A focus on sleep

Has your sleep been affected by the pandemic / lockdown?⁠

Stats are showing that sleep problems as well as prescriptions for sleeping pills has been on the rise since the start of the pandemic. I started to notice that my own sleep was starting to take a downward turn last week - I had more trouble getting to sleep, despite falling asleep in front of the TV and it’s not normally a problem with me.⁠

So I thought I’d share a few tips on how to improve your sleep over the next few days.⁠

⁠Why is it important for fertility?⁠

Lack of sleep is a form of stress on the body and stress is known to affect both male and female fertility as it interferes with hormone production, ovulation, adrenal function and testosterone levels.⁠

In fact, a study showed that rats when stressed, have shrunken ovaries and testicles 😱⁠

⁠Stress = raised cortisol = reduced oestrogen production = reduced egg maturation / impaired ovulation / reduced egg quality.⁠⁠

Sleep tip #1⁠ - Consistency & Daylight

This is actually a few tips in one and it is fundamental to creating a healthy circadian rhythm, which is our natural sleep-wake cycle. And it is controlled by light.⁠

⁠It really helps to stick to the same sleep routine i.e. go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning regardless of what day it is.⁠

Aim to get sunlight onto your face first thing in the morning. Difficult in these dark and cold days but not impossible. It would be preferable to get outside for this, even if it’s to have a hot drink in your garden or on your balcony, but at a minimum, open up all of your curtains/blinds straight away and possibly open a window to let in some fresh air.⁠

This sunlight literally resets our circadian rhythm each day, telling our body that we’ve entered a new 24 hour period and also telling our body when it will be time to sleep again.⁠

Then in the evening, we want to reduce access to light. Melatonin, which is our sleep hormone, is only produced when we’re exposed to darkness.⁠

So in the evening try to dim your lights, light candles or put the 🔥 on (my fave thing at the moment) and snuggle in.⁠

⁠Sleep tip #2⁠ - Block the Blue Light

⁠During the pandemic, not only are a lot of us spending all our working days in front of our screens, we’re then also socialising on our screens in the evening or watching TV or endlessly scrolling through our phones. And it’s not good news for sleep.⁠

The blue light emitted by our screens blocks the production of melatonin, our sleep hormone. That’s why we’re looking for red light in the evenings - from candlelight / fires etc to trigger melatonin production.⁠

⁠So what to do?⁠

⁠Well firstly, you can make sure you’re changing your settings on your phone to night mode, which will reduce the amount of blue light emitted. I have this set from 7pm to 7am automatically.⁠

⁠And then secondly - you can invest in some awesome looking blue-light blocking glasses. They can be picked up easily on Amazon.⁠

I’ll admit - I bought some quite a while ago and didn’t actually use them. But since I noticed my sleep taking a downward turn, I dusted them off and started practicing what I preach! And it really does help.⁠

Sleep tip #3 - Fresh Air & Exercise

Get some fresh air and exercise into your day. This goes hand in hand with my first tip - all about exposure to light.⁠

Multiple studies show that exercise improves sleep quality, sleep efficiency and insomnia severity. Fresh air gives us oxygen, which is needed for the brain to function and the brain regulates our circadian rhythm.⁠

⁠Sleep tip #4⁠ - Grab a Brew

Try a lovely herbal tea at night before going to bed.

I often turn to Chamomile tea or Night Time Tea from Pukka Herbs - they contain nervine herbs that help to soothe the nervous system and improve sleep.

Other ingredients to look out for in teas include lemon balm and passionflower

Sleep tip #5 - Epsom Salt Bath

Having a lovely warm bath filled with Epsom salts really can do wonders with helping you get to sleep. I usually add a few drops of lavender essential oil too.

Epsom salts are actually flakes of magnesium sulphate and magnesium is a super mineral when it comes to sleep - both for getting to sleep and staying asleep.

Many, many people have insufficient levels of magnesium as our soils are so depleted and levels are also reduced by stress and alcohol. Having plenty of leafy green vegetables in your diet can help you get a magnesium boost alongside the epsom salt baths.

What if these tips don't work?

These are the most common things I turn to myself for sleep aids and that I advise clients. If you try these and you’re still struggling with sleep then it might be worth mentioning to your doctor or contacting a health professional for further support.

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