SLEEP

The quiet hours, our moonlit haven.. 

How often have we heard ‘I can't sleep’, ' I'm so tired or ‘I was awake all night’? A lot right! But it's not a good thing. 

We know we are supposed to sleep, but somehow, somewhere along the way, we have massively overlooked its absolute need and power. It’s become acceptable to stay up until any hour, yet, people still act baffled as to why they can't keep their eyes open during the working day, only to repeatedly pep themselves back up with another coffee, cans of Diet Coke and Red Bull and keep on ploughing.

The modern day world doesn’t make it easy. I totally get that. We have become grafters in more ways than one, carving out the lives we want with the families we have, whilst trying to be entrepreneurs, have a social life, master social media, be a partner, and be a parent, whilst trying to keep up with the latest box set and have a dog. It's a lot, and we constantly feel like we don't have enough hours in the day. Yet we all have the same. But where is the time for one of our most essential wellbeing foundations? Why are we not prioritising it? Let's stop treating it like an afterthought. It’s literally one of the most critical drivers of physical and mental repair in our lives. And yet only a few have made the links between well-being and sleep, taking the time to incorporate precious hours of slumber into their evenings and nights. You may want to consider starting a daily ritual if you are not already prioritising your sleep and its quality. It will be one of the best things you could ever do for yourself.

 

A general guideline for sleep for most adults is 7-9 hours per night. Alarmingly, consistently sleeping less than 7 hours per night is considered sleep deprivation. Under 6 hours starts to have significant measurable effects on mood, memory, metabolism and immune function and under 5 hrs, even for a few nights, can impair your body and brain almost as much as being intoxicated. I’m sure you can all pull on some of those memories. You can begin your day feeling nearly like you’ve had a drink.

 

As this continues for months and years, the cracks do start to show, and there is an array of symptoms you would want to avoid. Maybe you have some and are already living with some of these.

 

Some imminent feelings you can experience are cognitive and mental signs, such as memory problems, trouble recalling words or recent events, brain fog with slower thinking, difficulty concentrating, and losing your train of thought. Poor decision-making, irritability, mood swings, and lack of good sleep heavily affect emotional regulation, and this becomes stronger with age, alongside reduced motivation or feeling mentally flat. With us women, we can already be up against hormonal brain fog, peri menopause and menopause feelings and symptoms, so we want to be giving ourselves the best chances of feeling good, so when these uncomfortable times hit, we are more equipped to deal with them.

Physical signs include daytime fatigue, feeling drained even after a night's sleep, increased aches and pains, and heightened inflammation and pain sensitivity. There are weaker immune responses with more frequent colds, slower healing, and changes in appetite and cravings for sugar, carbs, and caffeine. With dark circles, puffy eyes, and dull skin, your body's circulation and reparative ability slow down without deep sleep.

 

Long-term health effects include higher blood pressure and heart strain, as less restorative sleep increases cardiovascular risk. Blood sugar swings and poor sleep disrupt insulin sensitivity. Poor overnight recovery can also cause weight gain or difficulty losing weight as your metabolism and hormones shift and worsen chronic conditions, arthritis, and diabetes.

 

That’s a lot, right?

 

Studies show that great things happen in your first sleep cycles before midnight, so getting your head down before the hour of Cinderella's shoe having to be back in will only serve you.  A sleep cycle is one complete sequence of your brain moving through the different sleep stages, light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep (dreaming stage). Each full cycle lasts about 90 minutes on average, though it can vary depending on the person and stage of life; studies show a range of 70 to 120 minutes. I would say I am around 100 minutes. I can never drop off for a power nap. I will come back after about an hour and 40-50 minutes, feeling better than if I had been disturbed somewhere mid-cycle.

 

Most adults need about 4 - 6 sleep cycles per night, roughly 6-9 hours of total sleep. Waking up between cycles (instead of during deep sleep) helps you feel more refreshed, but the idea is to sleep through, giving you a nice block.

 

It's said that sleeping before midnight is best because deep sleep (slow wave sleep—the most restorative kind) occurs mainly in the first 2-3 cycles in the night. Those cycles happen earlier at night, typically between 10 pm and 2 am, when melatonin (something we touch on shortly) levels are high. So even if you sleep the same number of hours, going to bed earlier (e.g., 10 pm vs. 1 pm) gives you a higher proportion of that deep healing sleep. 

 

 

In the modern-day world, it’s so easy to overlook sleep and a regular bedtime. I chat to clients all of the time about how they feel boring if they go to bed too early so they watch TV, catch up on one more episode on Netflix, maybe got in late, so, feel they have no evening unless they stay up till midnight, or can’t get off the scroll hole that’s sucked them in buying because they take their phone to bed. But the thing is with sleep, the magic happens when you get good, consistent sleep at a consistent time. However, if you consistently go to bed very late (e.g., 2-3 a.m.), you miss out on some deep sleep windows which we've covered.

