Sleep

This week the press seem to be full of articles on sleep, ranging from recent research to the reasons why we lose sleep – the top reason being a heavy workload.

I am sure that most people reading this blog post know that if they have a good night’s sleep they wake up feeling refreshed.  So the recent discovery by scientists from University of Wisconsin which shows sleep restores your brain will be of no surprise.  (For any geeks out there the research showed that sleep boosts myelin which is essential in the growth and repair of our brains.  The research also revealed that deep sleep doubles the rate of reproduction of some cells.)  While over in Stockholm researchers have discovered that people think sleep deprived individuals “look sad, unhealthy and unattractive”.   For anyone that is struggling to get a good night’s sleep knowing science has proved that they look as awful as they feel isn’t exactly helpful either!  So I wanted to share a few tips with you on getting a good night’s sleep.

  • Try to go to bed and get up at the same time as bodies like routine and it will help you sleep better.
  • Ensure your bedroom is quiet, dark, restful and the right temperature i.e. not to hot and not to cold. Remember it isn’t ideal to watch TV or work in your bedroom that includes trying to sleep while keeping one eye on your blackberry.
  • Try to mentally and physically relax before going to bed by turning of the TV or computer and having a warm bath, listen to some relaxing music, read a book or simply sip a cup of Chamomile tea.
  • Valerian is a dietary supplement that has been used since ancient times to help with a good nights sleep as it is known for combat insomnia and nervousness.
  • While exercise is great to combat stress, exercising too close to bedtime can actually make it harder to sleep.
  • It is best to avoid alcohol before your go to bed as for some people it will interrupt their sleep pattern later in the night.
  • It is best to avoid coffee from later afternoon onwards as for some people it will keeps them awake.

Finally some of my clients have reports that Reflexology has helped them by because they find they sleep deeper and hence wake up more refreshed.

Related Posts

  • Mundance superfoods – part 5

    My final swap is nettles for spiralina. Spirulina's deep blue-green color reveals its active ingredient — chlorophyll — clearly. Health.com explains it as one of the oldest life forms on Earth and possibly consumed in Aztec and African diets centuries ago. Today it's touted for its ability to strengthen the immune system, reduce fatigue and combat allergies. Nettles are another plant with chlorophyll that even rivals the amount found in spirulina, but they're often found in ditch banks, forests and riverbanks. It's sometimes called "stinging nettle" because it does just that; if you touch it without wearing gloves, the tiny hairs on every surface sting like a bee due to the presence of formic acid, leaving small red welts. But internally, Bon Appetit asserts, it acts like a tonic:

    "Taken over time, nettle will strengthen your circulatory, immune, and endocrine systems to promote peak function. The stronger these systems, the better position our bodies are in to deal with whatever might come our way."
    Cooked or dried, though, this pesky stinging problem goes away completely; good thing, too, because this free foraging food is highly nutritious, containing fiber, lecithin, chlorophyll, sodium, iron, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium and vitamins A and C, according to Mother Earth News. It's been used in birth rooms and battlefields to stop bleeding, both internally and externally, and is considered to purify blood, as well. As a tea:
    "It has been found to help cure mucus congestion, skin irritations, water retention and diarrhea … stimulate the digestive glands of the stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas and gall bladder. Applied externally, nettle tea … relieves rheumatism in both people and animals, makes a first-class gargle for mouth and throat infections, helps to clear up acne and eczema and promotes the healing of burns."
    To complete the series I want to point out that brocalli is arguably one of the most nutirtious vegatables readily available in supermakets.  Not only does it support normal cell function and division, it helps your body detoxify and reduces inflammation and damage from reactive oxygen species (ROS).  Another vegatable that I would highly recommend is rocket.  It has many of the same nutrients and healing compounds, including fiber, vitamins A, C (to boost the immune system) and K (for bone strength), folate, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese that are found in cabbage and brocalli.  One study showed that rocket can be a powerful aid against gastrointestinal ulcers, psoriasis and skin, lung and mouth cancers. Many more vitamins and minerals help lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel function. References Bon Appétit July 19, 2017 Health December 27, 2016 Mother Earth News March/April 1981  

