If there is one thing that’s incredibly important for your physical and mental health, it’s sleep. Not only does no sleep mean you’re probably going to be an incredible grumpy person over the following 12 hours, but a single night of poor sleep can switch on genes in fatty tissue, increasing the body’s ability to store fat. Ouch.
And while there are a plethora of reasons you might not be sleeping well at night (read more about that here), Blackmores has released new research centred around stress and sleep, with key findings showing Aussies are mainly being kept up at night due to high stress levels.
Turns out, almost two thirds (65%) of Australians find their stress negatively impacts their sleep, with nearly a quarter (23%) contacting a health professional because of stress.
Following the year that was, 2021 is well and truly shaping up to be a year all about taking back control and it’s become super important to embrace self-care as part of your daily routine to help rejuvenate stress and sleep patterns.
“From our research, we found most Australians don’t know there are natural ways to support your health journey. On top of simple lifestyle changes such as meditation and moving your body, there are also supplements that can help support sleep and stress concerns,” says Managing Director, Blackmores Australia and New Zealand, Ayumi Uyeda.
Here are 10 ways you can gain control of your stress and sleep levels on a daily basis
- Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath and then reading a book or listening to soothing music.
- Use your bedroom only for sleep to strengthen the association between bed and sleep.
- Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool.
- Maintain regular sleeping patterns, including on weekends.
- Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime.
- If you’ve been lying awake in bed for a long time, get up and try doing something relaxing, like reading or watching television.
- Exercise regularly, aiming for at least 20-30 minutes of movement outdoors each day.
- Avoid or limit caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. Caffeine and nicotine can keep you awake, and alcohol can disturb sleeping patterns.
- Clear your mind so you’re not trying hard to fall asleep.
- Distract yourself by reading until you become drowsy.
