Lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your health both physically and mentally. Are you struggling to get quality shut eye? Here are few handy tips to help you get some much-needed rest at night.

Handy tips for peaceful sleep

– Limit stimulants including tea, coffee and caffeine drinks and even alcohol for at least three hours before retiring for the day.

– Resist the snooze, it will only mess with your sleep cycle and create long-term problems.

– Relax before bed. Try a few breathing exercises, a candle lit bath or even some soothing music.

Every day slumber guidelines

– Rising ritual. Wake up every day at the same time to establish a consistent pattern. Both your mind and your body love routine.

– If you can’t drift off, rather than lying awake make yourself a warm cup of chamomile tea. Read a few pages of a book until you feel drowsy. If the problem persists, consider having a sleep study or investing in a melatonin supplement from your health care practitioner.

– Confine use of the bedroom to rest and for intimacy, avoid eating or working in bed. It confuses the mind and blurs the lines between being in bed and going to sleep.

Healthy lifestyle changes

– Save Exercise in the morning, afternoon or early evening. Evening workouts stimulate your endorphins and make it hard to nod off.

– Ban gadgets from the bedroom. Blue wavelengths from LED lights and screens are disruptive and even simply having a PC on standby can mess with shut-eye.

– Catch a few rays of sunlight daily, this helps with the body’s melatonin production. Then, prior bedtime, dim the lights to let the body clock register it is night-time. This stimulates the production of melatonin and you are more likely to doze off.

Always consult a healthcare practitioner for best advice and guidance on sleep studies, supplements, and possible causes of a lack of sleep.