I’m welcoming sleep ambassador & author Julie Wright to Living.Pretty.Happy today. She’s sharing her expert advice on helping us to naturally feel energised during the day, as well as restful and ready for a good night’s sleep. Over to you Julie…
We should not have to work so hard at falling and staying asleep. After all, we were biologically built and wired to alternate phases of activity and rest, regularly, without needing stimulants or sleeping pills. We work hard at staying awake, and then we’d take anything to stay asleep. It is a ridiculous vicious circle, isn’t it?
After countless sleepless nights, we rush to the doctor for a sleeping pill prescription, just like millions of other insomniacs. Why not…? Surely this is the quick fix? In the UK, GP’s prescribe on average 10 to 15 million sleeping pills every year and according to estimates, 50–70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders, or deprivation, resulting in over 20.8 million sleep medication prescriptions annually.
Others might resort to over-the-counter pills containing antihistamine such as ZzzQuil, Nytol or Benadryl, which work on and off, make us drowsy the next day and can’t seem to help long term.
So, what else can we do to feel awake during the day and achieve better overnight sleep naturally?
In my book “The Natural Sleeper: A Bedside Guide to Complementary and Alternative Solutions for Better Sleep” [Tiller Press / Simon & Schuster], you can find a wide range of natural options, tips, therapies and techniques which might help you get better sleep and replenish your energy levels.
Here are a few tips taken from the book explaining how to support your circadian rhythm naturally, powering up and down the natural way:
Powering up:
01.
Exploring caffeine alternatives.
Wake up and smell the coffeeeee! Well, if inhaling the aroma of a fresh cup of coffee was all you needed, that would be fine. The reality is that we overindulge on caffeine throughout the day, which is way too stimulating for a good night’s sleep for most of us. Generally, I advise to limit coffee to mornings and to 1 or 2 cups a day at the most, to be consumed before 2 pm.
In the Natural Sleeper, I also propose some gentler caffeine alternatives such as Swiss Water® decaffeinated coffee, which is 99.9 per cent caffeine-free. Or energizing herbal teas, such as matcha (green tea leaves).
02.
Adopt a stretch practice.
Rather than lazing in bed, delaying your get-up time, it’s a good idea to get out of bed within 10 minutes and ease into the day with gentle stretches. This will signal to your brain that it is time to wake up now.
Practice in front of your window, preferably open, allowing daylight to reach your eyes and your face. Then follow a step-by-step sequence of the following stretches, standing or sitting down:
- Neck rolls
- Shoulder rolls
- Arms straight and high up in the air, then roll down (or forwards) hands reaching for your toes
And if you prefer a guided session, try a morning yoga class. ‘Sun salutations’ will get your blood flowing throughout the body and make you feel stretched, awake and alive.
03.
Indulge in stimulating morning self-massages.
I learned this one from my Qi Gong instructor. It consists of stimulating your blood circulation and awakening your senses with a firm and swift circular massage of the eyes (eyelids closed), face (cheeks, chin, nose and forehead), and then gently, yet firmly, tapping your body by bouncing your loosely closed fists against your calves, thighs, arms, shoulders and neck.
04.
Inhale energizing aromatherapy oils.
Try morning aromatherapy using spray mists or essential oil diffusers, releasing the scent of citrus oils such as orange or lemon, or stimulating green scents such as peppermint, spearmint or rosemary. These are so pleasant and can make a real difference to the start of your day.
Related: A Guide to Aromatherapy & Essential Oils
05.
Shower yourself with… light.
Exposure to light – especially natural daylight – has to be one of the most important tips for an active day and a good night’s sleep. Sunlight acts as a strong stimulant to promote alertness as well as helping to boost the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Released in the evening, melatonin helps us fall (and stay) asleep at night.
Daylight is especially important for anyone working from home and/or travelling across time zones. Of course, use sun protection to avoid skin damage. As an alternative, bright light therapy (medical desk lamps) is used by scientists and doctors to treat low mood, depression and sleep disorders. It is also used to support shift workers and can help with jet lag.
06.
Embrace outdoor exercising and nature walks.
When working out, choose to walk, jog, run, or bike outside! Especially during winter, which seems counter-intuitive, but the more daylight exposure you get, even in dark and cloudy weather, the better you will sleep.
In “The Natural Sleeper” I write about the proven benefits of nature walks and forest bathing to achieve better sleep. Those of us living in the countryside won’t be surprised to hear about the obvious concept of “ecotherapy”, something fellow city-dwellers seem to have forgotten. Its benefits have now been scientifically proven to re-energize, lower stress, calm anxieties and improve sleep.
Powering down:
07.
Discover pre-bedtime herbal remedies.
Herbal remedies are potent and should ideally be taken under the guidance of a professional herbalist, especially if you are taking medication or about to undergo surgery.
My sleep favourites are gentle herbs that have sedative and calming properties such as Passiflora, Valerian, Hops, and skullcap. I prefer them as liquid drops mixed in a little bit of water before bedtime, or if I can’t fall back asleep during the night.
And in terms of aromatherapy, I regularly use my home-made pillow spray infused with drops of roman chamomile and neroli poured into a small spray bottle filled with water. This immediately gives me a sense of serenity before going to sleep.
08.
Create a safe bedroom haven.
