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Sleep

Sleep is essential for our physical and mental health.  When we sleep, our body recharges, it rests our brain and our muscles so we can wake up feeling refreshed and alert with the energy we need for the next day. It is normal to have the odd night when you are not as restful as normal and you might wake up feeling groggy, you might feel tired during the day, and perhaps notice your brain is not working to its best, but you can catch up on that bad night.  Chronic sleep deprivation is harder to make up.  Insomnia and broken sleep, waking frequently in the night, struggling to get back to sleep can have damaging effects on your physical and mental health.
 

There are 4 main sleep stages

It helps to understand that when we sleep, we go through cycles made up of the following stages:

Stage 1 – The middle ground between sleep and wake, your eyes are closed and your body is quiet, this typically lasts for up to 10 minutes

Stage 2 – Light Sleep – your muscles continue to relax, your body temperature cools slightly and your heart rate begins to slow – this stage typically lasts around 20 minutes.

Stage 3 – Deep Sleep – Your muscles are relaxed, your blood pressure and breathing rate are the lowest they will be all night.  This stage of sleep is our body recharging energy and typically the longest stage.  

Stage 4 – REM (Rapid Eye Movement) – This is the dreaming stage, your brain becomes more active your body remains immobilised, your eyes might move underneath your eyelids, while the rest of your body is still.

This is a cycle that we can go through typically six to eight times in one night.

How can I improve my sleep?

How people sleep can be affected by many factors such as age, medication, caffeine intake, stress and mental health conditions but understanding some of the ways we can improve our sleep could help you have a more restful night, boost your health, and improve how you think and feel during the day.

Sleep Pattern

Develop a sleep pattern – it really helps our body clock if we can get into a routine of sleep time and wake time, including the weekends, this helps train your body to sleep when you need it to.

Light

Get exposure to natural light in the day – even better if you can get outside and take in some fresh air. Light is the principal control of our day-night cycle, influencing everything from body temperature to metabolism to sleep. Without it, our bodies will run on a pattern determined by our genetics.

Wind Down

Harsh lights and brain stimulation can mess with our internal body clock, tricking us that we aren’t tired at bedtime, in the evenings, lower the light levels, try to put your phone aside an hour before bed and if you can read a book before sleeping it’s a good way to put your other thoughts away.

To-do list

Making a to-do list before going up to bed – We’ve all done it, you get in to bed and think I must not forget to do X in the morning and then the thought swims around in your brain making it harder to fall asleep. By dedicating some time to listing out the things to remember the next day, you can unburden yourself of these thoughts before bed-time.  If you wake during in the night, and have a worry or even a great idea, try jotting it down and you can address it in the morning.

Sleep Environment

Make your bedroom right for sleep – try to keep the bedroom dark, quiet and cool and if possible, only use your bedroom for sleeping.

Let your sleep come to you

Focus on relaxing rather than sleeping – if you struggle to get to sleep or you wake in the night and struggle to get back to sleep try not to worry about it, try to focus on relaxing rather than sleeping.

Satori Hypnotherapy | Image Representing Insomnia - Trying to sleep with clock
What to do if you have tried all of the above and are still having problems?

If you are having regular episodes of poor sleep and it is becoming a worry, then reach out to your doctor.  If you are feeling unusually stressed or anxious which you think might be affecting your sleep you may find it beneficial to try talking therapy.  This can help you manage your life’s stresses, reframe your thoughts, allowing you the brain space to sleep.  If you would like to try Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, reach out to me today for an initial conversation.