Oh so tired!

I can no longer count how many times I hear this in clinical practice. 

"I'm so tired" "I never seem to get a good night sleep."

The comment is the same however the treatment rarely is. Standard OTC (over the counter) sleep treatments often focus on trying to get you to crash out, keep you asleep. Great! you may be thinking, just what is needed. The real remedy is working on why you are not sleeping.  No good getting a parent to 'crash out' if they have a 3yr old that wakes 3 times a night; or a shift worker who has always woken at 3am for work. We need to look at the individual aspects that are keeping you awake or waking you up.

Insomnia is classified into onset or maintenance insomnia; so do you have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep? Keeping a sleep diary and recording you alert you feel on waking and during the day is a great place to start. For insomnia dietary changes and exercise can be helpful such as limiting caffeine and not exercising late in the afternoons. 

Herbal medicines are also helpful with a treatment tailored to you. Mindfulness activities, stress management and relaxation are also core to gaining and maintaining good sleep.

Some tips to kick off a good sleep routine,

1. Turn of the TV, Ipad and phone at least an hour before bed. Use this time to unwind from the day
2. Reduce caffeine during the day. Try swapping out that 3pm coffee with a decaf or herbal tea - I love a vanilla rooibos.
3. Change your exercise routine to a morning one, kick start the day with more energy.

Wishing you a good nights sleep,

Rebecca



NB:If your sleep concerns have been on-going for more than a few weeks it is worth making an appointment to review.