Ahh, a good night’s sleep—sounds great, doesn’t it? Getting to sleep should be as easy as counting sheep, but unfortunately for many of us, it can sometimes feel more like pulling teeth. 

It probably comes as no surprise that sleeping well is good for you, but just how much difference does it actually make? 

Why Good Sleep Is So Dreamy

Have you ever woken up after one spectacularly good night’s sleep and thought, “Wow, maybe I haven’t been sleeping as well as I thought lately”? Your mind feels clear and fresh, ready to start the day, and your body isn’t achy and feels strong from the jump. This isn’t magic and it’s not an illusion. Sleep is restorative, for your mind and your body. It’s not just that we feel better after a good night’s rest—in many important ways, we are better. 

Sleep gives our bodies time to focus on cell repair and strengthening our immune systems. It helps with heart health and can reduce feelings of stress. For the mind, sleep benefits how you learn, think, and feel emotionally

You know the side effects of poor sleep because you’ve lived them, and they can be a bit of a nightmare. Misplace your keys lately? Lack of sleep can impair memory. And that training webinar you sat through for two hours but never quite picked up on what you were supposed to learn? Better sleep would’ve helped you pay attention and learn—okay, maybe not the whole way through the really boring trainings. But you get the point. Good sleep can be hugely beneficial for your physical and mental health, plus the better you sleep the more likely you are to reach for nutritious foods instead of feeding sugar cravings.

Insomnia: When sleeplessness goes long-term  

Not sleeping here and there and insomnia are two different things. Everyone experiences sleeplessness now and then, but insomnia is a long-term problem that can cause serious health issues. That’s why it’s good to nip even seemingly minor sleep problems in the bud (not butt!). 

Insomnia can affect mental health and physical health in numerous ways. The ongoing lack of sleep can turn problems with focus and attention into accidents and injuries. You may find yourself snapping at others more easily or more frequently as irritability, mood issues and anxiety all can be related to poor sleep. 

Long-term lack of sleep also can put you at greater risk for certain health conditions such as: 

• Weakened immune system
• Diabetes
• Weight gain
• High blood pressure and heart disease   

It’s important to note that physical and mental health conditions can also contribute to sleep problems. So, if sleep suddenly seems like an unreachable dream to you and the things you normally try aren’t helping, talk to your doctor. 

How to Get Good Sleep

With sleep being this vital to our wellbeing, it can feel infuriating when it proves elusive. If only our brains came with an on/off switch or, better yet, if only wishing would just make it so! 

In an ideal world, we’d all naturally drift off to sleep the moment our heads touch the pillow each night. Alas, we live in this wonderfully flawed world, but that doesn’t mean we should just accept insomnia or even occasional sleeplessness. So here are some tried and tested tips to help you nod off. 

Banish the tech 

We know the thought of doing putting down the phone or closing the laptop at night might also feel like pulling teeth, but limiting screens before bed is a true sleep-friendly practice. If at all possible, impose a blanket ban on technology in the bedroom. For good sleep hygiene, the ideal is to turn your bedroom into a relaxing haven which your mind only associates with sleep.

While you don’t need to throw your cell phone in the trash just yet, it’s also a good idea to stop using it, along with other gadgets, at least two hours before you go to bed—whichever room you’re in. If that’s a step too far, consider at least setting nighttime hours on your electronics so that they stop beaming quite so much melatonin-suppressing blue light into your eyes when it’s getting close to bedtime. 

Be mindful with exercise

Making sure you get some exercise during the course of your day can make a real difference in the ease and quality of your sleep, as well as having plenty of other health benefits. However, timing is key. For example, if you exercise too close to bedtime, the adrenaline produced through exercise can actually keep you awake. So, if you’re having trouble sleeping, try exercising earlier in the day. If the only open slot in your day happens to fall at night, try an exercise that’s less intense—some gentle yoga perhaps.  

Try meditation

It takes practice, but meditation techniques can help you get into a relaxed state and turn off (or at least quiet down) your brain’s constant chatter, which in turn can make it much easier to drift off to sleep. There are loads of resources including books, meditation and mindfulness apps, and YouTube tutorials which can help. 

If your immediate thought was, “I’m bad at meditation,” don’t worry. Everyone is at first. You’d be surprised how even just attempting to focus on your breathing for 5 minutes can help slow your brain down from the breakneck speeds it ran at all day.

Be alcohol aware

While alcohol makes some people feel sleepy, for others it can have the opposite effect. Even if you’re one of the lucky ones, drinking in excess or too close to bedtime can massively reduce the quality of your sleep and may cause you to keep waking throughout the night. 

Use a safe sleep aid 

If you’re struggling with long-term insomnia, you should seek help from a medical professional—especially if you are also experiencing related physical or mental health issues. 

Even the occasional bout of sleeplessness can be detrimental though, and over-the-counter sleep aids can help you drift off to sleep and get your routine back on track. 

Among the dizzying array of brands out there, you generally have two key options—sleep medications based on an antihistamine ingredient and supplements containing the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin. Keep in mind when getting recommendations from friends and family, everyone’s experience can vary. 

There are also many products on the market now that, depending on your needs, may help you get better sleep. This includes sleep masks to block out the light, ear plugs to dampen noise, special lighted clocks that mimic the gradual setting and rising of the sun as you fall asleep and waken. 

Experiment and find what works for you. Good sleep is worth the effort!