We all need a good night’s sleep – sleep is crucial for helping the body to rest, restore and rejuvenate. Health benefits include better weight regulation, reduced stress, improved cognitive function and reduced risk of issues such as heart disease and diabetes.
Adults aged from 18 to 65 years need an average of 7-9 hours sleep every night, while adults aged 66 and over need 7-8 hours.
However, we don’t just need sleep; the quality of sleep is crucial too. Did you know there are different stages of sleep? Split between NREM (non-rapid eye movement) and REM (Rapid eye movement) 
Stage 1 NREM – this is where the body transitions from being awake to being drowsy and starting to fall asleep. During this stage brainwaves and muscles start to slow down. There may be muscle jerks and a sense of falling
Stage 2 NREM – this is associated with light sleep. At this stage eye movements stop, brainwaves become slower, the heart rate slows and body temperature decreases
Stage 3 NREM – this stage is known as slow-wave sleep. At this stage blood pressure falls, breathing slows down and body temperature drops further. Sleep is deeper, with no eye movement, and decreased muscle activity. It is at this stage that some children experience bed-wetting or sleepwalking
Stage 4 REM – this stage of sleep is very active, and is characterised by intense brain activity. Brainwaves are fast, breathing becomes more rapid, irregular and shallow, eyes move rapidly and muscles become temporarily paralysed. The heart rate and blood pressure increase. This is the stage where most dreams occur. This is also the stage where the brain works to move issues from the emotional primitive mind to the more logical pre-frontal cortex, where they can be processed in a more logical, and less emotional, way.
So what can we do to improve our sleep?
Alcohol
Alcohol will not help to promote a good sleep routine. It may help you to fall asleep initially but it is likely to wake you during the essential stage 4 REM stage
Diet
Foods to avoid from late afternoon include heavy, rich food (indigestion), spicy food (heartburn), caffeinated drinks (stimulants), sugary drinks (spiked blood sugar levels), large fatty meals (slows digestion), citrus foods (can cause stomach discomfort), chocolate (contains caffeine and sugar) and fried food (hard to digest and can lead to discomfort)
A sleep-promoting food ingredient to look out for is Trytophan. This is an amino acid involved in the production of serotonin, which is attributed to sleep regulation. Foods rich in trytophan include turkey, eggs, salmon, milk, yoghurt, cheddar cheese, apples, bananas, nuts and seeds, chickpeas, kidney beans and oats.
Trytophan’s effectiveness is enhanced when combined with carbohydrates, as they make trytophan more accessible to the brain. A beneficial snack could be cereal with milk, or crackers with peanut butter. Trytophan is also essential for overall health. It assists with neurotransmission and, once ingested, combines with vitamin b6 and transforms into serotonin.
Breathing Techniques
Proper breathing techniques can lead to deeper, more restorative sleep. Diaphragmatic breathing, where you breathe deeper into the belly, rather than shallowly into your chest, can help to calm the nervous system by strengthening the diaphragm, and reducing the need for oxygen and energy for breathing.
The 4-7-8 method (breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 7, breathe out for a count of 8) can promote relaxation. This technique was developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, and is based on ancient yogic practices.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation can strengthen and calm the nervous system, promoting peace and stillness; sit or lie down with your back and head properly supported…relax every muscle in your body…as you start, imagine each muscle going loose and limp…start by directing attention to your feet, allowing them to go limp…tense and release the muscles in your feet and ankles…enjoy the sensation of relaxation…work your way up your body, from your feet up through your calves, thighs, hips, stomach and up to your neck and shoulders…next, imagine the muscles in your chin, cheeks and forehead relaxing, moving to the top of your scalp…by now, your whole body should be relaxed…finish off with your mind, shutting your thoughts out of your awareness…
Enhance the sleep atmosphere
- soft lighting to create a relaxing atmosphere
- cotton, breathable sheets and comfortable pillows
- blackout curtains
- room temperature between 60 and 67 degrees fahrenheit (15.5 to 19.4 degrees celsius) to promote the body’s natural cooling process
- stop using devices (mobile, ipad, laptop etc) for at least an hour before going to bed
Herbs
I’m not a herbalist so I’m not going to recommend what to ingest, but I will promote lavender and hops.
Research (Fismer, Pilkington 2012) found that lavender contains linalool, a naturally occurring terpene alcohol, that acts on GABA receptors to reduce nerve excitation, anxiety and restlessness, while promoting sedation. Regarding hops, research (Fukuda et al, 2021) involved participants drinking non-alcoholic beer; they reported improved sleep quality after 29 days.
