Sleep is a vital, yet often neglected component of one’s overall health and wellbeing. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental and physical health, quality of life, and safety. For most adults, at least seven hours of sleep each night is needed for proper cognitive and behavioural functions. Insufficient sleep has been associated with an array of health concerns like heart diseases, diabetes, depression, weight gain and immune system damage.

However, the quality of sleep is just as important to your well-being and often more strongly related to your overall health than the quantity of sleep. Individuals who have trouble falling and staying asleep or obtaining deep sleep (REM sleep) could face the same issues as those who aren’t obtaining enough sleep every night.

WAYS TO IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY:

      1. Avoid Blue Light Before Bed

Stop using electronic devices like phones, laptops or the television minimally 30 minutes before going to bed. Blue light emitted by these devices tricks the body into delaying sleep as the brain perceives it as sunlight, making it harder for you to fall asleep.

      2. Consistent Sleep Schedule

Poor bedtime habits (e.g., sleeping too late or early on certain nights or taking long daytime naps) can make it harder to sleep soundly, impairing sleep quality.

      3. Avoid Caffeine And Alcohol Before Bed.

Avoid consuming caffeine and alcohol around 6 hours before going to bed. These substances can remain in your system for a while, disrupting sleep.

      4. Optimise Bedroom Environment

The ideal room for sleep is cool and dark. Around 20°C seems to be a comfortable temperature for most people, however it may depend on each individual. Using curtains and shades to block unwanted light would be beneficial too.

      5. Destress

Give yourself time to wind down before bed as stress can stimulate hormones that works against sleep.

However, if these lifestyle changes do not work for you, fret not as consuming certain supplements may do the job!

SLEEP SUPPLEMENTS:

Pretorius Professional Magnesium Sleep

In order to fall asleep and stay asleep, your body and brain need to relax. Magnesium aids in activating the system responsible for making you calm and relaxed while regulating the hormone melatonin, which guides sleep-wake cycles in your body. Research has also shown that not having enough magnesium in your system can cause troubled sleep and insomnia. Therefore, if you are facing these problems, this magnesium supplement may be what you need!

Natures Aid Sleepeezy

With 150mg of valerian root in each tablet, Valerian root is an herb that people use as a sedative or sleep aid. It also contains antioxidants which may promote sleep and help ease anxious feelings. A 2016 study have found that valerian helped improve the quality of sleep without having negative effects in most people. So, if you’re having problems with your sleep, this may be the answer to your problems.

References:
Valerian for Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2015). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4394901/