The quality of sleep affects our mental well-being, correct functioning of the immune system, tissues and cells, and helps to balance energy levels in our bodies. Moreover, good sleep makes us feel and be happier, fitter, more energised, active and focused.

However, it is important to be aware that acquiring new habits takes time; they say it takes 21 days to change habits. The important thing is to plant small seeds in our daily routines that will soon turn into beautiful sprouts and enhance our general well-being.

Here is a list of rituals that will support your body, helping it to recover and refuel after a tiring day, allowing it to rest and refresh for the next day ahead!

TAke a Nice Warm Bath

To get a good night's sleep, a nice hot bath, one or two hours before bedtime is always a great idea to enhance mind-body relaxation. Soaking in warm water some Epsom bath salts helps you fall asleep early and improve your overall quality of sleep. Hot tubs promote endorphins flow, increase metabolism through heat, improve mental state through relaxation, easing sore muscles and lower blood pressure.

Follow a Precise Evening Skincare

Perhaps even more important than the morning skincare, is the evening skincare! It is in fact very important to use gentle cleansers, to remove all of the impurities (that have been accumulated throughout the day because of air pollution) from our skin. Never forget to apply a good and natural moisturiser after your detersion!

Write a To-Do List for the Next Day

When your mind is focused on the future, adrenaline may take over your emotions and as a result, this may hinder sleep, causing anxiety. Writing down a to-do list can help to combat the anxiety of forgetting things you should do while simulatenously allowing you to know exactly what you are going to do as soon as you get up the next morning. This strategy will make your mind feel organised, promoting relaxation and a calmer sleep.

Decide the Time THAT YOU WANT to be in Bed

A fit bit watch is a great accessory that tracks your sleep as well as: all day activity, calorie burning, heart-rate and automatically recognises any type of exercise that your body does during the day, reminding you to move when you do not!

The human body is habitual. Constantly changing your schedule, going to bed earlier, later, and often varying the number of hours you sleep and the time you wake up, is not good for your health and certainly does not make us sleep well. It is as if we are constantly moving the hands of our biological clock back and forth!

To get and maintain a good quality of sleep, we must aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. A few small transgressions every now and then will not harm anyone, as long as they do not become a habit and as long you as you give your body time to catch up on the lost sleep.

Tip

• Calculate the hour in which you want to wake up; subtract the necessary 7/8 hours of sleep;

• Subtract from this hour about 30 minutes that you will need to fall asleep once you are lying in bed;

• This is the time that you will have to refer to, to guarantee a good night sleep.

Example: I would like to wake at 8am. Therefore, I subtract 8 hours of sleep: 00.00 am - 30 minutes (to fall asleep): 23.30 pm should be the time that I should be in bed.

Pay Attention to Nutrition

Dinner should not be too close to sleep (better at least 3 hours before). This is because digestion requires energy and especially an upright position. Carbohydrates are necessary to sleep well. Fasting, low-calorie diets and especially low-carb diets are enemies of a good night's sleep. So it is good to favor them in the evening.

Pay attention to herbal teas! They can be a problem for those who suffer from insomnia, because they may contain theine which will keep you awake and can cause the need to urinate during the night, interrupting sleep. If you like them, you should drink them a couple of hours before going to sleep, to give the body time to assimilate them and expel excess fluids before getting to sleep.

Tips

• Prefer foods whose nutrients stimulate the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates the body's sleep/wake rhythms. In particular, foods of vegetable origin such as: tomatoes, lettuce and cabbage, but also oats, corn, walnuts, almonds and some fruits including: bananas and cherries contain tryptophan, an amino acid essential for the well-being, relaxation and deep sleep.

• Avoid large, processed, high-fat evening meals because they are more difficult to digest.

• Avoid caffeine and theine drinks because they stimulate the centers of wakefulness and prevent falling asleep.

• The excessive consumption of alcohol can cause or increase the symptoms of sleep apnea, snoring and disturb the quality of sleep.

Practice Physical Activity

Doing physical activity regularly helps you sleep, stimulates the production of endorphins and promotes relaxation and therefore, increases the quality of having a good rest. But beware!!! Exercising in the evening could load your body with energy, preventing you from falling asleep. Better to exercise in the morning as soon as you wake up, since movement promotes blood flow to the brain, improving attention and speed of thought, and increases blood pressure and heart rate - essential to prepare the body for effort.

Meditate for at least 10 Minutes

Meditation is nothing more than the absence of thought; an opportunity to make space in the mind and allow thoughts to flow with greater balance and harmony, to connect with the third eye and let insights come into contact with the inner self. Even a few minutes of meditation before bedtime can be enough to relax the mind and ensure and improved quality of sleep.

Use a Pillow Spray

This is a magic product should be sprayed on top of your pillow and sheets before going to bed. Pillow sprays have a very special and intense aroma that act at a deep level on the body thanks to the blend of pure essential oils which contain relaxing properties, (both for the mind and body), such as: incense, hops and lavender. 

By Vittoria Barbirato (Junior architect, Healthy addict and Yoga Lover)