Maybe you fall asleep straight away, but then wake up during the night and find it difficult to get back into a deep sleep…mind tossing and turning keeping you awake.

Or perhaps, you still feel so wired when you get into bed that you find it difficult to drop off to sleep despite feeling exhausted.

Poor sleep effects many people for many reasons. For some Mum’s with young children, restless sleeping children means that you aren’t getting your quota of sleep either. Shift workers are renowned for having erratic sleep patterns. Women going through menopause can be waking due to temperature fluctuations – one minute being hot and kicking off the sheets and blankets, then cooling down too much. As men get older, they often report that they need to go to the bathroom more than they used to, due to prostate enlargement.

Or maybe you’re just wired, tired, stressed, exhausted and just can’t get a good night’s sleep!

In fact, recent research shows that one-third of the population doesn’t get enough sleep.

We all know that the recommended amount of sleep is 7-8 hours. So if 1/3 of the population is not getting enough sleep – what does that mean? That means that millions of people are walking around, driving, and working trying to function – tired.

No wonder, so many people feel stressed!

Having less than 7 hours of sleep per night affects our day-to-day alertness and is associated with increased risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, mental distress. Insufficient sleep impairs cognitive performance, which can increase the likelihood of car or other transport accidents, industrial accidents and loss of work productivity.

You can see how important it is to get better sleep consistently.

If you’ve ruled out the usual suspects such as:
• no caffeine after 3pm
• limit your alcohol intake, or even better still have complete alcohol free days
• no TV or other screen devices for at least 1 hour before bed
• make sure your bedroom is a comfortable temperature and your sleep wear is comfortable

Try other lifestyle choices such as:
• eat your evening meal at least 2 hours before bedtime
• work back your clock – eg: if you need to get up at 6am, make sure you’re in bed by 10pm
• have a healthy sleep routine – maybe for you that is shower just before bed and read for half an hour or listen to relaxation music before turning off the light
• get daily exercise – this could be just 30 minutes of walking
• enjoy a relaxing chamomile tea after dinner to start winding down your nervous system

If you’re already doing the above suggestions and still not getting a good night’s sleep, it’s time to step up the game:
• There are many herbs that safely help with sleep, such as valerian, St John’s Wort or Hops taken in capsule form
• A good quality, absorbable form of magnesium is a wonderful mineral supplement that helps so many people get a better night’s sleep
• Rubbing lavender oil on your feet, or putting a drop on the pillow can dial down a busy mind
• There are also potent natural supplements that can help to re-set the neurotransmitters (brain chemistry) which work a treat.

Remember: re-setting your natural sleep pattern can be done – don’t feel as though you’re doomed forever to be a poor sleeper. Usually I see with my clients, it can be a collection of a few of the above approaches to finally get that restful sleep pattern back again.

The world is a whole different place when you’ve had a good night’s sleep – you owe it to yourself!

Contact me if you would like to make an appointment to find out what can help you specifically to get your healthy sleep pattern back on track.