Tips for a great sleep!

Sleep is the time when a person's body essentially goes into recovery mode. The body shuts itself down for a specific period of time and is allowed to recover, repair and grow.

Now sleep within itself is an amazing thing as the body's vital organs are given sufficient time to repair and rest. This rest is perfect as your body allows itself to be in silent mode, a mode whereby you can wake up fully optimized for the following day/evening's activities.

However sleep is not that simple. Some people including myself, often have trouble sleeping; whether that be through dietary choices (such as a high caffeine, high sugar lifestyle), through an addiction or inability to disconnect from the media or whether that be through such a driven work ethic and desire to succeed that sleep becomes a formality. Although imsomnia, or sleep disorders have been discredited by some, it a hazard to the body so this article will provide some ways/ tips that have helped me personally.

I wish that sleep within itself was a formality but it's not because by depriving the body of sleep you are actually depriving yourself and preventing essential repair mechanisms from occurring within your body.

Within this article, I will examine the various methods of aiding/helping to increase sleep time and the quality of sleep which have personally helped me and hopefully help others.

According to the 'Importance of Sleep: Six reasons not to scrimp on sleep' by Harvard Medical School Health Publications , sleep is vital for numerous reasons such as the prevention of disease, increased reaction time and memory response, hormone protection and mood tolerance. http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/importance_of_sleep_and_health

Studies have also shown recently that having at least 6-9 hours of sleep per night increases testosterone response in the pituitary glands and allows for a greater release of growth hormones into the body. This is great for fitness people but necessary for the average person as growth hormone speeds up the process of repair, not just for the organs but for injuries and inflammation within the body.

1. Having a Dark Room: It has been proven that when you have a completely dark room when sleeping, you are more readily available to sleep. The abscence of light allows your eyes to become willing to be shut and therefore unlike sleeping within the day or with a light nearby, your eyes do not have to force themselves shut to be asleep.

A dark room also allows your eyes to focus on the sleep and not on the blotting out of light making it easier for a person to fall into rapid eye movement sleep (REM sleep) that much more quickly.

2. Camomile Tea; Camomile Tea is known for its calming presence and its ability to place the person drinking it into a state of calm. It is also known for being a stress reliever and anti-anxiety. Due to the natural camomile within I have found that drinking a cup or two of camomile tea has led me to have a great sleep!

3.Turning off any electrical items: I have found that since the is often so much that is freely available to watch on the web or on the tv or listen to or read, that turning off my electrical items such as my laptop, tablet and phone has helped me attain a greater sleep. The electrical magnetic waves are no longer interfering with my brain and my mind is focused on doing the one thing that its supposed to do which is sleep. My eyes do not have to strain, especially late at night to watch a film but instead are allowed to rest.

4. ZMA: ZMA is a nutritional supplement which I have found to increase my sleep and the depth of my sleep significantly. It consists of: Zinc, Magnesium, B6 and Copper. The Zinc has great recovery benefits but it's the magnesium which I believe has the biggest effect on my body. Since magnesium in appropriate doses is known to increase your mind's ability to focus, I personally find that the magnesium quantity in ZMA is enough, when coupled with the Zinc and the B6 level to give me a great quality of sleep but also give focused dreams.

However I strongly suggest using all other methods listed above before trying ZMA and also consulting your doctor if doing so.

!. Try to get 6-9 hours of sleep per night.

2. Try to darken your room/sleeping area using blinds, or curtains that do not allow light to be let in.

3. Aids such as camomile tea or ZMA are good for initially getting into a sleeping pattern but a doctor must be consulted at all times.

4. Try to turn off your electrical items that you would normally use for bed, at least one hour before attempting to sleep. This will aid in the process of winding/preparing the mind for sleep.

I personally believe that sleep is a natural way for us as people to become better at what we do. However as mentioned early on in the article, its not always possible for this to happen and this is why i have provided the following areas which can improve your length of sleep and sleep quality.

From personal experiences, the tips that I have provided above truly do work and therefore I still currently use these methods alongside others such as a change in nutrition habits, (such as removing sugars from my lifestyle), in order to obtain a deeper sleep.

If you follow the tips above, I am positive that your sleep quality will improve. I am not a doctor but this is what has helped me to overcome sleep imsomnia and has helped me to become a better functioning person.