A a recent study confirmed that 60% of people in Ireland do not get enough sleep. That is a shocking statistic! Today I'm writing this blog post to remind everyone (including myself) how important sleep is and to give you some advice on the things you can do to improve your sleep. How much sleep should you get? It should be 7 to 9 hours; it can vary from person to person.
Main benefits of sleep:
- Keeps your heart healthy
- Reduces stress
- Improves memory
- Improves concentration
- Helps to lose weight
- Helps your body recover from illness and injuries
- Helps build muscle properly
- Reduced risk of depression
Sleep stages:
REM sleep:
Important for your memory and mood. This stage typically occurs later in the night and your dreams are more vivid, breathing is faster and heart rate is increased.
Light sleep:
Makes up most of your sleep and promotes mental and physical recovery.
Deep sleep:
Helps with aspects of memory, learning and helps with physical recovery. Lack of deep sleep usually makes you feel groggier and less rested.
9 Tips for Getting more sleep and higher quality sleep
- Try get into a good sleep routine, do this by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Do this by forcing yourself to get up at the same time everyday and after a couple of days you will find it easier to go to sleep earlier.
- Exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day but no later than a few hours before going to bed. Excising right before bed can keep you awake.
- Avoid caffeine after 3pm, or if you are very sensitive to it try cutting it out earlier or cut it out completely. You may not be aware of how badly the caffeine is affecting your sleep!
- Relax before bed with a cup of Chi Fit Sleep Tea Blend and even set an alarm when it is your bedtime in order to remind yourself to get ready for bed.
- Put your phone away. Staring into a bright screen is not going to help you fall asleep, so place your phone away from your bed (or better yet in another room) and use an alarm clock to set your alarm. Instead try reading a book while sipping on a cup of Chi Fit Sleep Tea Blend.
If you wake during the night do not reach for your phone to check the time or to check your notifications (placing your phone away from the bed makes this easier), this will only wake you up more and make it harder to go back to sleep.
By checking your phone during the night, you are messing with your sleep stages and your body will not get the sleep it needs.
- Create a room for sleep. Avoid bright lights, lively music and loud sounds, keep the room at a comfortable temperature, and don’t use screens right before going to sleep
- Don’t lie in bed awake. If you can’t get to sleep, do something else, like reading or listening to calm music, until you feel tired.
- See a doctor if you have a problem sleeping or if you feel unusually tired during the day. Most sleep disorders can be treated effectively.
- It is common for people to be unable to sleep due to stress, anxiety and worry. There are many ways to deal with these issues. A good start would be to try mediating before bed.
If you are really struggling with mental health or mental illness go to see a psychotherapist or a counsellor.
Another great way to help yourself is by reading or listening to self-development and mental health podcasts and books. It is amazing how you can change your thought processes and control your worries through informative books and podcasts.
How Chi Fit Sleep Tea Blend can help you get better quality sleep, get more sleep and increase your deep sleep:
Chi Fit Sleep Tea Blend is an expertly blended tea, relax and enjoy a delicious, calming cup of sleep tea, made from 11 of the finest natural ingredients. Each of which was specifically selected for its unique properties to create a delicious balance of flavour. Each teabag can be used 4-6 times. Many of our customers who drink the sleep tea that have fitbits noticed that their deep sleep increased when drinking the Chi Fit Sleep Tea Blend. Many customers find it really helps them to relax before bed and reduces their anxiety.
Ingredients and how they help you relax and help improve sleep:
Mint Tea – Helps to reduce hunger and said digestion
Rose Petal Tea – Full of antioxidants, great for skin.
Chamomile – Promotes sleep, boots immunity, reduces muscle spasms and reduces stress.
Rooibos tea – Improves blood pressure and circulation, helps to reduce inflammation.
Hibiscus – Helps to reduce bloating and full of antioxidants, can help to lower blood sugar.
Valerian root – It has sedative, antibacterial, anti-diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties. It is used as a natural treatment for anxiety, sleep disorders, blood pressure, cramps, headaches and joint pains.
Jasmine – Antioxidant, boots immune system and relieves stress.
Lavender – Good for tired muscles, helps to treat insomnia, anti-inflammatory agent.
Gynostemma Pentaphyllum – Boosts immune system an reduces stress.
Lily – Improves sleep, promotes positive mood and has digestive benefits
Flower of Silk tree – Clears the mind and encourages sleep, it’s also a good immune booster.