It’s National Sleep Awareness Week this week and anyone who knows me well will know that I cannot get enough of the stuff. I actually love sleep, but, I hasten to add it is really important to get good quality sleep, not just alcohol or sleeping pill induced coma-type snoozing. So this means that you need to get the right balance of REM sleep – this is rapid eye movement sleep or dream sleep – along with the deeper kind. A good mix of both and in addition ensuring you get between about 7 and 9 hours will usually be sufficient.

To me, there is nothing better than a good night’s sleep. And in the same way, there is nothing more energy-sapping than not sleeping well. If this then continues night after night then it can lead to all sorts of health problems, both physical and mental, and it sometimes seems that the more you long more sleep, the more elusive it becomes.

The phrase ‘sleep-hygiene’ is often used nowadays, (and this doesn’t refer to making sure you are really clean before you go to bed), what this actually means is having a good look at your daily routine and perhaps tweaking it a little in order to see if this could help you get into the habit of experiencing good quality, restful sleep, most nights. Some of these things are obvious, so excuse this but they should still be mentioned:

– caffeine – check that you drink no more than 3/4 cups of coffee or tea per day, and ideally none after midday

– try and get a little bit of exercise and fresh air during the day if you can, but do not exercise just before bed

– alcohol may get you off to sleep quicker, but you will be more likely to have a poor quality sleep, and/or wake up during the night

– try to have a light meal in the evening, ideally before 7pm – if you eat a big meal before bed, then you will tend to not sleep very well

– do something relaxing in the evening, such as reading, sewing or listening to music. Television is ok, but try to watch something soothing or uplifting before bed if you can

– learn self-hypnosis/relaxation techniques, simple ones that you can use just before bedtime

I often find that many of my clients, as a side-effect of the hypnotherapy treatment they receive, start sleeping much better and this happens even if they have not come to me initially with sleep problems.

If you would like to find out more about how hypnotherapy could help you to sleep more soundly, then do contact me on 01449 780352 or 07817158429, or email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.

Sweet dreams,
Wendy x