Good sleep is essential for our body, spirit and soul.

There are seasons in life when this is just not possible (illness, young kids etc.) but in general these tips should give you the best chance of a good nights sleep:

1. You may be able to go to bed earlier?? Treat yourself to a book or magazine in bed at an early hour and then it’s more likely you will go to sleep when your body needs to rather than when you allow it to switch off.
2. Avoid screens for at least 1 hour (ideally 2) before bed, this allows your brain to start winding down and switching off.
3. Write down any random thoughts that are floating around your head like ‘must remember to pay the credit card tomorrow’ or ‘ must post that present’ or ‘must add that to the shopping list’. Your brain can then let them go…
4. It probably goes without saying but avoid caffeine of all descriptions after 6pm (including chocolate!) and see if that helps you. If you have particularly strong or regular drinks of caffeine then you may need to move this earlier, even to 2pm.
5. Do some exercise during the day, but not too close to bedtime. This will ensure you are tired but will avoid the ‘buzz’ keeping you awake. Although often swimming can make you drowsy once finished so can be a good evening choice.
6. Make sure that your bedroom is conducive to sleep: uncluttered, calm, dark, not too hot, clean sheets etc.
7. Use earplugs and an eye mask if that is an option, both will help to shut down the senses and enable the brain to relax more.
8. Consider a fixed night time routine (as you would a baby or toddler) to ensure that your brain gets the signals that it is time to wind down.
9. Try meditating on a Bible Verse to relax. You can repeat it over and over letting different words speak to you.
10. If you can’t get to sleep within 20-30 minutes then get up, leave the bedroom, do something relaxing and then come back and try again.
11. Avoid alcohol as this will lead to initial drowsiness but the unbroken sleep.
12. Some foods release chemicals that help the body to get drowsy (all in moderation of course). They are: figs, sweet potatoes, pistachios, prunes, nut butter, oats, almonds, cherries, turkey, dark chocolate, bananas, hummus.

We cover how to tackle obstacles to healthy balance, like not getting enough sleep, in our Healthy Whole and Free Course. The next one starts on 26th September. You can find out more and sign up here. We’d love you to join us!