Top 10 Sleep Tips

If Kiwi kids are the second to most sleep-deprived in the western world as a new study has just reported, how do you think Kiwi adults would rate? Badly – if the experience of most of my colleagues and friends is anything to go by.

If you are in that boat and have tried everything you can think of in a bid to encourage the Sandman to call and he's still nowhere in sight, try these 10 Sleep Tips:

Sleep Tip 1: Eliminate or address any underlying physical reason first.

If there is a physical reason like discomfort or pain that is keeping you awake at night, address it by going to see a doctor. If it's not personally physical, but due to an uncomfortable bed or a cold bedroom, have a look at the vast array of beds and heating options now available.

Sleep Tip 2: Talk it out with someone.

If something is really worrying or upsetting you at work or at home, talk to someone you can trust about it and work out a strategy to address it.

Mental health has a huge bearing on physical health and stress is often a major risk factor in disease so it's important to work out where the lines in the sand are. Stress often relates to boundaries being crossed and sometimes for instance it can be the hardest thing in the world to leave a job that is (or a partner who is) simply doing your head in. It's important to work out a strategy to manage what you are facing one way or another or if that's not possible, talk to a counsellor or someone else who can help.

Sleep Tip 3: Schedule in more exercise…

To be kind to yourself, release the stress hormones and get the endorphins flowing.

Sleep Tip 4: Pressure Point Massage

When my son was little and struggled to go to sleep, massaging the pressure point roughly an inch above the bridge of his nose anti-clockwise for 30 seconds would send him out like a light. Find it on yourself and try it. It is amazing how much pain we carry in our faces. Another good pressure point to try is the one at the base of your thumbs (it works on headaches too!).

Sleep Tip 5: Develop a quiet ritual wind-down time before bed

Options include reading something inspirational, escapist, uplifting or funny that you enjoy; sipping warm milk or sleep-promoting herbal teas, quietly talking by scented candlelight; meditation; prayer; affirmations or just some quiet, gentle stretching.

Sleep Tip 6: Avoid all screens including the TV, PC, laptop or tablet or smartphone at least an hour before bed

Go old school and start writing out everything that is worrying you an hour or two in a journal before you go to bed. It's a left brain talking to right brain exercise. Sometimes you will find yourself writing down something you may not even have been aware you were thinking. Give yourself plenty of unhurried time alone in an environment you feel safe in, like your bedroom. (Ensure everything is ready and organised for the next morning so you don't need to think about it while you are writing.)

Sleep Tip 7: Stop drinking liquids by 7 or 8pm…

To avoid waking up to go to the loo as that's the time people often have difficulty going back to sleep.

Sleep Tip 8: Hot baths by candlelight are incredibly relaxing.

Chuck in a tablespoon of Epsom Salts for extra power in releasing tense, sore muscles. Invite your nearest and dearest in too and enjoy a glass of wine in the bath if the mood takes you.

Sleep Tip 9: Invest in calming down.

Book in a massage or some other kind of pampering.

Sleep Tip 10: Make your bedroom as relaxing and pleasant to be in as possible.

As parents, often we are used to sorting out the rest of the house and leaving our own rooms until last. Sometimes they become storerooms or Bills HQ but put some energy into removing anything with negative associations from your bedroom. Put the bills in a drawer so they are not the first things you see when you enter the room. Fill it with positivity and make it a place you and the one you love want to be.