How to get better sleep

Tired of being tired? (ha ha), unfortunately a cheeky lie in on a Sunday morning won’t solve things. Studies show that we build up a ‘sleep debt’ which we cannot undo with a few extra hours kip every now and then.

Sadly, the effects of sleep deprivation last long after a few days of recovery sleep. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Nutritional therapist Jessica Ferrari-Wells shares her top tips for improving your sleep and your wellbeing, (thank us later).

Don’t:

• Binge watching Ozark? Scrolling aimlessly through Instagram? We hear you. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try to avoid looking at screens for the hour before you go to sleep. The blue light emitted from screens tricks your brain into thinking that it is earlier in the day than it is, blocking the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.
• If you do watch TV in the evenings, try to avoid emotionally stimulating activities such as intense movies or upsetting news.
• Try to avoid exercise which elevates your heart rate (although the good news, sex isn't considered exercise and is in fact beneficial for sleep, phew!).

Do:

• Curl up with a good book or soak in a hot bath. Adding essential oils to your bath or using them in a diffuser can be helpful –lavender, bergamot, fragonia and rose geranium are some of the bestaromatherapy oils for sleep.
• Spend some time on the yoga mat. Gentle stretches that focus on taking slow, deep breaths or experimenting with mindfulness are all great ways to help you unwind from the day’s stresses.

Don’t:

• Avoid eating a large meal at least 2 hours before bedtime, as this can affect your blood sugar levels (which can disrupt sleep) and also means your body uses sleeping hours to digest the food which can keep you up. Hungry before bed? Opt for a protein-based snack which won’t disrupt your blood sugar levels.
• Avoid drinking alcohol at least 2 hours before bed as it can act as a stimulant and disrupt deep sleep.

Do:

• Drink a herbal tea before bedtime. Herbs such as chamomile, valerian, lavender, lemon balm, peppermint and St. John’s wort are well-known relaxants and sleep inducers. An evening herbal tea will also boost your hydration levels before night-time which is important.

Sleeping hours are when your skin repairs itself and replenishes moisture, so not getting enough sleep results in poor skin hydration balance, leading to puffy bags under your eyes and under-eye circles, as well as dryness and more visible wrinkles. No thanks!

In one study, people who got high-quality sleep had 30% greater moisture barrier recovery in 72 hours than poor sleepers.

Cut down on your caffeine. Nothing beats a creamy flat white…apart from a good night’s sleep! Limit your intake of caffeinated drinks to before midday and check the caffeine levels of your decaffeinated options, (you’d be surprised).

Can’t sleep and have dry skin? Caffeine (along with alcohol…sadly) also dehydrates your skin so that’s another reason to skip the afternoon cuppa!

Jessica Ferrari-Wells

Jessica is a London-based qualified nutritionist specialising in women's health. Having first studied psychology and neuroscience at the University of Oxford she became fascinated with how our wider health, diet and lifestyle impact our mental and physical wellbeing. Going on to work in a highly pressured corporate law environment, she experienced a deterioration in her own health and the health of her colleagues, in particular hormonal health and resilience. She went on to study and train in nutritional therapy and since qualifying has specialised in women's health, primarily hormone balance, energy, immunity, resilience, and mental wellbeing. Jessica unravels exactly what it takes to be well in the modern day - supporting her clients with clear, practical and educated advice and debunking common myths along the way.

Learn more about Jessica or get in touch with her for some personalised tips here.