Getting 8 hours of sleep in 4 – sounds like a dream come true right?
Right.
And although this sounds like a fantasy; it’s actually not.
See, what makes you feel fresh in the morning – and gives you that “I just slept for 8 hours feeling” – isn’t about how many hours you sleep.
Actually – it’s about how deeply you’ve slept.
Ideally – you will sleep for 7-9 hours each night.
But, to be honest, is that really going to happen every night?
Probably not. So for when it doesn’t – here’s my top 3 tips to get the sleep you know, love and need to function properly the next day.
Step 1. Diffuse lavender throughout the evening
Activating the parasympathetic nervous system, research shows lavender can slow brainwaves – from a busy alpha / beta pattern (when you feel alert), to a dreamy theta pattern (when you feel dozy).
Consequentially – this can help you unwind easier in the evening and fall into deeper sleep faster.
For best results, have the aroma wafting through your sleep sanctuary long before you jump into bed: it will encourage you to switch off easier.
Avenues of entry – e.g. oral, applying to the skin or diffusing onto a pillow spray – matter less than the fact you simply do it. So whatever works best for you, do that.
Step 2. Make meditation part of your nightly bedtime routine
Evidence shows long term meditators spend twice as long in deep sleep than those who don’t meditate. Twice. As. Long.
As a reminder, this isn’t about your evening – this is about the next day.
For your mind – deep sleep boosts mental clarity, as it helps remove beta-amyloid, a neurotoxin to otherwise contribute to memory loss;
For your mood – deep sleep lowers the stress hormone cortisol, which can make you feel anxious.
And for your body – deep sleep encourages the release of human growth hormone, helping restore physiological energy.
Needless to say – deep sleep is critical; and meditation partnered with my other two top tips here, will help you get more of it.
Step 3. Wear an eye mask when you sleep
Clinical trials show light decreases the time you spend in deep sleep.
And although your eyelids may be closed, realise there is ambient light all around you – a partner watching TV, exterior lights, even the digits on your alarm clock.
It only takes a peep of light to creep in to impede upon deep sleep; so, wearing an eye mask is a must.
And on that note – Dreamlight Sleep Eye Masks are ideal: they block 100% of light.
Designed using facial mapping technology, the mask cushions your face where you need it most.
As a result, you leave it on all night long, and at the same time, keep deep sleep inhibiting light out.
Olivia Arezzolo
Olivia Arezzolo is a Sleep Expert.
Her qualifications include: Bachelor of Social Science – Psychology; Cert Sleep Psychology; Diploma of Health Science – Nutritional Medicine; Cert 3+4 Fitness; giving her underpinnings of psychology, fitness and nutrition; which are then integrated into sleep.
