How do I kick sleeping pills?
Email your questions for Dr Libby to ask.drlibby@fairfaxmedia.co.nz. Please note, only a selection of questions can be answered. meditation can reduce your stress and prepare your body for deep rest.
Avoid movement, especially anything energetic, at the end of the day as it typically activates the sympathetic nervous system which can decrease your melatonin (sleep hormone) production and leave you feeling alert and awake. Leave the evenings as time to slow down and stimulate your sleep neurotransmitters. To do this, it helps to keep the lighting to a mimimum and avoid devices for around 60 to 90 minutes before bed. You might like to do some light reading or meditation.
If you consume caffeine, keep consumption to a minimum (stick to one coffee if you can) and remember that caffeine can stay in the body for around eight hours so try to avoid drinking it after midday at the latest. Alcohol is another substance to be mindful of. It tends to make you feel sleepy but often results in a 2-3am wake up call, disrupting some of the deepest sleep stages you will have through the night.
You might also find it helpful to plan your upcoming day before you go to bed to stop you waking up through the night thinking about that thing you forgot to schedule in your diary and to have pen and paper beside the bed in case you wake up with a thought that can then be addressed in the morning.
Join Dr Libby for her Sort Your Sleep New Zealand tour, for more information or to purchase tickets visit drlibby.com