Revitalise Your Life: Master the Art of Sleep for Unstoppabl Health, Energy, and Focus

Can't remember the last time you had a good night's sleep?

You're not alone, over a 1/3 of adults in the UK find themselves struggling with sleep. At Unstoppabl, we believe sleep is the cornerstone of your health and key to improving performance in every area of your life. It's the first thing we explore when working with our personal clients and it's a major factor in the performance gains experienced by the businesses w e work with.

Why should you be concerned about your sleep?

Adequate sleep is essential for overall health, improving mood, energy levels, and reducing risks of mental distress and heart disease. It lowers heart rate and blood pressure, regulates blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, and decreases the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Sleep enhances brain function, memory, cognitive skills, and supports learning and decision-making. It also strengthens the immune system, helps manage stress, and aids in maintaining a healthy weight by regulating appetite hormones.

So how can you get better sleep?

Everyone is different but here are 5 things you can start doing today to get better sleep:

1. Look at your sleep in cycles not hours

Sleeping in 90-minute cycles rather than counting hours can have significant benefits both physically and mentally. Each 90-minutes represents a complete sleep cycle, comprising different stages crucial for optimal muscle recovery, growth, and mental rejuvenation. Aligning sleep with these natural cycles can help reduce muscle soreness and promote better mental health. It is recommended to plan for 5 sleep cycles (7.5 hours) per night, which aligns well with the natural circadian rhythm.

Aiming for 28-35 cycles weekly can ensure adequate rest, and if this number falls short, try having a nap between 13.00 and 15.00 in the afternoon.

Tip for success: Avoid waking mid-cycle by calculating your bedtime in 90-minute intervals from your desired wake time. Consistently wake up at the same time daily, even on weekends.

2. Trouble getting off to sleep?

If you're often laid in bed thinking about all those things you've got to do, keep a notepad nearby to jot down tomorrow's tasks. Additionally, reading fiction before sleep engages your imagination, shifting focus away from daily stressors and promoting a more peaceful transition to sleep.

Tip for success: When reading, use a lamp that has warm colours of amber and red or try a Kindle.

3. Get tech out of the bedroom.

Eliminating blue light-emitting screens such as TVs, smartphones, and computers from your pre-bedtime routine improves sleep by aligning it with natural circadian rhythms, as this light suppresses melatonin production, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep-wake cycles.

Tip for success: Create a tech-free sanctuary in the bedroom and warm up the colours on your devices in the hours running up to sleep.

4. Crackdown on your caffeine

Reducing caffeine intake, particularly in the hours leading up to bedtime, can have a profound impact on sleep quality.

Caffeine, a stimulant found in coffee, tea, certain soft drinks, and chocolate, has a half-life of about 6 hours in the body, meaning it takes this long for its concentration to reduce by half.

This prolonged presence in the system can disrupt sleep patterns, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Additionally, caffeine has a diuretic effect, which can lead to disruptive nighttime bathroom visits.

By cutting down on caffeine, especially later in the day, you can minimise these sleep disturbances, and get a better night's sleep.

Tip for success: Don't go cold turkey - reduce your caffeine slowly over a period of a couple of weeks.

5. How sunlight can help you sleep

Morning sunlight exposure is key to improving sleep quality. It resets our internal clock, regulating the sleep-wake cycle by signalling the brain to suppress melatonin during the day, enhancing alertness. This also aids in melatonin production at night, facilitating a smoother transition to sleep and leading to more consistent, restful sleep patterns.

Tip for success: If you work indoors, move your desk closer to a window to get more natural light in the day.

Making it happen

To improve sleep quality, it's essential to focus on small, incremental changes that collectively have a significant impact. Start by creating an environment conducive to good sleep: minimise exposure to blue light before bedtime, limit caffeine intake in the latter part of the day, and ensure exposure to morning sunlight.

These adjustments can easily integrate into your daily routine. For instance, replace evening screen time with reading, opt for herbal tea instead of coffee in the afternoon, and start taking a morning walk. By consistently practicing these small but effective habits, you'll transform your sleep patterns, leading to better overall health and wellbeing.

Find out more about Unstoppabl

---

Photography: Headshot Toby