Can I get a show of hands of all those who believe they get enough sleep at night? No one? No one at all? That’s what I thought.
Whether we blame our study load, insomnia or the ‘need’ to
watch just one last episode of The Vampire Diaries, so many people seem to always
be tired.
Before we look for a solution to this problem it is
important that we ask the question: how much sleep do we actually need?
A newborn baby requires up to 18 hours of sleep per day and
this number gradually decreases as we age. High school students aged 12 to 18
years old require 8.5 to 10 hours of sleep and adults over 18 require slightly
less at 7.5 – 9 hours per night.
However, according to the National Institutes of Health, a
majority of adults sleep less than 7 hours.
Some claim that they “do not need that much sleep” and can
get by on 6 hours per night. However, this gene applies only to 3% of the
population.
The question we all want to know is: how do we stop being so
tired? How can I stay awake in those early morning classes or those long days
in the office? How do I get to sleep when my mind is still racing at a thousand
miles a minute?
Here are 3 tips that can assist in winding down our bodies
at the end of the day and helping us to get the sleep we need:
1. The 4-7-8 technique
1. The 4-7-8 technique
This technique was developed by Andrew
Weil, a Harvard trained holistic doctor and involves lightly touching your
tongue to the front roof of your mouth and adopting the following breathing
pattern:
·
Breathe in through your nose while silently
counting to four
·
Hold your breath for seven counts
·
Making a ‘whoosh’ sound, breathe out of your mouth
for eight counts
·
Repeat the process three times
Dr Weil says that the success of
this technique can be accredited to the fact that the method delivers more
oxygen than normal breathing and assists the parasympathetic nervous system
which is overstimulated during times of stress
2. Lavender
2. Lavender
You may have noticed that grandma likes to
keep bunches of lavender in her bedroom which she tells you helps her relax.
Turns out she is on to something!
Research shows that smelling lavender
lowers both heart rate and blood pressure, increasing relaxation.
Use a lavender room spray or placing some
lavender oil in a diffuser before you go to sleep and you will soon find
yourself drifting away to dream land.
However, founder of the Clayton Sleep
Institute Joseph Ojile, reminds us that the use of lavender is only a game
changer if you also practice other habits that assist with sleep.
3. Turn off technology
Now before you all slaughter me, allow me
to explain.
We all know that our phones, tablets and
other electronic devices all emit light.
Not only can this bright light in a
darkened room be damaging to our eyes but light plays a key role in our
sleeping patterns.
This is due to a hormone in our bodies
known as melatonin which is activated when there is little light in the
environment.
When there is a light source introduced, in
this case from our smart phones and tablets, the melatonin activation is halted
and therefore can potentially keep us awake.
However emotionally painful it may seem to
remove these devices from your bed time ritual, your body will certainly thank
you!
Next time you find yourself wanting to watch an entire
season of Dance Moms in one night, think about the potential side effects of
lack of sleep, including Chronic Sleep Deprivation.
These tips may not provide extra hours in the day many
people desire, but they certainly will help you make the most of the hours you
do have.