Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Are you struggling to stay focused and alert  during meetings, yawing at your desk or feel your thoughts, attention and energy are down?  If this is you, you may be one of many people who are just not getting enough sleep.   In fact if you eat well and exercise regularly if you are not getting enough sleep you could well be undermining all your other efforts.

When we are not getting enough sleep some effects in the short term are:

• Impaired memory and lack of ability to think, remember and process information
• Lack of alertness
• Relationship streess
• Increased risk of car accidents, falls and injuries

Longer term sleep deprivation presents with potentially more serious health problems such as obesity, depression, increased blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease thus often we underestimate the importance of regular adequate sleep.

Sleep hygiene or rituals involves habits that we adopt to have a good night’s sleep to improve your sleep quality which can dramatically improve your  energy, work performance, mood  and overall quality of life

Here are our 5 top sleep habits for getting a good night’s rest :

• Work with your body clock by setting a strict bedtime that will allow you at least 7 hours of sleep from your wake time.
• Use your bedroom only for sleeping and intimacy and not like a second lounge room.  Watching TV, screen time electronic on devices or talking to friends on the phone associates your bedroom with activity which interferes with winding your mind and body down in preparation for sleep.
• Make sure your bedroom is quiet and a comfortable temperature.
• Ensure your mattress and pillow is supportive and comfortable.
• Practice exercises such as give mindful attention to relaxing every part of your body, starting with your toes and working up to your head or think of a restful place and concentrate on your rhythmic deep slow breathing.