Get a good nights sleep

Try these simple steps to improve the quality of your sleep: 

• Prepare for the next day, before going to bed. Set the breakfast table, lay out clothes, check that electrical appliances and the computer is turned off

• Turn your Smart phone OFF

• Move your alarm clock out of the room to avoid recurrent time-checking through the night, but keep it close enough to hear the alarm!

• Obey your body clock; set a routine for yourself and try to go to bed and get up at about the same time every day

• Get enough sunshine; exposure to light helps set your body clock

• Ensure your room is cool, quiet and dark enough

• Don’t use your bedroom like a second lounge for watching TV or talking on the phone; and be sure not to work, worry or argue there

• Exercise every day; a tired body is more likely to sleep

• Try and use the last hour of the day to relax; don’t do anything too stimulating, such as watching the late news or reading thriller-type books. Meditation or yoga can be very helpful

• If you can’t sleep within a reasonable amount of time, get out of bed and do something quiet for half an hour, like reading a bland book

• Avoid caffeinated drinks close to bedtime; and while alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first it’s also worth avoiding as it tends to disrupt your sleep

• Extra help may be available by trying  L-Theanine, this is an amino acid that helps calm the brain, making it more likely to stay asleep says nutrition expert Paul Chamberlain. 

L-Theanine can be purchased from the Orchard Clinic   

Please note: If you have a medical condition consult your doctor before taking supplements.