Needing your beauty-sleep is a real thing. Research shows that we are actually perceived by others to look younger if we’ve slept well. But it goes so much deeper than that; during sleep, we don’t just zone out. Metabolically, sleep is a very active time. A decent night’s sleep gives us an inner glow and our brain works faster and better, our heart and circulatory system function improves and getting adequate rest can even make us biologically younger as it lengthens our telomeres – those little ‘caps’ on the ends of our chromosomes that prevent them from ‘unravelling’ – a bit like the aglet on the end of a shoelace. All the research seems to suggest that averaging about seven hours of sleep a night is healthy. Having said this, if you are under stress (mental, physical or emotional), you may find that you need more sleep. Healthy sleep helps us to maintain a healthy weight, reduces our risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease, helps prevent the development of cardiovascular disease and helps to improve mood, memory and decision-making too.
Natural sleep-enhancers
Yoga nidra
This is a deeply relaxing, sleep-promoting meditation that is based upon a body-scan technique. It is said that one 20-minute session of yoga nidra is equivalent to two hours rest.
The 4,7,8 technique
It is believed this breathing exercise is effective because it shifts our nervous system into being predominantly para-sympathetic – which is our ‘rest and repair’ mode. You get the best results if you do the exercise twice a day for a couple of months. To try the exercise for yourself, follow the below steps:
Sit or lie down and rest the tip of your tongue on your gum-line. It should remain there throughout the process. With your mouth closed, breathe in gently through your nose for a count of four. Retain your breath for a count of seven. Breathe out fully through your mouth, for a count of eight. There will be a whooshing sound as the air escapes. These steps equal one round of breathing. Repeat for a total of four rounds. Melatonin-containing foods that will help you to sleep
As our internal clocks sense evening hours coming on, a signal is sent out to increase levels of a hormone called melatonin, and sleep ensues. Try adding these melatonin-rich foods to your diet to further boost levels:
Bananas Cherries Dark leafy greens Hummus Nuts Eat some of these about an hour before bedtime and do your yoga nidra or breathing exercises and you should be out for the count in no time.
Jayney Goddard is president of the Complementary Medical Association. Find out more at the-cma.org.uk and JayneyGoddard.com
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