Importance of sleep and how meditation can help your work
A good night's sleep is crucial for optimal wellbeing, there are many factors that can affect our sleep pattern which is regulated by our circadian rhythm, and how a bedtime routine can be beneficial for ensuring a restful night sleep.
1 minute read
28th May, 2021 | Remarcable
We most definitely all know by now how vital a good night sleep is for our optimal health and well-being, but why are so many of us still not getting in enough good hours?
Our sleep is affected by our daily lifestyle choices and those choices affect our sleep, it becomes this cycle of constantly living on adrenaline and sleep deprivation. According to Formulate Health statistics 36% of UK adults struggle to get to sleep at least on a weekly basis and 1 in 5 have trouble falling asleep every single night.
'We have a natural internal body clock known as circadian rhythm that regulates our sleep cycle.'
The reason we sleep is to give our bodies optimal time to recover at the end of every day. We have a natural internal body clock that regulates our sleep cycle controlling when we feel tired and ready for bed or refreshed and alert. This clock operates on a 24-hour cycle known as circadian rhythm. Lighting has a huge impact on our circadian rhythm so when the sun sets and we are still at the office with artificial lighting or more detrimental blue lighting from screens we trick our body into thinking it's time to wake up again increasing cortisol levels in our brain.
For those of us who struggle getting a sufficient amount of sleep each night we can implement some positive lifestyle changes in order to log the needed 7-9 hours of sleep. We are creatures of habit, like any other routine, bedtime routines establish habits that help our brains recognise when it's time to sleep. Bedtime routines also play an important role in reducing late-night stress and anxiety or any kind of worrisome thoughts that keep you up at night.
Nighttime routine:
- Decide on a set bedtime and wake up time that is feasible for you, by sticking to a consistent sleep routine you help train your brain to naturally feel tired when it's bedtime.
- At least 1 hour before bedtime refrain from using any form of technology to avoid that blue light playing tricks on your mind into thinking it's daytime.
- Practice Meditation before bedtime to improve the quality of sleep and teach you to observe your thoughts and manage emotions whilst also enabling sleep onset.
