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Optimal amounts of good quality sleep is vital for health. But you already knew that, right? And simply knowing it’s important doesn’t mean you’re getting enough.
In a new Sleep Report by Bensons for Beds it has been revealed that almost a quarter (23%) of Brits admit they’re so tired on a day-to-day basis that they can’t concentrate at work and a third (30%) of us say they spend the day longing to get back into bed. We asked nutritionist Kim Pearson why it’s so important to start prioritising shut-eye and how to get a better night’s sleep.
Many of my clients are busy juggling work commitments and family responsibilities while trying to maintain an exercise routine and squeeze a social life in somewhere. The pressures of modern life can mean that looking after our sleep needs can often be compromised. Unfortunately, without enough good quality sleep, you’re sabotaging yourself in a number of different ways. Sleep affects our hormones and hormones affect our sleep.
Here are just three ways that the interaction between our hormones and sleep can get out of balance, and what you can do to restore it.
Sleep and your weight
Many of my clients come to see me because they want to lose weight. If you’re trying to lose weight, or maintain a weight you’re happy at, a lack of sleep won’t do you any favours. You may have noticed that when you go without a good night sleep, you feel hungrier the following day with the desire to eat more than usual.
Sleep deprivation causes a hormone imbalance that directly impacts your hunger. After a shorter night sleep your body produces more ghrelin, the ‘hunger hormone’ and less leptin, the ‘satiety hormone’. If you wake up feeling like you could eat a feast, it’s likely you’ll reach for sugary or starchy foods to satisfy this hunger rather than the healthy, balanced diet you had planned.
Sleep and stress
Stress can make it harder to sleep and lack of sleep can make you more stressed. It’s a vicious cycle. Cortisol is one of the main stress hormones, and it should follow a certain pattern over the course of the day, starting off at a peak in the morning (to get you up and on the move) and gradually tailing off until the evening (so you’re relaxed and ready for bed). Stress can lead to an imbalance in this rhythm and can result in cortisol levels being raised at bedtime.
This leads you feeling wired, but tired, which is a recipe for poor sleep and more stress the following day.
Sleep and blood sugar levels
One key to achieving good sleep is to work on stabilising your blood sugar level. Starchy carbs and sugary foods break down into simple sugars and rapidly cause a spike in your blood glucose level. The more glucose you have in your blood stream, the higher the amount of insulin your body releases to carry the glucose into cells and restore balance. If your diet is high in sugar and starchy carbohydrates like bread, rice, pasta and noodles, you body produces more insulin, which can result in a subsequent blood sugar dip.
A nighttime ‘sugar crash’ can trigger release of the stress hormones which can wake you up or shift you out of deep sleep in the night. For this reason, and many other aspects of health, it’s important to focus on balancing your blood sugar levels.
How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep
Ready to set yourself up for a more restful night? Here’s are my dos and don’ts for better sleep:
DO
– The body thrives on routine so aim to get to bed at the same time most nights. Set a reoccurring bedtime alarm to remind you to switch off Netflix, turn off your phone and get to bed. Consider investing in an alarm clock so that you can keep your smartphone out of the bedroom.
– Try to have your last meal of the day at least four hours before bedtime and have a meal based around lean protein and plenty of vegetables with healthy fats.
– Maintain a comfortable temperature in your bedroom – not too hot, not too cold.
– Keep your bedroom completely dark so that you’re not disturbed by light. If you don’t have blackout curtains, try wearing a sleep mask to block out light.
– Aim to take some gentle exercise every day. If gyms aren’t your thing, start with swapping your bus ride to work for a walk, or taking up a 20 minute daily yoga practice.
– Make an effort to relax for at least 15 minutes before going to bed. Try a good book, a warm bath or meditation.
– Managing your stress throughout the day can help you get off to sleep better at night. Try Link Nutrition’s Relax supplement which contains L Theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, known for its ability to promote relaxation without making you feel sleepy.
– Sip a relaxing evening drink as part of your wind-down ritual, such as the Pukka Night Time Organic Latte.
– Listening to a sleep meditation can be a very effective way to help you drift off, or get you back to sleep if you wake in the night. Download MEYA the pioneering meditation app which uses binaural beats to help encourage delta brainwaves, those generated in deepest meditation and dreamless sleep.
DON’T
– Eat heavy, starchy carb-based meals or high sugar foods close to bedtime.
– Drink caffeine after midday. Avoid coffee, tea, energy drinks and fizzy drinks.
– Drink alcohol. Many people think that alcohol helps you sleep because of its mild sedative properties, but it actually results in lighter, more restless sleep.
– Engage in stressful activities such as playing competitive computer games or watching high-intensity films too close to bedtime.
– Use your smartphone in bed. It emits the same sort of blue light as the morning sun, which can impact your circadian rhythm.
Kim Pearson is a qualified nutritionist and weight loss specialist based on London’s Harley Street. She consults clients in London and internationally via her virtual consulting room. For more information about Kim and the services she offers, visit her website kim-pearson.com
