Sleep is a biological process that we all need in good quality and quantity to help us being our healthiest. Here are some of the most common questions we get asked about sleep, and their answers!

How can I teach myself to sleep earlier?

When you are trying to teach yourself a new sleep habit, establishing a new routine is important. Use a night-time routine to create a habit that will get your mind and body set up to sleep. Use a dark environment and try to avoid screens within the last hour before you go to bed. You can do this in stages if you are trying to shift your bedtime significantly.

Why do I always wake up to go to the bathroom?

This can be influenced by the volume of fluid throughout the day. A trick you can try is to reduce or stop your fluid intake a few hours before you go to bed.

Why is sleep so important?

During sleep, your brain goes through cycles where it is processes information and ‘clears out’ waste products that are produced thought out the day. The deepest part of our sleep cycle is called our REM cycle. This is the most restorative part of our sleep and is where our dreams occur!

When I wake up during the night, I can never get back to sleep!

If this happens, don’t turn on the lights because the bright lights hit your eyes, and that makes it even harder to go to sleep! You can try to focus on your breathing to help you calm your body and mind. Try a technique her your breath in for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7 and exhale for a count of 8.

Does exercises affect my sleep?

Research shows that exercises does improve sleep quality!

Should I always need an alarm to wake me up, is that bad?

Ideally, we would all be able to wake up when our bodies need too, without an alarm. For a lot of this, this isn’t realistic, so if you do need an alarm then try to use an alarm that is not overly startling.

Does the food I have for dinner affect my sleep?

Meals that include higher fat content can take longer to break down so these meals might still be sitting in your stomach by the time you’re trying to fall asleep. Having a smaller meal with some more digestible protein and some starchy carbs, that might be something that’s easier for you to manage. Another element that may be impacting your sleep regarding your dinner, may be when you are eating dinner! Your digestion plays a part in your sleep quality so try to eat at least 2 hours before you go to bed.

Heal > Adapt > Evolve