I love my sleep, infact sleeping is one of my favourite past times and I love to get 8-9 hours whenever possible.
Still it wasn't always so easy and I used to suffer from insomnia, the classic kind where you can't get to sleep. By taking up running to burn off my nervous energy I managed to bat that into touch, but I still suffer from early morning waking if I'm stressed which is a classic sign of stress, as is not sleeping soundly or not waking feeling rested.
If you're not sleeping well there are a few tips you can follow to try and improve your sleep patterns, but this is also a strong sign that you need to address your stress levels before you get exhausted.
Eat a snack rich in magnesium and potassium and hour before bed such as bananas and oatcakes with nut butter . Magnesium is a relaxant but this will also top up your blood sugar levels to avoid a blood sugar drop in the night which could wake you up.
Turn off the tv and computer an hour before bed time, these both are too stimulating for the nervous system.
Have a cup of herbal tea before bed, and steer clear of caffeine from 2pm onwards. Caffeine is infact best avoided totally if you have any kind of disturbed sleep as is alcohol.
Spending 20 minutes doing something truly relaxing every evening such as soaking in the tub or doing some stretching and breathing exercises can help turn the nervous energy off and send you to sleep.
Go to bed an hour earlier and preferably by 10pm, this will get you to sleep cycle before cortisol levels go back up again, and help you sleep for longer. Ideally you'll go to bed early enough to wake naturally 15-20Mins before your alarm clock.
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