One of the things I continually hear from people(especially busy and successful people) is that they have trouble sleeping. It seems people either have trouble falling to sleep or conversely get to sleep easily however wake up during the night and have trouble getting back to sleep as they are engaged in heavy thought.
I have suffered through sleep issues personally in the past and find it is directly related to how busy I am, how much I have on the go, things that may be causing me stress etc. It is proven that one of the most important components to our overall Health is a good restful sleep.
I have also found that by taking a few easy steps, it has really improved my sleep and most nights now I have a really good restful sleep. Here is my personal formula for a great sleep.
1. Shut down at least an hour before bed
Most nights I am home, I end up doing work, catching up on emails, work from the day etc. I try to shut down anything work related(including my laptop) about an hour before bed. In fact there has been research that shows that any screens(including laptops, TV, iPhone) have an impact on our natural Melatonin production which affects sleep.
2. Take Magnesium
Prior to going to bed I take some Magnesium. Studies have shown that most of us don’t get adequate Magnesium and it acts as a muscle and body relaxant. I shift between different types of Magnesium however my favourite is ZMA (Zinc and Magnesium). I take 3 capsules about 30 minutes before bed.
3. Have a sleepy tea prior to bed
I brew and drink a natural “sleep inducing” tea typically while I am reading in bed. I have a few favourite brands however my favourite is called “Nighty Night”.
4. Read before bed
I try to read a non work related book or magazine in bed while drinking my Nighty Night tea. I find this takes my mind off of things and relaxes me.
5. Go through my positive thought process prior to going to sleep
When I go to bed I go through my regular positive thought process that ensures a good sleep. I do this by thinking of 3 great things that happened that day. Often we tend to focus on things that didn’t go well during the day and I find that by shifting to positive things that happen each day, it totally changes my mindset. I guarantee that every single day we can find some good that happened. It could be as simple as a great conversation with a friend, a great meeting we had, a great workout etc.
I find that thinking of a few great things that happened that day, allows me to drift off to sleep with positive thoughts and sleep like a baby.
Follow the formula above and I am sure you will be having a great sleep in no time.
Yours in good Health(and great sleep), Kev
4 comments
Not a great action movie and few glasses of good red wine ?
Hi Kevin, this information is great. I have great difficulty sleeping at night. I wake up a couple of times each night. Now I’ll change up a couple of things. I’ll take my magnesium at night rather than morning. I hear Camomile tea is very effective for sleep so I’ve been trying that also. I read every night and that definitely puts me to sleep, I’m out in no time, but then wake up later. I’ve also heard that you can get too much sleep. What are your thoughts on that issue?
Love this one Kevin. What form is the zinc/magnesium that you take – pill, powder?? Do you mix it with your Nighty, night tea?
Hello Kev,
Very motivating ways to have a good night sleep! I certainly agree that sleep issues are commonly stress related. I find regular daily exercise along with intermittent short holidays are of great help. Suffice to say, thinking of positive events with optimism are adjunct factors