by Eliza Sterling

Have you been sleeping poorly recently? Balancing sufficient sleep with a bustling lifestyle can feel like a mission impossible, but one that carries imperative importance, particularly in regards to our overall wellbeing and physical performance. Let’s delve into lifestyle improvements you can begin implementing today to better your sleep quality.

As we continue to navigate through these tumultuous times, difficulty falling asleep or recurrent awakenings might be your body reacting to stress. Pandemic-induced worries about health, financial stability, and what’s left to face tomorrow are not unusual. However, the key to healthier sleep lies in overcoming these anxieties.

Renowned health organisations state getting quality sleep as crucial for physical health, effective immune response, emotional wellbeing, a strengthened mental health and overall stress reduction. Particularly during these struggling times, sleep should be your regimen’s priority.

Workouts That Work Wonders for Sleep

What sort of exercise can help enhance your sleep?Fitness consultant Jackson Armstrong points towards any form of exercise that elevates your heart rate. The deep or slow-wave phase of sleep is critical for muscle recuperation and recovery. If you engage in physical activity, your body will naturally require and seek out this rejuvenating phase, leading to more profound, better-quality sleep. Ahead of bedtime, winding down through calming exercises like mindful yoga, Pilates or even a tranquil evening walk can additionally contribute to improved sleep.

Your Workout Window for Better Night Rest

Are you one of those individuals who can only find time for exercise in the evening? If so, you might be inadvertently thwarting your sleep efforts. According to fitness professional Claude Grant, sleep depends on three primary factors – your body’s 24-hour clock, the physical need for sleep, and your psychological state regarding calmness. Disrupting any of these aspects can interfere with sleep. High-intensity physical activity should be generally scheduled an hour before bedtime, but exercises promoting a peaceful sleep state, like yoga, can be exceptions.

Foods and Drinks for Dreamy Sleep

Is there a connection between your diet and sleep quality? Nutrition specialist Dr Caroline Russet points out that particular food and beverages can indeed encourage restful sleep. For instance, having tart cherry juice or kiwi fruit right before bed can aid sleep duration and latency. She also highlighted drinks like chamomile tea for its sleep-quality boosting properties, coming from its sedative-hypnotic effects, according to recent research in Nutrition & Food Science.

Yoga – Your Sleep’s Best Friend

Could yoga be the answer to your sleep concerns? Yoga instructor Emily Standbridge suggests that yoga can indeed be highly beneficial for sleep problems by encouraging you to slow down, stay in the present, and connect with your body. Emily shared some helpful poses for calming the nervous system and recommended staying in each pose for up to five minutes to better activate the rest-and-digest system. She concluded by reminding us that the benefits of yoga are cumulative, so regular practice is key.

Evidently, healthy sleep is not solely acquired with a good pillow and a comfortable mattress. Exercise habits, diet, and activities such as Yoga can be integrated into your lifestyle to aid in achieving dreamy nights of restorative sleep.

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