Ten Tips to Help You get a Great Night’s Sleep

Causes of Poor Sleep

Pain, stress and anxiety are among the biggest causes of insomnia. 

One in three people in the UK experience insomnia, or another sleep disorder.  Long term sleep deprivation can have devastating consequences on our health, as explained in our blog on the Long Term Consequences of Poor Sleep.  If you are regularly not getting enough sleep, then it is essential to get some professional help.

Our Sleep Tips will help you take positive steps to improve your sleep and help you to assess whether you would benefit from some extra help.

1.  IT IS OK TO WAKE

Did you know that in the past, people had two periods of sleep, first sleep and second sleep. In the period between the sleeps, people would pray, meditate, even visit friends.  The first sleep was about 3 or 4 hours and then there was a waking period of 1-3 hours and then a 3-4 hour second sleep.

• We sleep in 90 minutes cycles.
• You start in Stage 1 light sleep, move down to Stage2, and then Stage 3 – Deep Sleep, then back to Stage 2 and then REM Sleep. 
• In REM Sleep, you dream and your mind processes memories and events. It is like having your own internal admin team hard at work every night.
• You then go into a very light sleep.  This is when you start to surface, wake up, turn over, or notice noises such as your partner snoring.   The important thing is not to worry about surfacing, accept that it is normal and allow yourself to drift back to sleep again.   
• It can feel as if you have been awake for ages, but often you will have slept for a while and are back in Light Sleep with the same thoughts and memories being processed as when you were last awake.

2.   MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR BEDROOM

• Make your bedroom a calm, tranquil retreat. 
• Keep your bedroom is for sleep, sex and meditation.
• Remove all screens – including LED clocks.
• Is your bed comfortable and supportive? 
• New beds and bedding are expensive and will not necessarily not solve all sleep problems, especially if you are stressed and your sleep problem is long-standing.     
• Make sure your bedroom is cool, as your body needs to cool before it sleeps.

3.   PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BREATHING

• Learning to breathe slowly, silently, gently and rhythmically can have a massive impact on your mind and body – and sleep. 
• Only breath through your mouth – in and out through your mouth. 
• There are special Breathing Techniques that can quickly calm or energise your system, reduce pain and help you sleep.
• Dread our blog and download your FREE PDF “Seven Breathing Techniques Sleep, Pain and Energy.”

4.   NAPS ARE GOOD

• They can be anything from 90 seconds to 90 minutes – a full sleep cycle – will help you feel more alert. 
• You do not need to be fast asleep to get the benefit. 
• Avoid napping late afternoon or evening. 
• Our Blog on How to Nap has more information.

5.   KEEP A SLEEP DIARY OR START A JOURNAL

• The Sleep Council and the NHS  both have excellent Sleep Diary Templates
• Noting down what is happening in your day, your thoughts and worries could hold the clue to your sleep issues.    
• Keeping a journal can be very therapeutic. You can use a lovely book or just a scrap of paper that you tear up.   Or a mix of both.  Think about what is right for you.

6.   ESTABLISH AN EVENING ROUTINE FOR WINDING DOWN

• Avoid stimulating or stressful TV on a week-night
• Switch off all screens at least an hour before bed.   
• Be organised. It will help your mind relax as you are giving it the impression that everything is done and under control. 
• Do a few simple yoga for sleep stretches or meditate for 5 – 10 minutes. 
• Do the same ‘wind down’ routine each night, so your mind knows it will soon be time to sleep. 
• If you are still awake after 20 minutes, get up and do something that does not involve screens or bright lights.
• Listen Guided Sleep Recordings which are available FREE from our Shop Page

7.    CALM YOUR BODY

• Eat your last meal at least 3 hours before going to bed.
• Have a night-time drink and snack just before you go to bed, can help sleep. Good night-time drinks include warm milk or tea (non-caffeine, e.g. chamomile, ginger or peppermint).See our Blog Food for Sleep for more information.
• If you are struggling with >PAIN, read more about how you can improve your pain and sleep again in our detailed article, Pain and Sleep.
• Studies by the BMI, among others, show that Chronic Pain can be relieved with Hypnotherapy and Meditation.

8.    DO YOU NEED TO BANISH YOUR BED PARTNER?

• Change the way you think about noises, snoring or movements.  Think about the sounds as a reassuring, comforting noises, meaning you are safe and secure with your partner lying next to you. 
• Read our Blog on Snoring to find out how to stop or reduce snoring.
• Invest in one or two coaching and hypnotherapy sessions for you or your partner.
• If this does not work, consider separate sleeping arrangements. 
• If your pet sleeps on your bed, try banishing them to another room.  Hypnotherapy is an excellent solution for snoring, humans, but as I discovered, it sadly has no effect on snoring bulldogs.

9.    LEARN HOW TO QUIETEN YOUR MIND

• Overthinking and worrying are common causes of sleep problems.
• Learn to walk away from stressful events – even if you are in the right. 
• Learn calm breathing and meditation techniques.
• Learn to meditate.  Find one that doesn’t ask you to clear your mind.  Mind Calm, Body and Ascension are three meditation techniques that I use where you don’t need to stop your thoughts.  
• Use the Pink Light Technique for 5 -10 minutes once a day to detox relationships and events in your life.  It is surprisingly effective – for kids as well as adults. https://pinklightlove.org/en/
• Eat your last meal at least 3 hours before bedtime.
• Look into Hypnotherapy and NLP if you have a condition that gets in the way of your sleep, such as IBS, Pain or the Menopause.
• Consider a few sessions with Help Me Sleep if your mind stops you sleeping or try our SIX DAY CHALLENGE on How to Stop Over-Thinking And Get Off to Sleep

10.   BOOK SOME COACHING OR THERAPY SESSIONS

• Help Me Sleep’s sole purpose is to help people get a better night’s sleep.
• Most Sleep Challenges can be vastly improved using techniques such as Sleep Training, Coaching, Hypnotherapy. 
• Sleep training and coaching will help you quickly establish routines that will help you sleep and give you techniques you can use to relax and wind down.
• Hypnotherapy works with your subconscious to identify and resolve whatever is stopping you sleeping, reminding your mind that it knows how to sleep and can start sleeping again.
• Hypnotherapy and NLP are also very effective for managing and resolving a wide range of conditions that can stop you sleeping, including Chronic Pain, IBS, the effects of the Menopause.
• If you want to start sleeping again, quickly and easily, then contact Help Me Sleep on 007792 447331.

For a selection of FREE guided Sleep Recordings, please visit the Shop page at https://www.helpmesleep.uk/shop/ or call on 07792 447 331

Help Me Sleep offers a free initial consultation works with people with a wide range of sleep challenges from Pain, Menopause, a Busy Mind, to Sleep Walking or Snoring.

You can book a call through the HelpMeSleep website or call us on 07792 447 331

You should also consult your GP if you suspect you have a Sleep Disorder.