- Blue light- The blue light which is emitted from our mobile phones, tablets & computer screens mimics the effect of daylight on our brains and in turn disrupts our own circadian rhythm. Warm amber light is what our brain wants to release melatonin & prepare for sleep. What can we do to help this?
- These amber glasses are a great idea.
- If you are using an apple device you can set it to automatically switch to Night Shift every evening.
- In the past humans would have kept warm & basked in the warm glow of a fire before sleep. You can recreate this at home by lighting a fire or switching to candlelight just before bed. Beeswax candles are my favourites because they emit that warm amber glow we are looking for & there also some of the purest out there. A couple of Irish companies making great beeswax candles are Beeswax Candle Makers & Brookfield Farm
- Electro Magnetic Fields (E.M.F)- Exposure to E.M.F's can impede the production of melatonin and affect the bodies circadian rhythm.
- Mobile phones- Try and switch your phone off, leave it outside your bedroom or at least switch it to Airplane Mode overnight.
- Cordless phones, wireless speakers & clock radios- try and keep these out of your bedroom. You could replace the phone with a wired-in landline.
- Wifi- Try and switch your wifi off overnight when possible, some routers will allow you to set them to a timer so it happens automatically every night.
- Stimulants- Avoid any stimulants a few hours before bed. How early you need to stop taking them depends on how sensitive you are to them. The obvious one being caffeine- contained in coffee, black tea, green tea, white tea & also in raw cacao. Any kind of energy drinks or energy giving supplements are out too especially if they contain stimulants like guarana & gingseng. although many people use cigarettes as a way to relax, nicotine is also a stimulant.
- Magnesium- You can take this in capsule format or you can now get magnesium rich oils and magnesium sulfate is naturally contained in epsom salt baths which are available in most pharmacies & heath food stores.
- Herbs which aid sleep-
- Chamomile
- Valerian
- Skullcap
- Oatstraw
- Passiflora
- Lavender
These dried herbs can be mixed to make herbal teas or are usually the kinds of herbs available pre-mixed in herbal sleep remedies. You can also buy them in tincture form if you are looking for something stronger.
- Essential Oils- You can place a few drops of your favourite oil on a tissue beside your bed, add a few drops to your bath along with some epsom salts or you can use a diffuser. There are many different varieties from handy travel sized ones that you can plug into your computer or into car cigarette lighter. This is my favourite brand to use at home as their diffusers are ultrasonic so they don't affect the integrity of the essential oil & are made from porcelain not plastic. Do be careful especially if you're using a traditional diffuser heated with a tea-light as accidents can happen with hot oils. Some popular essential oils used for sleep;
- Roman Chamomile
- Bergamot
- Ylang Ylang
- Sandalwood
- Vetiver
- Sweet Marjoram
- Clary Sage
- Reading or Journaling- Choose reading over screen time to help prepare your body for sleep. Keeping a gratitude journal can help keep a positive outlook- write down three things you are grateful for every evening for bed. If worry is stopping you from falling asleep try writing down the issues you are worried about and then closing over the book and putting it away before sleep.