In the previous article ’Do you value your sleep’, it raised some significant points as to why sleep is so  important for us to be able to function at our best.  It’s one thing to be appreciate this but achieving this  cannot always be easy.  Read more ….

1 – Be relaxed before bedtime will help you drift to sleep.  What would work for you or what would relax you?– read a book, watching television, being massaged (if you can), meditating, having a hot milky drink?

2 – Clear your mind –  if we have things on our mind, it can be hard for us to switch off and our thoughts will keep us awake.  If this is the case can you talk to someone about your thoughts or maybe experiment with writing them down.

3 – Deal with stressors – If things are on your mind, they can easily stop you sleeping.

4 –Avoid caffeinated drinks, big meals and fatty foods in the evening as these will all impede your ability to sleep.

5 – Wellbeing – Having a healthy sense of wellbeing will allow you to sleep easier.  Healthy eating, exercise, engaging in enjoyable activities, talking to people and relaxing can all help.

6 – Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or progressive relaxation can help you get to a place where you’re more likely to fall asleep.

7 – Visualise – Relaxing and visualising being in a relaxing place can help but you can also use visualisation to manage unwanted thoughts or stressors.  Imagine placing your thoughts, concerns or worries in a box or placing them on the back of a truck and wave them off into the distance.  Sometimes, the more bizarre the visualisation, the more effective it is.

8 – Being physically comfortable – although it may be an obvious one, being physically comfortable will help sleep.  Being in an a bed with a spring digging into us, if night clothes are too tight, if it’s cold – all these things will stop us sleeping.