Kokova Magazine

Sleep is an extremely emotive topic.

Regardless of how much we get, I'm sure we would all claim that we need more. A bad night's sleep reduces a person's ability to cope with stress, has the potential to negatively impact a person's day and, for the unfortunate among us that suffer from sleep disorders, whole lives have to be adjusted to accommodate irregular sleeping patterns.

The benefits of a healthy sleeping pattern are plentiful.

From an aesthetic viewpoint, getting the right amount of sleep assists in reducing the signs of ageing. After a good night's sleep you feel more alert and responsive, but it's not all about racking up the hours - oversleeping can make you feel tired and fatigued. Contrary to popular belief, there is no set number of hours that we should all strive towards. It's more about the quality of sleep we get. A deep, uninterrupted six hours of sleep is more beneficial than a light, interrupted eight hours. While we can all make plans to ensure we, for the most part, get our desired length of time asleep, how do we ensure we get the right quality of sleep?

One of the major hurdles to getting a good night's sleep is what we do immediately before we attempt to settle down for the night.

As the old cliché goes, we now lead increasingly busy lives, and many of us expect our brains to simply switch off when we want them to. However, if we keep our brains active throughout the evening - through watching TV, reading books, Tweeting or whatever it might be - it simply cannot pull up the brakes quick enough when we want to enjoy a state of absent consciousness. As our bodies grind to a halt, our brains keep on ticking over for some time afterwards. We call this the 'Roadrunner Effect'.

An active mind when you're trying to sleep is a sure fire way to impact on the quality of sleep you get. Here are some tips to help you switch off at night and get regular quality sleep.

• Eat a balanced diet and take regular exercise. Be sure to exercise at least four hours before bedtime
• Don't expose yourself to bright lights before going to bed as it deceives your body into believing it's time to be awake
• Don't eat a heavy meal before retiring, however don't go to bed feeling hungry. Instead, eat a light snack
• Occasionally drink chamomile or valerian tea before bedtime, but not so much that you have to visit the bathroom during the night
• Don't eat or drink anything that contains sugar or caffeine before bedtime
• Invest in the right products. We spend almost a third of our lives in bed so it’s vital that we support our bodies during that time. Pressure relieving mattresses and pillows from brands such as Tempur have been proven to help you get a better night's sleep (www.uk.tempur.com)
• If you find yourself waking up at night thinking about things you have to do, keep a pad and pen close by to note them down so you can return to sleep untroubled
• Balance work and play. Stress and overwork lead to poor sleeping habits
• Don't do anything to make the mind active just before sleep
• Have a bedtime ritual. For instance, lie face up in bed with arms and legs slightly spread. Close your eyes. Sense the subtle sensations in your body. Focus on a point at your third eye - in between eyebrows and slightly up. Imagine a black hole and sink into it. Or count sheep!

Neil Shah, Director of the Stress Management Society