Are you having trouble sleeping?

Sleep Well

'Sleep is the food of the brain..'

Sleep is a master regulator of health. Sleep disruption can create wide-ranging havoc, compromising our immune system, causing inflammation, and damaging our genes. Losing just an hour of sleep a night increases the risk of cancer, heart attack, stroke and the risk of developing poor mental health.

Lack of sleep can also lead to memory loss, negatively affect people’s reflexes and decision-making skills, cause hearing loss and psychiatric disease, and impede sexual function.

Just as we value a good diet and exercise, we need to value sleep in recognition of the wide-ranging benefits it brings to us. If we compromise on our sleep, we compromise on the quality of our lives. Sleep is one of the best investments of our time and in ourselves.

Here at the light technique we look into the symptoms and address the underlying cause on an individual basis, treating the whole you and rejuvenating the body, mind and emotions.

Tips for a Restful night sleep – step by step guide by Katie

Choose 3 of the following to start with, whatever resonates with you will be the best starting point, you can always add to it as you go along.

Little and Effective Steps...

Start journaling - Get your self a notebook and start to write down what is on your mind before you go to sleep –  this will help you download and de-clutter your mind, creating some head space and allow you to move away from any anxiety if you wake up. If anything else comes up through the night then write it down, get it out of your head, allowing your mind to relax.

Meditation To help clear your mind and create some clarity, try meditating even if it's just for 5/10 minutes in the evening. If you haven’t meditated before then I recommend the Headspace app to get you started, which offers a free 10-day trial.

Working with my clients, I have found a regular monthly Reiki treatment has been very successful. This is due to the Energy centres becoming unblocked and allowing the flow of Energy to function more effectively, creating all the systems in the body to function effectively as well as the mind to switch off, creating a calm and clear head. 

Visualisation and Intention - Plan a 5 minute MANTRA/Intention that you can say to yourself if or when you do wake up. This will become easier with the more practice you give it, don’t give up it needs time to get into the subconscious mind! For example –My mind is clear and ready to rest enjoying a peaceful night’s sleep or my mind is clear and free, creating space and peace.

To make this stronger, visualise your body and mind clear, add a peaceful colour and let it work through the body, expanding out, working up from the tip of your toes to the top of your head, switching off each part of you, toes, lower legs, upper legs, stomach, back etc.. relaxing the muscles as you work up, this could take 5-10 minutes.

Breathing practice - When you get into bed, place your hands on your tummy, breathing from the stomach rather than your chest, push your tummy out when breathing in, like a balloon, taking it up to the chest, letting the breath out through the mouth.

Natural and Effective products I recommend are:

De Mamiel Sleep Series

There are 5 unique blends to choose from - Settle - Soothe - Anchor - Rise - Shine - depending on whether it is getting to sleep, waking through the night or having trouble in the morning.  These formulations are not a quick fix, they will work gradually over time to improve the quality of your sleep. It is when we sleep well that our body is able to repair and restore the effects of daily stress most efficiently. A good night’s sleep is written all over your face, making quality sleep an essential part of a daily routine.

Nutritional Suggestions

Almond Milk is a great soothing addition- almonds are a great source of Tryptophan to balance the hormones and giving you protein during the night. (recommend Alpro Almond Milk)

Try and cut down on your sugar and caffeine during the day – keeping a low GI through the day so you don’t spike during the night. (We can advise you on alternatives?)

Alcohol will also contribute to spiking through the night, so I recommend you cut this out too, if possible.

Try and keep it to 3 things to get you started, don’t overload yourself, you can always add to this as you go. Start with what appeals to you, happy sleeping x