OH! Magazine - Australian Version September 2018 | Page 8

( FITNESS & MOTIVATION )
SLEEP SAVIOURS
MICHELLE
BRIDGES
TO SAVE YOUR SANITY
Michelle Bridges shares her tips to help you sleep your way to optimum health.
e all know how important a good
night sleep is, from the lethargy
we feel when we’ve not been able to get
sufficient sleep, or if our sleep’s been
snatched away by a midnight car alarm, a
child’s cry, or something equally
unexpected.
W
Aside from a general feeling of
scratchiness, a lack of good quality sleep
can also reduce our cognitive function,
lower our immune system’s effectiveness,
and it can even have a negative effect on
our weight.
While you might not be in a position to
get a lot of sleep (commiseratory shout-
out to all the parents of young children!),
there are things you can do to help ensure
that the sleep you do manage to have, is
of the best possible quality.
8
OH! MAGAZINE ( JUNE 2018 )
Here are my top four sleep saviours:
•
•
Remove all technological devices
from your bedroom. No TV, no
mobiles, no computers, no digital
alarm clocks (go retro and get a
battery-operated analogue clock).
The blue light emitting from these
devices wires your brain into
wakefulness and stops you from
sleeping soundly.
Get an eye mask, and/or blockout
curtains for your bedroom. Sleeping
in total darkness allows your brain
and body to switch from survival
mode to rejuvenating, repair and
restore mode.
• Wear blue-light blocking glasses for
the couple of hours before you go to
bed. This helps set the scene for your
body by mimicking the effects of a
setting sun, which enables your body
to start to wind down, rather than
remaining alert and wound up. There
are options to suit all budgets – just
do a bit of research and shop around.
• Avoid stress before you sleep. This
means no TV murder mysteries or
‘whodunnit’ books! Your brain
doesn’t distinguish between real and
imagined stress events, so keep
things calm before bed, and you’ll
slip into sleep much more easily.
CONNECT WITH MICHELLE VIA:
Web: michellebridges.com.au
Facebook: Mishy.Bridges
Twitter: @mishbridges
Instagram: @mishbridges