“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

Whilst we’re dynamic and full of energy during the working day, the Hour Hands team are well aware of the benefits of a good night’s sleep and take that quotation from former US President, Benjamin Franklin to heart. Our wellbeing guru, Nat, often talks to us about how to get a better quality of sleep so we’ve asked her to write a blog and share her insights with you too.  So over to Nat.

“The best eraser in the world is a good night’s sleep.”  Orlando Aloysius Battista

In honour of last week’s National Sleep Day, I thought I’d remind us all of the benefits of a good night’s sleep.

Do you remember back in the day when you were young (hear me out!) you could socialise until the early hours, get up early and do a full week of work untouched? I remember it, I just can’t do it anymore. Can you?

Perhaps since having 2 children I now really understand just how much I need sleep and how important it is to me in order to function well. Drifting off to the land of nod means your body is completely rested. It keeps your immune system strong and your heart healthy – just like the Franklin quotation above. It also improves your attention and concentration as well as helps manage your stress levels to improve mood and emotional regulation. I think you’d agree, it’s a bit of a no brainer to make sure we are getting the best possible sleep. The question is, how do we do this?

“A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.” Charlotte Bronte

Take a read below of some of my useful tips that may help you develop better sleep hygiene if you don’t already.

Nat’s top 10 tips for a restful nights sleep

1. Place your phone on Do Not Disturb (my new favourite setting!) and put your phone down at least 1 hour before you go to sleep
2. Enjoy a nice hot bath with magnesium bath salts. A magnesium spray works wonders for a restful night’s sleep too.
3. Play relaxing spa music or a sound bath on Spotify
4. Drink herbal tea before bed – peppermint is my favourite!
5. You can’t beat clean sheets! (yes, I am officially old)
6. Ensure your bedroom is the perfect temperature – ideally it should be fairly cool.
7. Eat regularly so that your body doesn’t wake you up needing energy throughout the night.
8. And linked to no.7 – eat ‘good’ foods throughout the day: those that are rich in B vitamins (meat & fish) or take a vitamin B supplement
9. Manage your stress levels: exercise and meditation help
10. Practice some yoga or a Shakti mat (yes they look horrific but actually have a strange euphoric feeling of the ultimate relaxation, I promise!)

And one extra – write down your ‘to do’ list for the next day so you’re not lying there thinking about it. Even better, outsource your ‘to do’ list so you can concentrate on other things and look forward to the day ahead!

How can we help you sleep better?

If there is a task that simply doesn’t require you or you could spend your time doing something different elsewhere, we can help. You can then spend your time doing something that you are better skilled at or, simply, to allow you to enjoy doing something that fills you with happiness, allowing you to find the joy in your time. It’s all about removing the stress in your life so you can have the peace of mind that Nat refers to in point 9.

If you’re interested in getting a good night’s sleep knowing your tasks are taken care of for you, do fill in the contact form or give us a call. We’d be happy to help!