Fontana. Her beautiful book features the most effective, scientifically proven ingredients to reduce insomnia, such as the macadamia and star anise milk, or a dragon fruit flavoured pink Cotton Candy creation. Offering a modern plant-based twist on the tradition of drinking warm milk with sleep-inducing ingredients before bed, there are enough recipes to make more than one different milk every week of the year.

When it comes to sleep, we’re all unique, so try the advice that most resonates with you, begin your sleep-optimising journey from there. Give yourself several months to gradually adapt to the new routines and supplements, and you’ll be snoozing soundly in no time.