Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep! It can do wonders for the mind, body and soul without you realising. Upon reading ‘Fast Asleep’ by Dr Michael Mosely, I have come across a few gems worth keeping in mind.
Improve your sleep by creating a regular wake-up-go-to-bed routine e.g. currently I look to go to bed around 11:00pm (not always achievable but I try) and wake up at 7am. This provides structure to the start and end of my day. There will be occasions where this is not possible due to nights out etc. But then sticking to a wake-up time or even adjusting it within reason would help to keep your circadian clock in sync.
Breathing exercises were mentioned to help aid sleep. I never considered this before, but it makes a lot of sense now. As it allows you to slow your heart rate down and switch your attention to yourself as opposed to the many thoughts circulating in your head, methods which are used in meditation and yoga. Dr Michael Mosely favours a technique called 4–2–4, as seen below.
·Breathe in deeply through your nose while mentally counting to 4
·Hold your breath to a count of 2
·Breathe out through your mouth to a count of 4
It may be useful; it may not be your cup of tea. But it’s worth trying!
Intermittent Fasting — A diet plan in which a person restricts food intake for set periods of time, with the intention of losing weight, improving sleep and gut health. There are many types such as 5:2 fasting, alternate day fasting, but overnight fasting is the most convenient for me. This approach involves fasting for a 12-hour period, which usually occurs while I’m sleeping.
Continuous lack of sleep can impact your health in many ways. Weight gain, low mood, cognitive decline and reduce sex drive. So, invest in better methods, a deeper understanding and you will reap the rewards. Do what works best for you, as there’s no one way of achieving a good night’s sleep.
Midnight Thoughts
At midnight, when creativity comes to play,
I try to slumber, but forgot I over-napped throughout the day
As I stay awake, scrolling through insta, of misleading objects turning into cake
I finally realise it’s now 2am, for fuck sake
Eventually my thoughts slow down, and my eyes begin to close
you will hear the deep echoes, as I snore through my nose,
Evidently, this is not a healthy sleep routine, and it clearly shows.
ShaanSB
