There are a lot of hot topics driving our minds crazy during these days and depriving them of a good night’s sleep. Reason enough to not add more ashes into the fire. If you are also feeling that your body needs an extra hand to fully switch off and rest deeply we have gathered for you the tools and practices you need to enjoy again those peaceful hours of sleep, spoiler alert meditation for sleep is involved.
Who wants to be on the Olivia Kaplan Sleeping Beauty team? We spoke with her and she gave us her top 7 tips for better sleep:
1. Swap Your Afternoon Coffee For Green Tea Or Matcha.
Although at the time, a 3 pm coffee seems like a great idea to give you that extra boost of productivity for the afternoon, unfortunately for most people that caffeine is still hanging around in your system 8 hours later when you are actually trying to do the opposite and wind down. Green tea has a small amount of caffeine (less than coffee) to give you that little boost, but it has the added benefit of L-theanine which actually promotes relaxation. Olivia Kaplan, from BetterBare Nutritionist Said
Also, she recommends to Break The “No Carbs At Night” Rule And Enjoy Carbohydrates For Dinner. Eating good quality carbohydrates at night may support the production of the necessary hormone serotonin, to send us into a peaceful slumber. Before you run for the hot chips, quality is important here. Choose home-cooked potatoes or sweet potatoes so you can enjoy spuds without the deep-fryer and rancid vegetable oils.
But remember that carbohydrates in the form of sugar and refined grains are shown to negatively affect sleep quality, so stick to unrefined from-the-earth carbs. They taste better anyway.
2. Swap Your Nightly Pinot For A Sleepy Alternative.
Unfortunately, even though it seems a nice glass of red calms you down, it actually can affect the quality of your sleep. Alcohol is a sedative, but it negatively affects the actual quality of our sleep.
While I’m all for balance, of course, there is a time and a place. And incorporating more alcohol-free nights into your week is only going to do you good.
Olivia Kaplan
One of her favorite swaps is to enjoy a glass of sparkling water with a squeeze of lime and a splash of tart cherry juice which actually contains melatonin – a hormone required for sleep! Olivia said.
3. Load Up On Magnesium.
The wonder mineral. It’s used for so many enzymatic processes in the body that there’s almost too many to list, and as our soils are depleted in this mineral, almost everyone could use more magnesium. It promotes relaxation which is obviously great news for tonight’s sleep. So enjoy cacao, kale, salmon, and nuts and seeds for a dose of dietary magnesium. And consider a supplement to boost your intake.
4. Enjoy Dietary Sources Of Melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Our bodies naturally produce it but it can also be taken in supplement form, and it’s even naturally present in some foods, notably tart cherry and pistachios! For those that struggle with falling asleep, consuming melatonin through diet or supplementation can help greatly.
Note: In one serve of BetterBare’s SleepyBare, you’ll get 6mg of Magnesium, 360mg of Tart Cherry, and 100mg of L-theanine. You’ll also get 60mg of Lemon Balm Extract and 1.24mg of Vitamin B6, all ingredients carefully selected to help you sleep!
5. Prepare your Room for that Sleep Moment
It’s important to relax, recenter and connect and I have discovered that the Cedar and Stone Meditation mist, is an essential-oil-infused, and non-toxic body/home/air/anything mist that I love to keep handy and spray it onto the sofa, chairs, carpet, bed… (basically the whole apartment) I also like to have one bottle in my bedside table in case I just need a little help for a great night’s sleep.
6. Go for Herbal Supplements
It has traditionally been used in the Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine as a tonic or adaptogen to promote energy levels, mental clarity, and a youthful state. Adaptogens work in the body to help us “adapt” and resist stress.
They are particularly good for people experiencing stress from their environment, where the stress is not due to biochemical issues with the neurotransmitters. This could be a busy new parent, trying to do too much so overwhelmed, a person studying for university exams due to the ability to help with mental clarity and recall, or a person training for a run. Peta Teuma, GO Healthy Chief Naturopath said.
Peta Teuma also recommended us Kava as it has traditionally been used in Pacific Islander medicine for centuries in ceremonies and for relaxation. It is known traditionally as an anxiolytic. An anxiolytic in contrast to an adaptogen calms down the nervous system. The active constituents kavalactones have been shown to interact with GABA receptors in the brain and the neurotransmitters dopamine, and serotonin. GABA slows down the central nervous system promoting relaxation, a sense of calm, and supports sleep.
Both supplements can be taken together, it would be ideal to have Ashwagandha in the morning after breakfast and then Kava in the evening for the sedative effect.
Peta Teuma
7. Try to Incorporate Sleep and Meditation Apps
It’s good to track your sleeping patterns and to wake up during your lightest sleep phase, without a conventional alarm clock. Waking up during light sleep feels like waking up naturally rested and Sleep Cycle does it all for you.
Your movements vary with each sleep stage. This app uses sound analysis to identify sleep states, tracking your movements in bed, and a wake-up phase (30 minutes by default) that ends at your desired alarm time. During this phase, Sleep Cycle will monitor signals from your body to wake you softly when you are in the lightest possible sleep stage.
Also, meditate before going to sleep can help, if you are having trouble going to bed. I have discovered that Insight Timer has a huge, ever-increasing library of guided meditations and talks from a wide variety of teachers. You can search for topics centered around different emotions, benefits, types of practices, basically, there’s a practice for each and one of their users. Get ready to listen to thousands of different music tracks and stories to help you dream tight every night.
Looking for more? This app is more like an online meditation community, which allows you to connect with other users around the world. There’s that sense of community that makes you feel welcomed, and you can even send them a “Thanks for meditating with me” message! music for sleep music for sleep music for sleep music for sleep music for sleep music for sleep music music for sleep music for sleep sleep calculator sleep calculator sleep calculator sleep calculator sleep calculator sleep calculator sleep calculator sleep calculator
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