I love that 2023 seems to be the year that everyone and their mother has decided to fix their sleep, and why not? We’re all becoming more and more aware how important sleep is as a pillar for our overall health and wellbeing. So, I wanted to share my own little sleep secrets (that are actually not a secret at all), in case sleep syncing is something new to you, but before I do that, what even is sleep syncing?
Sleep syncing is when you programme your body to align with your circadian rhythm which is the body’s natural sleep/wake up pattern. Before alarm clocks were a thing and we woke up with the sun and went to bed when the moon came out. Sleep syncing is trying to stick to the same times of sleeping and waking up (even on the weekends) so that the body eventually gets in the habit of falling asleep quicker and deeper, which means you feel less stressed, tired and have less brain fog.
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I’m sure you’ve heard a million times before that disengaging from all electronics is a key element to catching the fast train to dreamland.
Why, though? What is the science behind it?
Simply put, the blue light emitted from electronics restrains the production of melatonin, which is the key hormone that controls your sleep schedule (aka your circadian rhythm).
You’ve probably also heard the importance of mattresses and the right pillow and silk pillow cases, so I’m not going to be a broken record. Instead, I’m going to talk about the things that really made a difference to me personally other than putting electronics away because that alone really and truly makes the BIGGEST difference.
I feel like we feel so attached to our phones or TV’s, that we’ve forgotten the art of letting our minds wander and be bored for a bit. (Boredom is a gift depending on your mindframe)
SAD Lamp -
I feel that living in a country that is gloomy for a significant portion of the year automatically qualifies you for a SAD lamp. I first got an affordable one from Amazon back in 2016. When I realised how much my life changed because of it, I upgraded to a better one. I don’t really use it much in the summer as I feel my circadian rhythm is pretty much in sync with the sun and I wake up when the birds begin chirping, which annoying can be as early as 4am sometimes, but in winter when the sun disappears for days on end and I can barely catch any daylight because I’m stuck in the office all day, it’s nice that waking up is a tiny bit less of a struggle. SAD lamps mimic sunlight, so even though the sun might not rise for days, every morning at 6am, it feels like the warm glow of the sun is in fact waking me from my slumber.
Over the years I have tried many different supplements branded to help you sleep better, so I feel pretty confident rounding up the ones that have worked for me;
CBD - this non-addictive cousin of marijuana has been scientifically proven to assist with insomnia. In clinical trials it has also proved to reduce anxiety which is a great start to get a restful sleep.
Bachs Rescue Remedy - This five-flower remedy promises ‘provide support in times of emotional demand’ and while I can’t say it does all of that, it does work fairly well as sleep remedy.
Valerian Root - known for its long history as a sedative, it works really well for insomnia too.
Magnesium - I read ‘The Magnesium Miracle’ by Dr Carolyn Dean back in 2013, (a whole decade after she published the book) and I find it surprising that two decades on from her research we’re still only catching on to the vast benefits of magnesium. Not only is it a muscle relaxer that helps you sleep better, but has been linked to benefits for your heart, mood and energy levels. I’ve been taking the RnA ReMag one, not as religiously as I’d like, but I do have a noticeably better sleep when I have been consistently taking it.I also find that applying a magnesium spray or gel is very effective, especially for achy muscles.
Reishi & Lions Mane mushrooms - these ‘shrooms pack a punch and knock me out beautifully. I will warn you though, both the Magnesium and mushrooms taste pretty vile, so don’t be fooled into thinking you’re going to have a warm, comforting drink to send you to bed. A little tip is to mix is with hot chocolate to help the taste.
Finally, I’ve discovered that my homemade ancient remedy of ‘Haldi Dood’ or ‘golden milk’ as the basic bitches call it, has a similar effect as the Phytonectars drink, but not as potent.
Reading - if sometimes your mind is wondering just too much to switch off, I find that reading a good book can really work wonders for it. I do this by the light of my SAD lamp so it’s not too bright (or I sometimes use my reading light which is also warm rather than blue), but reading isn’t really the only activity that de-stresses a person, if your mind feels at ease listening to classical music in a warm bath, or doing a puzzle before bed, do that. I think the main thing is to wind down and stay away from blue light.
Journaling before bed is an effective way at least for me to ‘brain dump’ anything that is likely to keep me awake. It’s also a good way of capturing the day and much like I mentioned in my ‘a year of yes’ post, going back over my journal entries over the course of several years really puts life into perspective.
Temperature - I cannot sleep when it’s too cold. Equally, I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night if I’m too hot and then struggle to fall back asleep, working out a temperature that is ideal for your best sleep is a ‘hack’ that will really make a difference to your sleep, whether that is by investing in a heated blanket, a cooling blanket, or just cracking the window open just a little…
Caffeine - This one’s pretty obvious and goes without me really saying, the harder you go in on the coffees during the day, the more difficult it will be to sleep well. It can take up to 10 hours for caffeine to fully leave your system, so being mindful of when you savour that last cup will make a difference. Actually stopping all drinks around the same time as when you put away your technology is a good method of ensuring you’re not up all night going to the toilet too. I like make up most of my water intake before 5 and then save some room for one of my sleep drinks.
Dinner Time - This is a concept I struggle with. While it is recommended going to bed 3 hours after dinner, sometimes my nicest sleeps have been on a full stomach. I’m leaving this one here as I feel it deserves a mention in case it works for someone, but for me, dinner time doesn’t make too much of a difference, although most days I do eat dinner about 3 hours before bed.
I hope if you’re new to the sleep syncing journey this article helps you along on your journey and even if you’re a seasoned hand, I hope you found something in here that might be helpful.
Happy sleeping friends!
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