With our hectic lives, there is no denying that many of us struggle to “switch off” when bedtime rolls around, and a whopping 86% of adults admit to not getting the expert recommended hours of sleep at night.
Tossing and turning until the early hours of the morning can make you feel shattered when the alarm goes off and it’s time to get up again. But before you reach for the sleeping tablets, how about trying out these five unusual sleep hacks – and hopefully wave goodbye to counting sheep forever:
1. Go easy on the wine
While the thought of a (large) glass of wine may be all that’s getting you through another sleep-deprived day, mamas, by drinking it, you might actually end up adding to your tiredness – if experts are to be believed.
This is what Dr John Larsen, Director of Evidence and Impact at alcohol education charity Drinkaware, has to say about it: “Drinking alcohol before bedtime can make you go straight into deep sleep and miss out on the first stage, called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. As the alcohol wears off you will come out of the deep sleep and be more likely to wake up.”
The problem? If you have been drinking, you might only have one or two REM cycles, where you normally, sans drinking, would have between six and seven. And the less REM sleep, the less refreshed you will be in the morning, unfortunately.
2. Take a shower
We have always been told that baths are calming, but as it turns out, a hot shower can have the same effect – and takes less time to do. The science behind this is that heating up your body temperature and then stepping into a cold room helps your body cool down faster, which is key to getting into that perfect sleep mode.
3. Try some yoga
While general advice has always been to avoid exercising in the hour before bed (as this might have the undesired effect of making you feel more awake), this does not hold true when it comes to yoga.
Research published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine shows that yoga helps to stretch and relax the muscles, causing significant physical and mental exertion which results in a better sleep.
4. Talk to yourself
Yes, really. Why? Well, according to UK sleep expert Lisa Artis, spokesperson for The Sleep Council, chatting to yourself is a great way of emptying your brain and can actually help you to drift off.
5. Eat a banana before bedtime
Bananas are an excellent source of magnesium and potassium, which help to relax overstressed muscles. And it doesn’t end there. Bananas also contain tryptophan – to help stimulate the production of those key brain-calming hormones.
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