Progress Gym - 20 tips for sleep (Part 2)

10. Meditate- throughout the day we’re bombarded with stimulus and in an attempt to handle all that’s thrown at us we can lean on multitasking. We might be driving and handling a call back to the office or we could be eating, whilst watching television. Maybe it’s working out whilst watching a programme on our phones or chatting to a colleague whilst we work. The ‘noise’ in our heads can be so loud we start to lose focus on what is really important and, also, what is subtlety going on around us. Meditation returns us to a state of singular focus. It can help quieten the noise in our head and bring our mind back to a point of calmness. There are many free guided meditations on YouTube. I use a headband, called Muse, to meditate and, “yes”, before I tried it, I knocked it too.

11. Listen to softly spoken words- you might enjoy science fiction spoken by your favourite actor…or maybe a biography of your favourite musician. Pick something even paced and look for a device which has a ‘sleep timer’ so you can programme it to turn off after 10, 20, 30minutes…this way you can drift off without having to concern yourself with turning it off manually.

12. Paper and pen, again- keep the pad/pen next to the bed, in case something comes to mind and causes you to wake. This will help you avoid exposing yourself to blue light from your phone, through the night.

13. Breathing exercises- arguably another area of ‘Down Regulation’ and, also, Meditation. Deep purposeful breathing can help lower Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, adrenalin output and set the scene for the mind and body to accept that sleep is imminent. Similar to meditation, you can focus on the feeling the air moving in, around and out of your body. You might choose to focus on the sensation of the air moving in through your nose or the rising of your chest or it exiting through your mouth. Give your mind over to the movement of air and you’ll soon start to unwind.

14. Bed time Tea/CBD drink- you might prefer a warm, soothing tea drink or a cool, refreshing can of CBD fizz. Either way, the ingredients in both these drinks can help by relaxing the body and mind and priming them for sleep. Psychologically, the drinks can also provide a reassuring and familiar ingredient in an effective bedtime routine.

15. ZMA, Magnesium, sleep supplements- ZMA is a popular supplement amongst male weight trainers. The Z stands for Zinc and this is a key ingredient for maximising natural Testosterone levels. The M stands for Magnesium and this mineral plays a role to quieten the nervous system helping to prepare the mind and body for sleep. Magnesium can be used as a standalone supplement, in larger doses than a pre-mixed ZMA provides. I would recommend consulting with a health practitioner if you have any concerns or questions on supplementation or if you take any medications.

Sleep Time....

16. Consistency of bed time- Some variation between weekdays and weekends might be unavoidable, but a consistent weekday bed time will assist in developing a routine that facilitates sleep. Knowing how much sleep you want, work back from the time your alarm is due to go off. Additionally, if you know you function well on 8 hours of sleep it’s essential that you get in to bed at least 8 hours and 15 minutes before your alarm is set to ring. Expecting to get 8 hours sleep from 6 hours in bed is a fool’s game, I know, I tried it for long enough!

17. Temperature manipulation- during the warmer months you may benefit from practices that reduce your body temperature. Personally, I prefer to be as cool as possible all year around. I have used a pre-bed cool/cold shower to bring down my temperature before bed. Whilst in bed I will use various combinations of an open window or aircon unit, extra thin 1 tog duvet or am empty bed sheet and the Chilli Pad. This is a device comprising a unit that chills water and a mattress topper complete with irrigation pipes. The device first chills the water, then feeds it through the pipes, that perfuse the topper, which is under your bed sheet. This helps to give a cooler feel to the bed. I almost liken it to the sensation of getting in to a freshly made, cool bed the whole night. Almost! Conversely, if you prefer to be warmer to sleep better you can reverse many of the suggestions here. A hot bath/shower and/or warm drink prior to bed, closed windows, denser/numerous blanks/duvets and heated blanket can help.

18. Pillows/Mattress to suit- you probably spend more time on these two devices than on any others you own. They are therefore worthy of some serious consideration and investment. Take time to trial different mattresses and pillows. I found when I slept in hotels the pillows would, by and large, feel awesome and contribute to a night of deep, satisfying sleep. I found that these pillows are now sold by retailers, funnily enough, as ‘Hotel Pillows’. Ensure that your mattress is up to rigours placed upon it. If you’re not sleeping well check if it’s time to rotate, flip and replace your mattress.

19. Minimise light in the bed room- we’re hardwired- the human body and mind naturally rests better at night time…it’s therefore essential that your sleeping environment is as dark as you can possibly make it. Light from screens, LEDs, streetlights and the like will only interfere with your ability to switch off. Remove TVs, tablets and such from the bedroom. Consider having your phone, if it’s in the bedroom, face down and exchanging a brightly lit LED alarm clock for something that isn’t illuminated.

20. Monitor your sleep with a tracker- I’ve trialled the free version of ‘Sleep Cycle’ and I like it. The app follows your breathing, using the microphone on your phone, to see when you’re in deep and shallow sleep. It shows how long you’re in bed for, how long your asleep and a representation of the depth of your sleep. This can help when it comes to looking at quantity and quality of sleep. “If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it”. My monitoring you’ll be able to see if your situation is improving- which will motivate you to keep going with what’s working….and conversely, monitoring will help flag up if things are ‘going south’. No doubt the Oura Ring, Apple watch, Fitbit and other devices can also provide information on sleep tracking.