Sleep your way to a better you…but try not to worry about it!

Sleep is the most rejuvenating aspect of our daily life. At the time of writing, social media is hot on the glymphatic system; the mechanism by which the brain is ‘cleansed’. while we’re asleep. There is a lot of fear mongering aimed at those of us who suffer from sleep disturbances or insomnia. That fear will have a more detrimental effect on you than not sleeping, so let’s look at some positive steps you can take towards improving the quality of the sleep you do get.

There are many reasons why sleep is disturbed; stress raises the level of cortisol in our system and causes the mind to catastrophise, menopause can wake you with hot flushes or sweats, ADHD brain chemistry makes it very hard to sleep soundly, sleep apnea is a concern that should be seen to be a doctor.

Your circadian rhythm is the body’s internal clock that regulates your sleep/wake cycle, promoting daytime alertness through the release of cortisol from around 2-3 a.m and drowsiness in the evening by secreting melatonin from about 4 p.m to help you sleep. We humans have invented many ways to disrupt this rhythm but it is possible to reset it:

• Get outside in the early morning, ideally within 90 minutes of waking and without sunglasses to stimulate the suprachiasmatic nucleus (the body’s master clock in the hypothalamus) via the eyes.
  Here in the UK, this isn’t always easy as we have wet, grey winters but you can purchase daylight lamps if you really suffer from insomnia.

• Morning exercise is best for regulating the levels of cortisol and melatonin, improving sleep quality.
  Stress causes an excess of cortisol so when the body’s natural alarm system stimulates you with more cortisol in the early morning, you are likely to wake up. Top Tip: tighten and squeeze your buttocks and thighs to metabolise some of the cortisol which may help you get back to sleep. Try Ujjayi pranayama, elongating the exhalation to soothe the autonomic nervous system.

• Darken your environment in the afternoon. From around 4p.m, the pineal gland secretes melatonin to gradually make us tired. Consider wearing sunglasses outside in the afternoon. The blue light emitted by technology signals daytime via the retina to the suprachiasmatic nucleus and therefore inhibits the production of melatonin. Most modern computers have a setting that dims the light gradually throughout the day. Modern T.V’s have a similar setting, however, you might consider wearing blue light blocking glasses if you have to look at a screen after 4 p.m. Ideally stop watching T.V at least an hour before bedtime. If you have any blue light bulbs, change them for yellow ones. Consider fitting dimmer switches or using lamps instead of overhead lighting.

• Seratonin* is the precursor hormone to melatonin and is stimulated by light. Another reason to go out in the morning! The amino acid tryptophan is the precursor of serotonin. Tryptophan is obtained through diet. To improve serotonin production, eat foods containing tryptophan such as chicken, turkey, tuna, milk, cheese, cottage cheese, oats, nuts and seeds. Unfortunately there are lower levels of tryptophan in oats, nuts and seeds so if you are vegan, it is worth getting advice from your GP or a nutritional therapist about supplementing your diet.

  *Seratonin helps regulate mood and a lack of it can lead to mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.

You may find keeping a food diary helpful. This could give you some idea of which foods disrupt your sleep. Caffeine, sugar, high levels of carbohydrates and an excess of protein are among foods that can disregulate your blood-sugar levels and wake you up. Charlotte Watts, a Yoga and Nutritional Therapist who taught at The Minded Institute when I was training recommends eating a few nuts, half an oatcake or quarter of an apple before bed if you have a high metabolism. She explained that coffee has a half life; i.e your system will have half the amount of caffeine in it 8 hours after consuming coffee, a quarter the amount 12 hours later and an eighth the amount 14 hours later. Caffeine only leaves the body 16 hours after consuming it so if you are sensitive to caffeine only consume it first thing in the morning. Alcohol is likely to wake you as is drinking anything after 6 p.m. It is best to drink plenty of water during the day and slow your consumption of fluids through the afternoon and into the evening. Some people find eating within a 16 hour window successful so your body isn’t digesting while you’re asleep.

It is really a case of playing around with your diet and trying different foods and methods to see what works for you. Here are some other tips:

• Take a warm bath two hours before bed.

• Drink relaxing herbal teas in the evening like chamomile, lemon balm and valerian.

• Set a sleep wake cycle and stick to it.

• Sleep in a cool room, no higher than 18º.

• If you suffer from anxiety, try sleeping under a weighted blanket or with something heavy on your belly or chest (so long as you can still breathe with ease).

• Practice Ujayii breathing before bed and elongate your exhalation. If you are chest breathing, your body will assume you are stressed and will do what it can to keep you alert to whatever danger it perceives you should be running from rather than allowing you to sleep.

• Wear ear plugs (Loop are my favourite, they come with 3 different sized buds and are easy to clean, plus they come with a small container so they don’t get lost).

• Wear an eye mask.

• Fresh air helps as long as the room doesn’t get too cold.

• Getting into a warm bed is great for a disregulated nervous system; try an electric blanket that can be set to switch off.

What NOT to do:

• don’t worry about not sleeping

• do not look at your clock each time you wake

• do not keep your phone in the bedroom

• do not have a television in your bedroom

• do not have any technology with small bright lights in the bedroom

How can Yoga and Mindfulness help?

In the morning, practice a gentle warm up followed by strong poses to metabolise cortisol such as utkatasana (chair pose which can be done against a wall) and virabhadrasana II (warrior 2), held until the thighs are burning.

Pay attention during the day. Use your senses to alert you to the world around you and try to be in the present moment. Every time you notice the mind worrying about the future or ruminating over the past, congratulate yourself for noticing (this is mindfulness at work and choosing the positive over the negative is better for the brain). Focus on something in the present; it could be your breath. You could use a mantra to help switch off the busy mind such as ‘breathing in I my belly rises, breathing out my belly falls’ which you could simplify to ‘rising, falling’ once you are able to attend to it without the mind interrupting.

In the afternoon, if you have time, practice a restorative pose such as savasana or viparita karani (legs up the wall pose). Caution: do not practice viparita karani if you have high blood pressure or glaucoma. A body scan or Yoga Nidra are both wonderful practices that bring the mind into the present moment. Yoga Nidra is shown to stimulate theta brain waves; the same brain waves demonstrated in deep sleep which is why it is so rejuvenating.

In the evening, practice slow, somatic, gentle movements which may require the guidance of a teacher.

Choose an activity during your bedtime routine that you pay close attention to. For example, when washing your face, fill the basin with a drop of relaxing lavender oil (patch test done first to confirm you are not allergic). Breathe in the scent. Notice any reflections or shadows in the water. Feel the water in your hands and on your face, the products you use - be aware of sensations. Set a routine that enable the mind to quieten.

When in bed, focus on your breathing. If you struggle to get to sleep, don’t fret. Come back to your breath. Try going through a body scan or Yoga Nidra again. No matter how often you wake up, try not to worry. Just say ‘I’m awake',’ using a tone that suggests curiosity rather judgment or concern. If you really need to, get out of bed. Try a walking meditation or anything that brings you into the present moment so long as it doesn’t involve putting the lights on.

I hope you find these tips helpful. You may have good days and bad days. Accept things as they are. Try doing things differently the following day. Most of all, try not to judge, worry, panic or catasrophise. Be kind to yourself and as self compassionate as you can be. Not sleeping is hard. Acknowledging this fact with a hand on the body can be a powerful act of self compassion. Remember, you are doing the best you can.