5 Tips to Sleep Well and Be Well!

Sleep is pretty important for our bodies. In evolutionary terms, anything that makes us so vulnerable to predators for an enormous 1/3 of the time we are alive MUST be critical to our survival! Even for those of us who diligently get our 8 hours sleep per night, a poor quality of sleep can still affect your everyday functioning. Today we look at some lifestyle choices, some nutritionist's recommendations, and some organic vitamins that can help you make the most of your nighty-nights!

High GI carbs at dinnertime

High GI carbs in general are something that must be taken in moderation. However, the crash after high-GI carbs is actually something that you WANT at bedtime! Studies have shown that higher GI jasmine rice helped promote sleep compared to low GI long-grain rice.

Drink warm milk or herbal tea? Perhaps not…

These are two folk remedies for helping fall asleep, but unfortunately their effectiveness hasn’t been proven. And in fact, while they may help some people get to sleep initially, they often create a poor quality of sleep by ensuring that your bladder is uncomfortably full most of the night.

Organic vitamins for sleep

Many 'sleep herbs' have not been fully proven to be effective. One exception is valerian root, which features prominently in New Chapter's Tranquilnite Plus. If you have trouble initially getting to sleep, this could be a valuable friend.

Skip the wine with dinner

If you are having trouble sleeping, don't drink with dinner. One theory is that alcohol suppresses REM sleep, which is critical for actually feeling rested in the morning. Drinking at dinnertime can also make you wake up more during the night, both because of a filling bladder and other causes.

Bedtime snacks

Having a bedtime snack can help stop you waking up during the night due to hunger. Often we don't even realise that we are hungry when we wake up during the night time … we just feel tired. If the cause of your insomnia isn’t determined, try a low GI snack just before bed. Keep it small, though, or your nutritionist will have something to say about it!