A PSYCHOLOGIST has revealed her six top tips to switch off the brain and fall asleep faster. Just reading Dr Naomi Newman-Beinart’s advice is enough to make you feel drowsy and ready to prioritise your bedtime routine. Brits are often sleep deprived – but will do anything but put their sleep first. Unfortunately a good […]
A PSYCHOLOGIST has revealed her six top tips to switch off the brain and fall asleep faster.
Just reading Dr Naomi Newman-Beinart’s advice is enough to make you feel drowsy and ready to prioritise your bedtime routine.
Brits are often sleep deprived – but will do anything but put their sleep first.
Unfortunately a good night’s sleep isn’t as simple as hitting the hay at a decent time.
The hours before are crucial for getting in “the zone” for sleep and should start as early as dinner time.
Without relaxing first, you could find yourself staring at the ceiling with thoughts buzzing around your head for hours.
Dr Naomi, a psychologist and nutritionist, gives her best tips for avoiding this:
The most important thing you can do is to remove your phone from your bedroom – or at least put it out of reach.
Dr Naomi said: “Many studies have found that using digital devices right before you go to sleep increases your chances of having a broken sleep or leaves you struggling to get to sleep quickly.
“This is because these social media apps leave our brain feeling wired due to the types of content we view.
“Not only this, but the blue light emitted from the devices can also leave us feeling more awake than is ideal at bedtime.”
Dr Naomi said the best thing to do is give yourself at least 1-2 hours of zero screen-free time before bed, getting in the habit of switching things off at around 8pm.
Dr Naomi said an evening routine full of things that make you feel warm inside will help you wind down.
“If you are stressed in the evening, you should adopt a nightly self-care routine which will help you to wind down and relax before you head off to bed,” she said.
“Little rituals go a long way in making you feel calm and collected.
“Things like cooking a nutritious meal whilst listening to relaxing music, taking a long bubble bath with essential oils, lighting aromatherapy candles, indulging in a face mask or reading a book – these are all considered elements of self-care and promote relaxation.”
A tidy room is a tidy mind, as they say.
Dr Naomi said: “If you sleep in a messy room this only promotes a disorganised and messy mind itself and you may find it difficult to switch off or relax knowing you are in a room that looks and feels chaotic.
“It may also leave you to feel agitated and unsettled which will make falling asleep even harder.”
She recommended dimming the lights, avoid clutter and using neural colours for furnishing. Candles and aromatherapy diffusers go the extra mile.
Dr Naomi said: “I would also opt for crisp white bed linen as this can trick your mind into thinking you’re in a hotel which may lead to a better sleep.”
It may seem obvious, but “reading is the age-old night time activity that is guaranteed to relax your mind and send you off into a deep sleep,” Dr Naomi said.
However, many people have long forgotten it, instead scrolling on their phone.
When was the last time you set aside time to read a book, then drift off with it still in hand?
Dr Naomi said: “Swapping your phone for a book can have a huge impact on the quality of your sleep and allows your mind to switch off slowly as it only has to focus on one thing.
“The act of reading naturally allows us to start feeling sleepy, and if you read in bed you may find that after just half an hour of reading you are starting to drift off.
“The transition from using your phone to reading a book may be hard at first, but with practice you might soon find that books become your best friend when it comes to creating a relaxing night time routine.”
There are dozens of sleep aids on the market that some swear by to get them in a relaxed mood – which is key for easing into sleep.
Dr Naomi said herbs, such as in teas, are “an effective way to help calm and soothe your body and mind before you head to bed”.
She said: “Ingredients such as chamomile, lavender, lemon balm and mint are all known for their relaxing properties, and most can be found in household tea brands.
“Supplements which support mental wellbeing through ingredients such as ashwagandha, chamomile and lavender are also beneficial and an easy way to to help reduce any evening stress. I like Pukkas Inner Peace capsules.”
Meanwhile, CBD, which has taken the wellness world “by storm” could “help you to relax and may relieve feelings of stress, anxiety and low mood, allowing for a good night sleep”.
“I always recommend the I-cann peppermint CBD oil, blended with lemon balm to support relaxation and mental wellbeing,” Dr Naomi said.
Meditation and breathwork are at the core of an effective sleep routine.
Dr Naomi said: “Breathwork is a holistic practice which is aimed at calming anxiety and reducing any feelings of stress or anguish.
“You can find many YouTube tutorials that will show you how to do breathwork, but essentially it is about slowing your breath and focussing on your breathing which allows you to clear your mind and pay closer attention to your body.
“Meditation is similar but is more focussed on clearing the mind completely. If you can do 15 minutes of meditation before bed you are more likely to fall asleep quickly due to emptying your mind of daily stresses.”
Last week, we revealed the five simple breathing exercises that relax your brain and help you fall asleep in seconds.
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