  • How to chill out…

    While it's impossible to lead a completely stress-free life, finding ways to unwind and “chill out” are key to retaining your energy levels and ultimately your sanity when you have a demaning job. There are as many techniques to decompress as there are human beings; but when it comes to finding inner calm, practices such as mindfulness, meditation and meditation are usually top of mind.    Although these are great tools they don't appeal to everyone.  Personally I love both yoga and adult colouring books.   But what can you do it none of these apeal. My golden rule is any activity that is enjoyable and absorbs you to the extent that you aren't aware of the time and you stop thinking about work helps you unwind and chill out.  So you can choose any activity that helps you distracting your mind from everyday pressures and you love.  Once you have choose your activity do it often, and put it in your diary and don't feel guilty - we all need time out. One free, easy activity is just going for a stroll.  I don't mean walking fast to hit your 10,00 steps per day target.  Just go for a stroll for the sake of it.  

  • Ankle Sprains

    Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries, which involves trauma to the ankle ligament.  A sprain occurs when one or more of your ligaments have been stretched, twisted or torn, usually as a result of excessive force being applied to a joint.  They often occur if you change direction or speed suddenly, fall and land awkwardly or collide with an object or person – such as when playing sports. If you have ever sprained your ankle, then you will probably remember the initial pain, the considerable swelling and bruising.  The swelling from a sprain will often occur soon after the injury, but the bruising may not show until later or it may not show at all. Bruising can sometimes occur some distance from the affected joint, as blood from the damaged tissue seeps along the muscles and around the joint before coming close to the skin. It should be noted that ankle sprains take at least 12 weeks to heal. When to visit your GP? Most ankle sprains are relatively minor and can be cared for by self-treatment.  However, you should visit  your GP if you think you have a sprain and:

    • the pain is particularly severe
    • you cannot move the injured joint or muscle
    • you cannot put any weight on the injured limb, or it gives way when you try to use it
    • the injured area looks crooked or has unusual lumps or bumps (other than swelling)
    • you have numbness, discolouration or coldness in any part of the injured area
    • the symptoms have not started to improve within a few days of self-treatment
    Ankle Sprain Self-Treatment Guide Step 1 - RICE
    • Rest your ankle.
    • Ice (wrap ice cubes in a tea towel) and hold over the ankle for 5 - 20 minutes every 2 hours for 2-3 days, then daily for the next 3 days.
    • You can then bandage the ankle in a figure 8 with the heel in the centre of the figure 8, with a compression or elastic bandage.
    • Finally you should elevate your ankle to reduce the blood flow to the area, for the first 24 hours.
    Step 2 - Immobilise joint For next two weeks immobilise the joint by strapping (with Zinc Oxide tape) in a figure of 8 to support, stabilise and immobilise the ankle. Step 3 - Cohesive bandage Now switch to a cohesive bandage to allow more movement. Step 4 - Post Acute When there is no heat present (normally around day 3 or day 4 after you sprained your ankle), still support with a  bandage, but start to contrast bath your ankle.  Contrast bathing increases the blood supply to the ankle to support the healing process.  You contrast bath, for 10 minutes every day, put your ankle in a bucket of cold water (20 degrees centigrade) for 2 minutes, then switch to putting your ankle in a bucket of hot water (40-50 degrees centigrade) for 2 minutes, keep repeating and finish on cold. Step 5- Mobilisations Mobilisation is the stage where you increase the range of movement of your ankle.  You do then after step 4 and only when the movement is pain free.
    • Circle your ankle clockwise repeat 3 times
    • Circle your ankle anti-clockwise repeat 3 times
    • Lie down on your back, point your foot and your toes and then bend your foot up the ceiling and the same time straighten your toes - repeat 3 times.
    • Now sit on a char and draw the alphabet in the air with your foot this will move your ankle full a range of movement.
    • Once you have your full range of movement back, then you can start increasing your proprioception.  You can stand on a pillow on one leg (your affected ankle), and build up the time until you feel that you stability is the same in both your legs.