PODCASTS (Click on links)

  • Huberman Lab: Dr. Matthew Walker: The Science & Practice of Perfecting Your Sleep. Podcast or Youtube

  • All About Sleep: The Matt Walker Podcast.

SOCIALS

BOOKS

HOW TO GET INTO A SLEEP ROUTINE

Routine is really important for sleep. Setting a standard bedtime, and wakeup time are crucial. This can take a while to get your body into the habit off, especially when it’s never been a thing, but it can happen. If you haven’t slept well for a long time, you may want to speak to your doctor about taking sleep aids for 1 week.

Try to stick to your routine as much as possible - even in the weekends. It’s hard, but so so worth it.

WHY IS SLEEP SO IMPORTANT
Sleep is the food of the gods. It’s the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s so necessary that they use sleep deprivation as a form of torture. It’s one of the three most important things (Sleep, exercise, good eating habits) that we can all do to improve our health that is something we can usually do without drugs, therapy, a trainer, or anyones help. But it does need an action plan and the want to enjoy the healthy outcomes.

  • Less sleep is linked to increased body weight. But those who sleep tend to eat less.

  • Good gleep improves concentration and productivity

  • Good sleep improves performance…everywhere - at work, exercise, etc

  • Lack of good sleep and dementia are linked.

  • …as well as heart attack & stroke

  • …affects glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes risk

  • …impacts inflammation and cell production which is important for healing, digestion, etc

  • Lack of good sleep is linked to depression

  • …and impacts emotional and social interactions

Things to implement:

MORNINGS

  • WAKE UP: Set a Wake up time. Same time every day. Maybe set several alarms - grab an old fashioned manual one, and stick one or two on different sides of the room.

  • LIGHT: Light, especially white or day light is important for depleting melatonin, the hormone that makes us sleepy. So get out of bed, open those curtains, or in winter, turn on those lights. Get outside if you can and go for a walk - even a short one will help

  • WARM UP: In the cooler months, set a heater onto a timer to get the room ready to make it easy to get out of bed.

DAYTIME

  • EXERCISE: 30 mins a day is recommended - Preferably something that gets your heart rate up a little.

  • …even if it’s a simple walk. Exercise helps to switch on/switch off melatonin production which is a naturally occurring hormone in our body that helps us sleep.

EVENINGS

  • NIGHT MODE (Red/Yellow light) turned on on all devices as early in the eve as possible or at least 2 hrs before bed

    • Blue light is bad. So get rid of any devices at night with white or blue lights, and buy devices with red. If you can’t get rid of them like a router etc - stick some dark tape over the light or cover it up somehow.

  • STOP DOING THINGS THAT MAKE YOUR BRAIN WORK: At least 1 hr, preferably 2 hrs before ready to sleep.

    • That could be games where you have to think, or -

  • CHILL: Do things that make you relax. Easy shows to watch. Simple games. Read a book.

  • MAGNESIUM: Can actually help your Brain & Body Relax. Take it as a supplement; As a Milk of Magnesia/Epsom Salts in the bath, or even in a cream; Magnesium rich food; Check with your doctor 1st.

  • MELATONIN: In New Zealand you can get a script from your doctor. In the U.S it’s available from your pharmacy. And you only max up to .5mg. But 1mg will suffice, if that is all that is available. Your body will produce enough to sleep, but you can take Melatonin to kick start it’s production, especially in the early days as you start getting your body ready to go to sleep at the same time every eve.

    • Take it at the same time every night 30 - 60 mins before you are ready to go to sleep.

    • After a while, you may be able to stop taking Melatonin, but you can keep it handy for that odd night you struggle to get to sleep, or for when you get out of the habit.

    • Melatonin only helps you get to sleep. It’s not a sleep aid to keep you asleep.

  • DARK ROOM: Sleep in a dark room. Buy black out curtains if you need to, or wear an eye mask (When I travel, I take two, and wear both when I stay in a pesky place without good curtains) Light helps you wake up. Darkness helps you sleep. Simple

  • COOL ROOM: Our bodies sleep better in the cool. Temperature helps us regulate lots of things, and sleep is very impacted by it. So keep your room cool - but not cold.

  • NO PETS: If they wake you up, try to keep them out. Cats are nocturnal…let them roam…they love it - just not in your room. And dogs move A LOT (Trust me I know). My dog has a very comfy bed on the floor. But if she was a loud, she would sleep outside out room.

  • WRITE IT DOWN: If you head is still buzzing, keep a notebook by the bed, and note down those thoughts. It’s somewhere safe to keep them so you can rest, and trust me…this really works.

  • SLEEPYTIME CHILL OUT - Most of these could be set up to run for a time and turn off, or all night if you prefer.

    • WHITE NOISE: Is a background nothing noise. It acts to block out thought, and helps people to stop thinking. examples are a ceiling fan, heater, sound of the sea, regular road noise, etc. You can also get White Noise Apps on your phone, etc.

    • or BLACK NOISE: The sound of silence. Some people who prefer this will wear quality ear plugs, and there is a wide variety.

    • ASMR APPS

      • ABOUT ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response), describes a feeling of tingling and relaxation that can come over someone when he or she watches certain videos or hears certain sounds. What kind of visual or audio clips can create such a lovely feeling? It might surprise you, but the videos are of people doing incredibly simple, quiet, calming tasks, such as folding towels, brushing their hair, or flipping magazine pages. You might hear someone’s voice speaking in the background of the video, but not always. The audio clips often consist of voices whispering nice things (like "You are appreciated"), or contain the sound of tapping, scratching, or rain. Included a couple of links to apps, but you can search for more of your own.

        ASMR App: somnia.app

        ASMR App: ASMR Whisper & Tingle Calm App

    • CHILLED MUSIC

    • REALLY BORING STORY TELLING

    • MEDITATION APPS

  • LIGHTS OFF: Set a sleep time. Same time every day. Maybe set several alarms to remind you. Turn of the light then and nod off. What’s important is the bedtime routine.

IF YOU WAKE UP

  • WRITE IT DOWN: (Try to keep the light at dim as possible) If it’s some more pesky thoughts, write it down.

  • 10 MIN RULE: If you can’t sleep, get up and read a really boring book under a low yellowish light. The try to go back to bed.

  • LIGHTS OFF: Keep the lights of or use a very low yellow light. Light wakes you up.