The power of sleep is something that has been long discussed and we now know that it has long-term implications on health.

Lack of sleep has been successfully used for many years as a form of torture. Recognizably even more successful than waterboarding or starvation! It can lead to hallucinations, confusion and ultimately death. Does this sound a bit extreme? Yes it does, but imagine these scenarios.

• A new mom with body and lifestyle changes, only gets 40 minutes of sleep at any given time

• Someone in so much pain and unable to sleep at night, and especially dealing with a chronic pain condition

1. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day

2. If you wake up during the night more than 30 min, rather than lying in bed, get up and follow through with a mundane task such as cleaning or reading until you feel tired then return to bed

3. Ensure your bedroom has no sources of light and is kept at a cool temperature between 16 and 18 degrees celsius

4. Avoid screens, alcohol and stimulants for approximately 2 hours prior to bed

5. Take a natural supplement such as melatonin to aid with sleep

I would also highly recommend working out your sleep efficiency. This is calculating the amount of time you sleep in bed versus the amount of time you stay in bed. This link will calculate it automatically https://mysleepwell.ca/cbti/sleep-efficiency-calculator/

Another recommendation that comes from Dr Jessica Drummond* is to take bi-yearly sleep vacations. This means going to bed for 12 hours, 3 days per week, twice per year. For those 12 hours no screens, just a book and you spend 12 full hours in bed. I have done this twice and I must admit, I felt very very refreshed afterwards.

Nicola Robertson

Registered Physiotherapist

•Reference https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/press-kit/