My simple guide to getting a better night’s sleep

Most of us at some point in our lives will have had a problem either instigating or maintaining sleep. If it continues for more than 3 months then I would recommend discussing this with your GP or Nutritionist.  

Lack of good quality sleep has a big effect on your mood and making healthy choices the next day, as well as disrupting the appetite hormones Leptin and Ghrelin, contributing to weight gain and a host of other health issues. Here is my simple guide to getting a better night's sleep. 

Let’s explore the science: the amino acid tryptophan is not only the raw material for serotonin but also for melatonin, a brain chemical that helps you sleep by controlling the sleep/wake cycle. 

It’s the brain’s neurotransmitter, which keeps you in sync with the Earth’s day/night cycle. Jet lag, for example, happens when the brain’s chemistry takes time to catch up with a sudden time zone shift.

As you start to wind down in the evening, serotonin levels rise and convert to melatonin as cortisol levels fall. 

Here are my top tips on what you can do to improve your quantity and quality of sleep.

1. Get help and support for any gut issues. 80% of serotonin is produced in the gut so good gut health is key to a good night’s sleep. 

2. Focus on nourishing your body and serotonin production with tryptophan-rich foods like chicken, cheese, tuna, tofu, eggs, nuts, seeds and milk. 

3. Support the conversion from tryptophan to serotonin with folic acid, B6, vitamin C and zinc. These can be found in beef, broccoli, cashews, chicken, chickpeas, cauliflower, peppers, kale, kiwi, lamb, oranges, parsley, pumpkin seeds, pineapple, salmon, spinach, turkey and tuna.

4. Reduce fluid intake, particularly caffeine and especially in the evenings. Caffeine will stay in your body for around 6-7 hours after drinking, so coffee before bed can keep you awake. 

5. Alcohol has a sedative effect as it can attach to melatonin receptors and so may send you off to sleep, but you will then wake up during the night and find it harder to get back to sleep as melatonin levels will be much lower

6. Make an effort to relax for at least 30 minutes before going to bed by taking a warm bath with some magnesium flakes, or make taking off your make-up a self-care ritual with a facial massage.
   

7. Aim to go to bed around the same time each evening and wake up at the same time every day. Your body likes routine.

8. Body temperature drops at night in order for you to go to sleep. Keep the temperature in your bedroom comfortable; not too hot, nor too cold.

9. Keep your bedroom activities to sleep and sex and ideally no pets in the bedroom. 

10. Install a blackout blind to keep the bedroom completely dark so you are not disturbed by light, which your brain can detect even when your eyes are closed. Alternatively, use an eye mask. 

11. Incorporate exercise every day; however be aware that exercise is an acute stressor to the body and can raise cortisol. If you exercise in the evening, choose more gentle types of exercise rather than intense exercise, which may raise cortisol before bed and affect your sleep quality. 

12. Consider getting a traditional alarm clock so your smartphone and other electronic gadgets can stay out of the bedroom. As we age, our sleep needs slightly reduce so better still, work out how much sleep you need by going to bed 15 minutes earlier until you find that you wake up naturally before your alarm. 

Still need some help? Why not book a FREE 30-minute consultation with me: https://calendly.com/eatwell22/discovery-call