While getting plenty of rest and sleep is vital to overall good health and happiness, the stresses and strains of modern life can make to challenging to relax. We can help you de-stress.

The natural way to better sleep

We all know what it’s like to suffer a bad night’s sleep. It can make you feel grumpy, down and even effect your performance at work. Every so often, this will do no major harm, but long-term sleep deprivation can also have profound consequences on your physical health.

Regular poor sleep can put you at risk of serious medical conditions including obesity, heart disease and diabetes and shorten your life expectancy.

The key to good sleep

Healthy sleep habits can make a big difference to your quality of life. Having a sleep routine can help. The same sleep schedule, even at weekends, helps to regulate your body clock so you can fall and stay asleep at the same time every night.

If you struggle to doze off at bedtime, there are a few things you can do.

Avoid naps, especially in the afternoon. They may help get you through the day, but this can have a knock-on effect at night when you are no longer tired. Preserving the right sleeping environment, with no light, noises or distractions can also help. Make sure your room temperature is not too warm or too cold.

And avoiding alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine and other stimulants, particularly late at night, is important to help your body revert into resting mode.

Healthy eating leads to healthy sleeping

A diet that’s low in fibre and high in saturated fats could take its toll on your sleep. Following a healthy balanced diet that’s low in processed sugars could help you to drift off faster and gain up to two extra hours of sleep a week.

Avoid fried or high-fat meals and spicy foods, they are harder to digest, and your body will create energy to do so, when it should be calming down.

If you do need a pre-bedtime snack, whole grains, and low-fat proteins rich in B vitamins, and dairy products are far more beneficial – there’s a reason why warm milk helps you doze off!