Author: Ian

For many, the new year is a time to make resolutions for the year ahead and look to January as a new beginning. We have all heard the age-old saying, ‘new year, new me’.

With this in mind, we’re taking a look back over the year and revisiting the resolutions we made at the start of 2019.

From early morning workouts to making dinners from scratch at home, or even taking time out for yourself, these were all top of our list.

For many of us our health and wellbeing will remain a top priority as we move into the new year. Here at Sleepeezee HQ, we thought instead of making resolutions this year we would share some of our top tips on how you can make simple lifestyle changes that can aid us in our overall health and wellbeing.

• Regular exercise

Exercising on a regular basis can not only improve your mind and body but it can also contribute to a better night’s sleep. Whether your goal is to lose weight, lower cholesterol or to have more energy throughout the day, this motivation will give you the drive and determination to create a regular exercise schedule – be it for an hour or even 10-minutes a day.

• Set a sleep schedule

Setting a specific sleep schedule can not only improve our productivity, concentration and overall wellbeing but it can even counter inflammation. Whilst many may think that your sleep routine begins at night, our day-to-day activity can, in fact, impact our sleep more than you think.

It is recommended that on average you should have a minimum of seven hours of sleep. This process of sleep preparation can even start seven to eight hours before bed each night. For example, cutting out caffeine after 3pm (it takes three to five hours for the body to eliminate it) and having a ‘wind down’ hour, by avoiding electronic devices such as your phone or watching TV, are a great way to prepare.

• Drink less alcohol

It’s common knowledge that alcohol and sleep are connected. Although alcohol naturally makes us feel tired, drinking has been shown to result in low quality and fragmented sleep. Even though you may get six hours of ‘sleep’, much of it won’t be restful or productive.

• Take time for yourself

If you’ve fallen into the habit of staying late at work, you may decide to pledge to leave on time. Similarly, you could promise to block out time each week for some ‘you’ time. Perhaps, take the time to listen to music or have a bath with a good book?

• Track your water intake

With water making up to 60 percent of our body weight, our daily intake is vital to our everyday functionality. Ensuring you are drinking enough water throughout the day helps to prevent dehydration and can further help detox the body and improve digestion.

• Keep the mind healthy

Mental wellbeing is just as important as physical fitness and meditation is not only a great way to keep the mind healthy but also your body. Regular meditation can significantly help to reduce stress levels, improve sleep and enhance your focus.

Here at Sleepeezee HQ we have had an amazing 2019, from the successful unveiling of our new brand proposition, Everything Is Easy When You Sleepeezee, to our partnership with British doctor and TV presenter, Dr Ranj Singh, we can’t wait to see what 2020 holds for us.

One thing is for certain, the new year will be all about you and your health. So, from all of us here at Sleepeezee, here’s to a wonderful 2020 and many nights of great sleep – after all Everything Is Easy When You Sleepeezee.

For more sleep tips and to keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Do you have a sweet tooth? An after-dinner dessert or late night snack may be tempting, but do you realise just how much of an impact all that added sugar can have on your body – and your sleep?

The more sugar you consume during the day, the more often you’re likely to wake up during the night. And even if you don’t fully wake up, the sugar in your system can prevent you from sleeping deeply, making you feel exhausted the next day.

As well as affecting your sleep routine, consuming too much sugar can play havoc on your energy levels at work.

Still not convinced of sugar’s impact on your body? Let’s get down to the facts…

Sugar reduces sleep quality

There is evidence that consuming more sugar is linked to restless, disrupted sleep. Some sugary treats even contain caffeine, which will undermine your sleep quality, especially if you consume it in the evenings.

Take chocolate as an example, the combination of sugar and caffeine can interfere with your rest, causing you to stir throughout the night.

Sugar stimulates appetite and cravings

Eating sugar activates the brain’s reward circuitry, making it release dopamine – a hormone that delivers powerful feelings of satisfaction.

The more sugar we eat the less sensitive our brains become to that rush. We need to produce more dopamine in order to experience the same feelings of pleasure and satisfaction – translating into a need to eat more sugar.

But you may be asking, what does all of this have to do with sleep?

Cravings, and an appetite distorted by over-consumption of sugar, can lead to late-night snacking which may turn into a regular sugar habit. This will set in motion a cycle of disrupted sleep and overstimulated appetite that is tough to break, and over time can lead to weight gain, as well as pre-diabetes and diabetes.

Sugar hurts a healthy gut

People who consume too many calories from sugary foods may be lacking in healthy nutrients, including fibre from whole, unprocessed, no-sugar-added food sources.

A low-sugar, high-fibre diet will help keep your gut healthy and also help you sleep better. A great night of restful sleep is another reward for saying “no thanks!” to most of the sugar temptations that come your way.

So to avoid those nap-inducing sugar crashes, you want to do everything that you can to keep your blood sugar level steady. Do that and you’ll keep your energy levels even throughout the day, helping you stick to a normal sleep schedule.

For more sleep tips and to keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

We welcomed the start of the British Summertime this weekend! This was signalled by the clocks going forward which should bring better weather, long summer nights and lighter mornings.

However, the negative was we lost an hour of precious sleep, although some of you may ask what difference that hour can really make.

If you’re already somewhat sleep-deprived, giving up just one hour of shuteye can negatively impact how you feel and function during the day, perhaps even compromising your alertness and reaction time while driving.

It may only be 60 minutes but it can be surprisingly challenging and we noticed waking up Monday morning was a tad harder than it normally is – did you?

Your body’s internal clock (or circadian rhythm) may be thrown off course, which can affect how much sleep-inducing melatonin is released.

An extra hour of light in the late afternoon is great but the early morning hours are dark meaning your body’s internal clock may not be quite ready to wake up when the alarm goes off.

These changes can make it harder to get going in the morning and perhaps more difficult to go to bed at your usual hour.

How To Adjust

Within a few days, you should adjust to the new time schedule naturally as your circadian rhythm catches up.

In the meantime, practice good sleep hygiene to enhance your chances of falling asleep. Limit alcohol and caffeine intake, get some exercise, switch off electronic devices at least an hour before bed and get used to a calming wind-down routine.

Create the perfect sleeping environment – one that is cool, quiet, dark and clutter free. Remember you need a comfortable bed to sleep on, a supportive pillow and appropriate bedding.

For more sleep tips and to keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

If improving your health and fitness is a top priority for you, then you need to read on…

Whilst most advice points to eating your five portions of fruit and veg and reaching 10,000 steps a day, we often forget about the third pillar of health – sleep!

You already know how much better you feel after a good night’s sleep, but you may not know that not getting enough can affect your health and fitness goals.

Here are some of the surprising ways sleep is linked to your health…

Calorie burn

Did you know your body is still working even when you’re resting?

While a number of factors dictate exactly how many calories you burn, the average is around 266-342 calories per night.

But that’s not to say sleep is the solution to weight loss. Your body needs to burn calories to sustain its vital functions, even when you’ve switched off.

Sleep less, weigh more

Research has shown that those who sleep fewer than five hours per night gain more weight than those who get seven to eight hours of shut eye.

Poor sleep leads to raised levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and lower levels of leptin, a hormone that helps you feel full.

With a third of us now sleeping for just five to six hours per night, it’s imperative that we start focusing on sleeping better. And it’s not only good for physical health – but can improve your mental and emotional wellbeing too.

How to sleep better

If you’ve been struggling to sleep well it may be time to go back to basics. Take a look at your sleep environment and how you can improve it, put your smartphone/tablet down before bed and practice relaxation techniques or invest in a new bed for that perfect night’s sleep.

For more sleep tips and to keep up to date with all things Sleepeezee, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.