How to be a Super Sleeper - by Nicola Rist

Most people love sleep but many of us have been struggling with this favourite past time during the coronavirus pandemic at a time when boosting immunity through sleep has never been more important.  It is so frustrating but hopefully this advice will help. 

Firstly, why is sleep so important?!

Osteopaths often ask patients about their sleep habits during consultations because we pride ourselves on looking at a person’s whole health rather than just their musculoskeletal injury.  This is because lifestyle factors have such an important role to play in the healing process.  This is what makes osteopaths such fantastic practitioners!

You might think that when you’re sleeping your body isn’t doing a lot but it’s during this time that your body recovers and repairs from the daily stresses and strains. You release hormones that strengthen your muscles and build mass.  Reduced hours of sleep have been linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and diabetes. Without sleep your body finds cannot fight colds, flu or even coronavirus as effectively!  Sleep helps brain function, reduces symptoms of depression and lack of motivation which all helps you to work with your practitioner to heal your injury more quickly.  

Sleep time should vary on average between 7-8 hours per night.  This may vary depending on your age.  If we improve our quality of our sleep we will gain more deep sleep time which will improve our immune system and boost our rates of healing.   

Here are my favourite sleep enhancing past times.

·        I try to eat my last big meal 3-4 hours before I go to bed. 

·        I’ve invested in a good quality mattress + bedding.  After all, I spend a lot of time there.

·        I keep my bedroom cool.

·        I use a lavender pillow spray.

·        I try to go to bed and wake up at exactly the same time each day.

·        I give myself half an hour to wind down before I go to bed. 

·        I leave my mobile phone DOWNSTAIRS, otherwise I can’t stop looking at it!

·        I use a lumie alarm clock to mimic natural light with a sunrise and sunset function.

·         I don’t have any caffeine in the afternoon or evening.  Caffeine has a half-life of about 5 hours.  Someone who consumes 40 mgs of caffeine will have 20 mgs remaining in their system after 5 hours.

·        Meditation really helps me to switch off after a busy day once the kids have gone to bed.  I try to do the headspace app once per day

·        If I can’t sleep I get up and make myself a nice relaxing herbal tea and read a book.  I try not to lie in bed and stew about the fact that I can’t sleep. 

I try to eat as well as possible because brain function relies on it receiving the right nutrients which in turn improves sleep habits