Module 1: Sleep

Sleep

SLEEP
Sleep—Our Foundation of Wellbeing

Sleep is a number one priority when it comes to underpinning our well-being, but it’s often the aspect that suffers to most. This creates a cyclical effect, as poor sleep impacts our well-being, and poor well-being can also impact our sleep. 

To maintain our well-being, it’s really important to ensure we are getting both enough sleep and work to access good-quality sleep. This module will help you gain an understanding of:

• Why we sleep
• How much we need to sleep
• Good sleep habits (and myths!)
• The impact of sleep on our body
• How to access good quality and quantity of sleep

Sleep Habits For Success

Quality sleep is non-negotiable when it comes to maintaining our wellbeing, but there are lots of myths when it comes to what good quality and quantity of sleep looks like. 

Here’s a few ways that are guaranteed to improve your sleep quantity and quality.

Early To Bed: A study showed that on average, early risers gained 27 minutes each day of moderate to vigorous exercise. 

Create A Cave: Use your bedroom for sleep only, avoid being in bed too long before sleep, or too many long lay ins, as the brain associates the place with ‘staying awake’ if you do this.

Get Outside: To make sure you get plenty of natural light and, where possible, sun light. Turn electric lights down early to avoid disrupting melatonin  (sleep hormone) levels.

Turn It Off: Do not allow phones in the bedroom! Avoid other forms of blue light two hours before bed. Avoid using your phone for at least the first 30 minutes of the day as the rush of information assaults your brain at a time it is not ready to process it.

Stop Stimulants: Eliminate caffeine past lunchtime and sugars and alcohol before bed, as they can disrupt sleep processes. If you are exercising, avoid cardio or stimulating exercise later at night. 

Breathe It Out: Breathwork and meditation can help calm the body. Create a bedtime routine to include; ‘Sleepy’ herbal teas, ear plugs, black out curtains, memory pillows, blue light filters/red glasses.

Do you know how long you need to sleep for?

As individuals we all require a slightly different amount of sleep, and for adults that’s usually between seven to nine hours per night. 

To determine your optimal sleep duration, it can be helpful to keep a sleep journal to recognise your duration of sleep as well as noticing how you feel depending on the length and quality of your sleep. 

You might want to consider using tools like Apple Health to monitor your sleep patterns. 

4. Why Do We Sleep?

We sleep, of course, because we want the feeling of being rested and reinvigorated.

However, there is also a huge amount of work that our body does as a part of sleep, which can throw many other aspects of our bodies off course if we are not accessing it.

When we sleep it gives our brain time to process and download, a bit like a memory stick, at the end of each day. This work enables us to access increased ability to remember and therefore learn as well as be creative and think of the best solutions. When we are tired, we can't retain information as effectively, which in turn gets us stuck, procrastinating and less able to evidence. 

Sleep also helps us recalibrate our emotions, so if we feel our mental wellbeing is challenged, one of the best things we can do is sleep. This gives our body time to re-align our circadian rhythm and homeostasis, balancing out some of our key hormones which may be elevated, especially in times of stress such as adrenaline and cortisol. This in turn reinforces our immune systems and means we are in a position of resilience against colds and bugs. 

Sleep also regulates our metabolism and appetite, and when we are rested we are less likely to choose caffeine and sugar to keep us going, which in turn disrupt our sleep.

So sleep helps us feel rested but also to learn, think, memorise, have a good base level of emotional regulation, immunity and metabolism.

5.READ: The Science Of Sleep

Understanding your circadian rhythm and keeping it aligned is instrumental in  getting good quality sleep. If it falls out of alignment then problems such as insomnia can arise, which are very debilitating. 

Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that are part of the body’s internal clock that are always running in the background to carry out essential functions and processes. 

One of the most important and probably the most well-known circadian rhythms is the sleep-wake cycle. This can be disrupted by many aspects in life such as shift work, jet lag, poor sleep habits and mental health challenges such as anxiety. 

It’s important to recognise good ‘sleep hygiene’ such as keeping your bedroom cool, dark and quiet and going to bed in a routine, to support your circadian rhythm and good sleep as a result. 

              Tasks and Feedback

Now you have a good understanding of:

• Why we sleep
• How much we need to sleep
• Good sleep habits (and myths!)
• The impact of sleep on our body
• How to access good quality and quantity of sleep

It’s time to reflect for yourself on which areas of your sleep would benefit from your focus to support your overall well-being. 

Download a copy of the Sleep Toolkit to help you recognise what aspects of sleep need some focus for you, and keep a record of the benefits you see.