Improving Sleep in Winter

 

Did you know you need more sleep now than you did two months ago? Your body has to work hard to keep you warm, to keep you energised, and to keep your systems fired up when faced with the cold. It has to compensate for the surplus energy you need to complete your daily tasks in the shorter time frame that you have to do it in. Your body needs to sleep to recover, and you need to allow it.

It might seem impossible to get into a healthier sleep pattern. Life is so busy and the onset of Autumn/Winter throws off your circadian rhythm and causes havoc for your cycle, whether you know it or not. But you can help your body to adjust and adapt to the new circumstances. You can take little steps towards more sleep and better quality sleep for Winter…

C O N S I S T E N C Y

Our bodies follow a circadian rhythm which relies on consistency. It will adapt itself as best as it can to benefit us when the sunlight becomes less available, but it isn’t always effective and the more we do, the more it can leave us feeling strained, stressed and sleepy. Why is sleep so important? Because a better night's sleep contributes to improved mood, better mental performance, a decrease in risks of disease such as heart disease and diabetes, a stronger immune system and overall better health…

How can you build consistency as Autumn/Winter comes?

Adjust your sleep-wake schedules. Set a firm bedtime and wake time for the usual hours that you wake up. As the days get shorter, make gradual adjustments by moving your bedtime forwards by 15 minutes and doing the same with your waketime. Do this every couple of days until you are going to sleep as the night draws in and waking before the sun comes up. This will begin to synchronise your body to the natural sunlight hours, even at their minimal, and help you to make the most of daylight hours as your body and systems will be up and ready for the sunlight as it gradually comes each day.

Make sure you are switching off a few hours before bed. Enforce a blue-light-free policy before bedtime. This can be difficult, especially when you work hard and end up staying online for too long. But doing your best to avoid laptops, computers, mobile phones and television an hour or so before bedtime will remove the possibility of your body mistaking the light for sunlight, but will tell it to switch off and wind down as the period of rest comes. It's also beneficial to switch off any overhead bright lights too.

Another adjustment necessary to let your body switch off is setting your dinner time earlier. Eating 2-3 hours before bedtime will allow your body to digest the food properly and give it a longer period of fasting, essential for the digestive tract, metabolism and gut health.

While some people swear by a power nap, long or irregular napping can negatively affect your sleep and confuse your internal clock. If you can, prevent napping and go to bed earlier instead. Build it into your sleep-time and wake-time adjustment hours and let it contribute to building the consistency your body needs.

Simplify your supplements and help your sleep cycle with Supernova Life Powder which contains carefully chosen ingredients essential for improving hormones and sleep cycles. To name just one, maca contains magnesium which regulates the neurotransmitters which send signals throughout the nervous system and brain. Magnesium reduces stress and helps you sleep longer. It regulates the hormone melatonin, which guides sleep-wake cycles in your body and helps you get to sleep faster. Both magnesium and melatonin are used to treat insomnia.

It’s time to lock in your sleep pattern this Winter.

It’s time for S U P E R N O V A.