Get a good night's sleep and you're ready to face the new day!
To wake up revitalised you simply need to get enough good quality sleep. We are all quite different in how much sleep we require but most adults need between seven and eight hours a night, although some people can routinely cope with much less.
Ten Steps To A Good Night’s Sleep
- Get the temperature right. Most people sleep better in a room that is slightly on the cool side. This may be achieved by keeping a window open or turning off central heating during the winter.
- Humidify the air: either by use of a humidifying machine or simply by placing a bowl of water near where you sleep. It really can make all the difference.
- The use of aromatherapy essential oils or herb bags such as lavender can be helpful for a lot of people to sooth a good night’s sleep.
- Black out blinds or curtains, particularly useful in the summer months, assist in the maintenance of good quality sleep throughout the night.
- Avoid caffeine or alcohol as long as possible before going to bed and try to establish a sleep routine where you go to bed and wake up at the same time on most days.
- If you wake up during the night, why is this? Common reasons could be due to temperature or lighting problems as mentioned above, but also could be from outside noise, a partner who snores or a sign of an underlying medical problem such as night cramps or even depression. Waking up in the early hours of the morning can be a symptom of depression so always discuss this with your GP if you have concerns.
- If you cannot turn your mind off, have a note pad by your bed and write down what is on your mind. Your brain is then officially allowed to forget your stressful thoughts. If you really can’t sleep, it can be helpful to sit quietly in another room for 15-20 minutes but don’t be tempted to turn on your computer or TV, this will only make things worse.
- Remove all laptops, palmtops, smart phones from your bedroom to make sure you are not tempted to use them just before bed. Switch any non-vital phones to silent.
- Get the mattress right. In general the correct density of your mattress is decided by your body weight, with people below 10 stone often requiring a soft mattress, those between 10-15 stone requiring a medium mattress and anybody over 15 stone requiring a firm mattress. A good quality mattress is very important. Spend your money on the mattress as opposed to the bed frame if money is tight and try to spend as much time lying on the bed before you buy as possible! A pocket sprung mattress is often a safe bet.
- Get the pillow right. A pillow should support your neck into an optimal neutral posture, whether you sleep on your back or your side, for the entire sleeping period. Correct alignment is essential at night time to maintain healthy joints and soft tissue structures. Incorrect posture is often caused by using a pillow that forces your neck away from this midline position, either forwards (usually from a pillow that is too high) or backwards (from inadequate support or lack of pillow). Lying on your tummy where your neck is twisted excessively to one side should also be avoided. Orthopaedic (or contoured pillows) are designed to help maintain neutral postures over night but try to make sure you get the right design for you. Try it out before you buy if possible or ask advice from your Physiotherapist, Osteopath or Chiropractor.
Five Ways To Stay Alert During The Day
Staying perky and alert all day!
To stay perky and alert during the day:
- Make sure you eat healthy regular meals and keep hydrated (most people require about 2 litres of water a day).
- Get away from your desk at lunch time and go for a walk.
- Don’t eat your lunch at your desk and surf the internet, as your body needs movement to improve your circulation, concentration and overall comfort.
- Try and meet and talk with friends or colleagues during breaks as a bit of socialising can really help with motivation and alertness.
- Just by smiling we can uplift our mood, our productivity and overall vitality.
Images: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