 

Something significant and interesting is that you produce melatonin from your pineal gland as the darkness outside increases. Melatonin is a natural hormone your body produces to help control your sleep-wake cycle. So it tells your body when to sleep and when to wake. You must recall those moments at home when your eyelids go heavy, you yawn and find your body feeling more relaxed. There it is, there's your natural call for wind down. Your body wants to nudge you to prepare you for rest, but what do we do? We stay out or up late, suppressing this signal with light (especially blue light from screens/ phones). As a nation, we watch TV until we go to bed. Then, when we do, we turn the TV on in our rooms and sleep with our phones right next to us, unable to put them down. No wonder our sleep patterns and natural ability to relax and drop off are so disturbed.

 

Your melatonin production will make you feel drowsy, signalling it's time to sleep, but we deny it. These are just bad habits, and this is the problem: the bad habits we have created—the cycle of addiction to our phones and TVs. You must try to break the cycle of addiction and become committed to a new cycle of serving and nourishing yourself. Listening to and nurturing yourself so you can naturally wind down, feel when your body is naturally telling you it's time to relax and rest, and be mindful of it, trying to get to bed around the same time of an evening so that you can have consistent hours of sleep giving yourself the best chances of rest, recovery, body and brain repair.

 

It's no big secret how to do this. You can make tweaks to your diet and lifestyle and bring healthier sleep habits into your life right now. And if you currently feel like you are completely swinging the opposite side of the coin, then don’t worry. All you have to do is want the change and start implementing what I am about to tell you as much as you can.

 

Your diet could also be affecting your ability to sleep. What you eat and when you eat can affect your melatonin production, blood sugar stability, digestion, and nervous system activity, all of which are key to falling and staying asleep. So, let’s take a deeper look to help you understand.

 

Blood sugar swings are spikes and crashes from refined carbs and sugar (a bad diet) that can cause nighttime awakenings, cortisol release (a stress hormone) to bring your blood sugar back up, and anxiety during sleep. The best thing you can do for yourself is to limit a refined carb and sugar diet, but you certainly don’t want to eat any of these foods before bed.

 

Digestive strain, heavy or high-fat meals close to bedtime, keep your digestive system active when it should be winding down. Eat up to 3 hours before going to sleep so that your body's digestion of your food doesn’t interfere with and delay your deep sleep.

 

Hormonal effects, certain foods and drinks (especially caffeine, alcohol and sugar) disrupt melatonin, serotonin and GABA (neurotransmitters that help you relax)

 

Inflammation and gut health, poor diet = gut imbalances = inflammation = poor sleep quality (because the gut produces much of your serotonin and melatonin precursor)

 

Avoid caffeine, coffee, energy drinks, chocolate, and green tea before bed. Alcohol. Sugar and refined carbs. Spicy foods can trigger acid reflux and raise body temperature, delaying sleep onset. Avoid Ultra-processed or salty foods. However, kiwis naturally boost serotonin and melatonin, almonds/walnuts contain magnesium and natural melatonin, warm oat milk or chamomile tea raises tryptophan (a precursor of serotonin and melatonin, our sleep hormone) and body warmth for sleep onset.

 

So now that we've discussed what to avoid and what not to do, let's move on to how we can bring more quality rest and sleep into our lives. Bedtime should be something you look forward to, a relaxing ritual time where you feel comfort and calm. Remember, your body needs this; it wants it, so when the ritual feels right for you, your body will welcome it.

Building a Nightly Ritual: The Anchor of having a Consistent, Restful Night.

 

Sleep is one of the most healing things we do 

Creating a consistent sleep routine is one of the most powerful ways to support your body’s natural balance. It’s not about strict schedules, it’s about sending your body the same gentle message every night: “It’s time to slow down.”

Start small. Dim the lights right down, put your phone aside, brew a calming tea or take 5 minutes to breathe deep breaths to calm your system. Maybe write down a few thoughts from the day so your mind can empty before you close your eyes or pick up a book whilst getting cosy and comfortable. Burn essential oil, find a fragrance that calms you, and fill your sleeping space with its scent. Hold and love your partner, embrace the warm skin and breathe to connect and relax your bodies. Play gentle music or a gentle meditation in the background. These simple acts, repeated nightly, teach your body to associate them with rest. Over time, they become anchors that steady your nervous system, helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

Think of your evening routine as an invitation rather than a rule. You’re inviting peace, balance, and stillness back into your space. When your nervous system feels safe and supported, sleep becomes a natural extension of that calm, not a battle against wakefulness.

The Quiet Power of Magnesium

If there’s one nutrient that perfectly complements this night time ritual, it’s magnesium, often called the relaxation mineral. Magnesium plays a vital role in over 300 processes in the body, but its connection to sleep and stress is especially profound.

When magnesium levels are low (which is extremely common), your body struggles to relax fully. Muscles stay tense, your mind races, and cortisol, the stress hormone, stays elevated. Magnesium helps quiet this internal noise by supporting the parasympathetic nervous system (your “rest and digest” mode). It eases muscle tension, steadies your heart rhythm, and encourages a deep sense of calm.

It also supports the natural production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle. Taking magnesium in the evening, through a supplement, a topical oil, or even a warm Epsom salt bath, can feel like giving your body a cue. “And relax”

Check out our formulated sleep support product Restful Night

In a world that glorifies constant doing, rewarding yourself with a good night's sleep will always be a foundation of optimum health.

Remember, it is the consistency of doing something that shows up for you in the end. 

Thank you for being here.

Becky