An essential psychological factor in falling – and staying – asleep is the feeling of being safe, protected and serene, with no danger looming upon us. Locking the doors and windows of your home, checking all is in order, hugging your partner (or a cushy pillow if you’re single!), sleeping with your pet nearby, cosily snuggled up in the comfiest bedding, just warm enough but not too hot, whatever helps you to feel safe.
Top Tip: Make sure you have a checklist of what makes you feel safe while in bed.
09.
Dim down the lights, as the sun goes down.
Photoreceptors in your eyes perceive the luminosity and the colour of the light, sending signals to your brain whether it is dawn or dusk, and whether it is time to be active or wind down. Support your natural physiological processes by dimming the lights in your home in the evening. Ideally, mimick the sunset with orange and red lighting. Himalayan salt lamps are a good option, but the most important gesture is to lower the light intensity around your house starting 2 hours before bedtime
10.
Enjoy the benefits of Yoga Nidra.
The practice of Yoga is forever praised as a therapeutic and spiritual approach to mental and physical health. Most sessions end with one or more Yoga Nidra poses, so if you are a yoga lover you’ve probably already practised it. Shavasana, the corpse pose, combined with a guided body scan meditation does wonders in preparing the body for relaxation, rest and recovery for the day. Why not practice it before bedtime? Far from strenuous, it will ease you into the most peaceful slumber.
Top Tip: Search ‘Yoga Nidra’ on YouTube for extra guidance on poses and also full-guided meditations.
11.
True bedtime relaxation with PMR.
PMR stands for Progressive Muscle Relaxation, a highly effective body relaxation technique that consists of contracting then releasing each muscle group in turn, from head to toe, then completely releasing the tension while breathing out simultaneously until you feel each body part relax and sink into the bed. You should then practise deep abdominal breathing for 5-10 seconds after each contract-release.
12.
The power of breathwork to better switch off.
To help you drift off more easily, nothing beats the 4-7-8 breathwork technique developed by Dr Andrew Weil, based on an ancient yogic technique called “pranayama.” The key principle here is to breathe out for twice as long as breathing in, with a long pause between each inhale and exhale. So, breathing in for 4 counts, holding your breath for 7 counts and slowly breathing out for 8 counts.
For more natural tips and therapies, read my book “The Natural Sleeper: A Bedside Guide to Complementary and Alternative Solutions for Better Sleep” [Tiller Press / Simon & Schuster].
Want to win a copy? See below!
Julie Wright is an entrepreneur, speaker, sleep ambassador and author of “The Natural Sleeper: A Bedside Guide to Complementary and Alternative Solutions for Better Sleep [Tiller Press / Simon & Schuster]. She is the founder of WeSleep and her mission is to help people live better lives by improving their sleep.
She runs and facilitates webinars, workshops, lectures, discussion panels, 1-to-1 consultations, and therapeutic sessions on the topic of sleep deprivation and insomnia. Her motto is: “Sleep, and your life’s dreams will come true”.
Follow her at:
Entry via Instagram:
- Follow @livingprettyhappy & @WeSleepUK
- Like the giveaway post
- Comment telling us whether you’re a night owl or a morning lark
One entry per person. US only.
Entry closes at 5PM (UK) Friday 26th March 2021
One winner will be chosen at random from all the entries received.
For full terms and conditions see below and good luck!
Giveaway – Terms and Conditions:
- The competition is open to residents of the United States except for anyone connected with livingprettyhappy.com.
- There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
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- Closing date for entry will be 5PM (UK) Friday 26th March 2021. After this date & time no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
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- The rules of the competition and how to enter are as follows: On Instagram follow @livingprettyhappy & @WeSleepUK, like & comment on the competition post telling us whether you’re a night owl or a morning lark. (See links above)
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- The prize is as follows: 1 x copy of The Natural Sleeper by Julie Wright RRP $18.99
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I’d like to say a big thank you to Julie for sharing her helpful tips and advice. I’m much more aware now of how to regain control of sleep-wake cycles and definitely need to break my habit of hiding in bed every morning! Have you tried any of the tips Julie has mentioned? How has you sleep been in lockdown? Whatever you’d like to say – or ask – leave us a comment in the box below, I’m happy to help and I always love to hear from you!
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Really useful ideas here Alex – and some that I haven’t considered. I really like the idea of using aromatherapy scents and also the gentle self massaging when awakening – I’m definitely going to be trialing those. Thanks for some great ideas as usual! Lauretta x
Thanks Lauretta, but I can’t claim credit for the ideas this time, it’s all Julie! Hope you get on well with what you decide to try and thank you for reading xxx
I used to do the 4-7-8 method and I forgot all about it – thanks for the reminder! There were a lot of good tips in here. xo
Thanks for sharing Sandy – I’ve just started trying it myself xx
I find the idea of our sleep and wake cycles fascinating and I’ve even been looking into how our gut health plays a role in this recently! These are some really great tips; I find breathwork and PMR really effective at helping me fall asleep, especially after a busy day and, now, I definitely want to give some gentle stretches a go when I wake up – I’m really not a morning person so maybe this will help me. Also, love the front cover design of Julie’s book. Fab post as usual Alex.
Gemma x
I’d be interested to learn more about how our gut health impacts it, Gemma! I’m also so happy to hear you like Julie’s tips – let me know if the gentle stretches help you in the mornings. I’m obsessed with the illustrations in this book – they’re by @esthercurtisdesign. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts xxx