Have you ever noticed how just one poor night’s sleep can affect your health? You wake up stressed and grumpy, struggle to work productively, have the munchies all day, and find yourself reaching for the chocolate and chippies rather than the apples and bananas.
Indeed, sleep deprivation has been shown to negatively affect mood and motivation, lead to poor decision making and impulsivity, lower immunity, and adversely impact digestion. Lack of sleep also lowers hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin) leading us to feel more hungry, less full, have more cravings and increase our daily calorie intake. Boo!
Sleep is a healthy habit rockstar. Sufficient quality sleep improves every process in the body and optimises the functioning of all our organs. It can also support weight loss efforts, promote better food choices, adherence to VLCD protocols (Optifast), and recovery from weight loss surgery.
The team at UGIRS will spend time assessing your sleep behaviours and working with you to find appropriate strategies and practical skills if falling and staying asleep is a challenge for you. If you want to take targeted action to improve your sleep, read on to discover some tips and techniques you might like to apply to your night-time schedule.
Establish a pre-sleep ritual
Have a relaxing wind-down routine. This might include a warm or cool bath or shower, reading, mediation or a relaxing breathing practice. Avoid bright screens from devices and tvs and agitating news or media content. Write down or ‘brain dump’ any worries and to-do lists to avoid persistent rumination.
Create a calm sleep environment
Dim your bedroom lights prior to bedtime and ensure your room is as dark as possible. A cooler room temperature is more conducive to a better night’s sleep and check that your doona or blankets are not too hot. You may like to use relaxing music or white noise on a timer. Clearing away anxiety-inducing clutter and mess can help too.
Use relaxation techniques
Practice calming breathing techniques (try box breathing or 4:8 breathing) if you wake up during the night. Use a weighted blanket to help manage anxiety and cover clocks to help avoid obsessing over the time. Read a book until you feel sleepy again and reassure yourself that occasional wakefulness does happen. Sleep cycles generally last about 40 minutes, so wait for that ‘heavy’ feeling and eyelids to drop.
Monitor your daily habits
Some of the best sleep-inducing practices are activities you can do during the day. These include getting sunlight early in the morning (to help set and regulate your circadian rhythm) and getting regular daily movement and activity. Limiting caffeine drinks after midday is recommended and halting water consumption about 2 hours before bed helps to avoid night-time toilet trips. Keep regular sleep and wake up schedule – even on weekends.
Alcohol should be kept to a minimum (or preferably none) for a sustained night’s sleep. Having a smaller and lighter evening meal can help too (a balanced plate of minimally processed protein, fats, and slow-release carbohydrates).
Seek further medical advice
There are various medical conditions which can considerably disrupt sleep including menopause, sleep apnoea and narcolepsy. Speak with your GP and other specialist for potential suitable medications and interventions beyond quality lifestyle practices.
Most people need between 7-9 hours of sleep each night. If you’re getting far less right now, work your way up slowly. Even adding an extra 30 minutes can make a big difference. What small steps can you take to improve your sleep routine? Pick one or two from here and see what difference they make to your health and weight loss efforts.