With the many demands of our busy lives —sleep can sometimes seem like both a luxury and struggle if you’re not getting enough of it. An estimated 7.4 million Australian adults experience some form of inadequate sleep, either tossing and turning throughout the night, or struggling to get to sleep. And this is costing the country. More than $5.1 billion a year is being spent in health care and indirect costs on issues related to sleep.
The GMB team were astounded by these sleep facts, so we asked Drew Ackerman, a lifelong insomnia-sufferer who created the bedtime-storytelling podcast ‘Sleep with Me’, to help people fall asleep easier. In the podcast, Drew tells rambling, drawn-out bedtime stories with just enough interest to keep you listening but not enough to keep your brain stimulated. The intentionally boring content, combined with his drawling, soporific voice, sends listeners quickly to sleep.
1. Count your blessings before bedtime
While daily journaling is a popular bedtime activity for some, focusing your thoughts in a positive way by reflecting on what you’re grateful for may also help when it comes to relaxation and sleep. Alternatively, some may find it helpful to write down a to-do list for putting the mind at ease before rest. Unloading your thoughts and leaving them on paper, until picking them back up the next day could help you get some extra zzzs.
2. Eat ‘sleepy’ foods and drinks
What you eat throughout the day may help your sleep cycle throughout the night. Research suggests that foods such as nuts, turkey, kiwi fruit, tart cherry juice, and fatty fish such as salmon, may help in the promotion of high-quality sleep. Try to also avoid drinking coffee after lunchtime, or any caffeine-fuelled and sugary drinks or foods. Instead, opt for a cup of calming chamomile tea, as this herbal drink has traditionally been used for its sedative and calming effects and may help you fall asleep.
3. Take helpful natural medicines
Clinical research has found that Flordis ReDormin Forte which contains a combination of extracts of Valerian and Hops, can help provide relief from problems getting to sleep or waking during the night. It may do this by acting similarly to melatonin, and by acting on adenosine receptors, which can help promote sleep onset. Taking Flordis ReDormin Forte can also help restore healthy sleep patterns when taking over the course of two weeks. You may find that you’ll spend less time awake, and more time in the deeper sleep stages and less time spent waking up during the night.
4. Invest in your sleep surroundings
Some may find the idea of tucking into a fresh, clean bed, in a darkly lit room with a steady fan in the background to be very relaxing. To achieve this bedtime oasis, it might be worthwhile investing in some new, crisp sheets, fresh curtains to block out light, and ensuring the temperature is consistently cool and comfortable. Make your room a desirable place to retreat after a long day.
5. Swap music for a relaxing podcast
If you’ve ever used relaxing music to help you nod off, a podcast may also be just as useful. Contrary to most podcasts, Drew tries to keep his as ‘boring’ as possible and doesn’t find it at all insulting that people find his tone monotonous! Ideally, choose a podcast which doesn’t require too much, if any, brain power, and let the slow, monotonous tone, lull you off to sleep.
If you liked this post, check out Can Tea Help You Sleep?