Sleep is a common problem for so many of my clients. Ask anyone that’s not getting enough sleep and they’ll agree it impacts mood, work performance, hormones, the immune system, blood sugar levels, weight and even relationships. In the short term, sleep deprivation triggers detrimental chemical changes in the body. Over the long term, lack of sleep increases inflammation and raises the risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, depression and stroke.

How much sleep do we need?

This is a really personal one. There are many very successful people that survive on very little sleep. Then, there are those that need a minimum of 8 hours each and every day. As a practitioner; yes I’m interested in the number of hours you get, but I’m also interested in how you feel when you wake, regardless of the number of hours you sleep. Do you have the energy to achieve everything you want to in a day? Or, can you barely make it through the day? Is your energy consistent through the day? Or, do you need at least 2 coffees to get you going in the morning, and have the chocolate on standby for that post 2pm slump?

How to get to sleep

Struggling to fall – and then stay, asleep is a very common reason why people look to nutritional and herbal alternatives instead of sleeping tablets. Thankfully, there are an abundance of options on hand to help.

Valerian

Valerian is well-known as a very mild sedative herb to relax and promote restful sleep. You can take Valerian during the day to calm nervous tension or an hour or an hour or 2 before bed to fall asleep faster, and enjoy a deeper sleep.

Magnesium

Magnesium is involved in hundreds of reactions in the body. We need it for good quality sleep, to help us deal with stress, make and use energy effectively and balance hormones. However, most of us don’t get nearly enough magnesium each and every day. Our food and farming techniques have dramatically changed. Plus the manufacturing and processing of our foods all decrease the magnesium content. In addition to this, our modern lifestyles that include high stress, poor sleep, and high intensity exercise, as well as increased caffeine and sugar intake all contribute to ‘dumping’ magnesium out of the body, leaving us with low levels. For sleep, magnesium as a pill, potion, lotion or bath additive is a great place to start and may be all you need to improve your sleep cycle. Insomnia is a common symptom of magnesium insufficiency and supplementing with magnesium to maintain healthy levels of this critical mineral often leads to drifting off to sleep easier and staying asleep longer. As you can see, I’m a BIG fan of Magnesium and my favourite products include;

Ancient Minerals Bath Flakes

Contains magnesium chloride which is highly absorbable through the skin. 2 cups in a warm/hot bath 2-3 times per week. Great for the whole family – especially before kids bed time!

Herbs of Gold Magnesium Citrate

Contains magnesium citrate, known to be highly bioavailable when taken internally. Great for everything – period cramps, post exercise recovery, nervous tension and especially to promote good quality sleep. 3 tablets daily is recommended.

Magnesium Complex Ultra Strength Powder

This is a high strength formula packaged into a powder to maximise absorption in your body. Contains magnesium glycinate; the best magnesium to use to aid sleep.

L-Theanine 

L-Theanine is a powerful amino acid that reduces feelings of stress and improves sleep quality, particularly with falling asleep faster. L-Theanine will also re-establish your wake cycle so it won’t make you drowsy the next day. 200mg twice daily is the recommended dose. L-Theanine is a great place to start as it puts you in the right state of mind to get sleep easily and naturally.

L-Tryptophan

Another powerful amino acid, L-Tryptophan works by crossing the blood-brain barrier where it is converted to serotonin and further metabolised to melatonin; the hormone we naturally produce at night time to help with sleep. Note; please consult your health care practitioner before taking this supplement if you take antidepressant medication.

Herbs of Gold Sleep Ease

The herbs contained within Herbs of Gold Sleep Ease have calming and sedative properties to promote healthy sleep cycles. Including, Magnolia bark for the symptomatic relief of mild anxiety, Passionflower to relieve sleeplessness and restlessness due to nervous stress and Californian poppy as a sedative to relieve sleeplessness and nervousness. 

Melrose Essential Nutrients Beauty and Sleep Sachets

Why not feel fabulous after great sleep, and look fabulous at the same time? Melrose Beauty and Sleep Sachets contain Passionflower to promote good quality, restful sleep, plus a tonne of antioxidants to protect your DNA against damage and the most abundant protein needed in the human body – collagen, to promote beautiful, healthy skin.