How to sleep well, rest and detoxify with WelleCo

Every day, we build up and carry a toxic load, and sleep is key to allow our nervous system to rest and detoxify. Sleep supports your immune system, preventing illness, disease and premature ageing. Poor quality or limited sleep on a regular basis is linked to poor immune function.

An interesting study in 2015, revealed that adults who regularly slept less than six hours per night were almost five times more likely to get a cold, compared to those who slept well for more than seven hours a night.

There are five stages of sleep that rotate between Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) and Rapid Eye Movement (REM), and which include: drowsiness, light sleep, moderate to deep sleep, deepest sleep and dreaming.

The study suggested that sleeping well for seven to nine hours is optimum to support a healthy immune system and to help you get adequate levels at all five stages of sleep.

However, resting well doesn’t come easily to everybody – if that’s the case for you, here are our sleep-well hacks:

• Blacken the bedroom - make sure you have blackout curtains or an eye mask, for this will encourage your body to get a great balance of serotonin and melatonin. This makes you sleep deeply, and to feel refreshed and happy from adequate serotonin production.
• Make sure your room is cool - set your bedroom so it’s not too hot (around 20 degrees Celsius) to support deep sleep.
• Avoid artificial light which overstimulates you and disrupts your circadian rhythms.
• Try to get good sunlight exposure each day or use a SAD lamp to support healthy serotonin and vitamin D levels.
• Avoid the news, stressful emails or situations before bed if possible to circumvent overthinking situations you have no control over, and tossing and turning all night, thus reducing your quality of sleep.
• Skip caffeine after 2pm as it hits a peak level in your bloodstream within 30 to 60 minutes. It has a half-life of three to five hours (the time it takes for your body to eliminate half of the drug from your system). The remaining caffeine can stay in your body for six+ hours, so I always tell my patients to avoid caffeine after 2pm if you have trouble sleeping. Balance is key, so try to live with healthy boundaries on caffeine and be mindful. Ask yourself if you need or really need this, or are you reaching for a cup out of habit - and therefore potentially reducing the quality of your sleep.
• Reduce your sugar intake, which will reduce your blood sugar spikes and your overall stress/adrenal/cortisol load – and therefore positively affect your sleep. Have treat meals on weekends, when you don’t need to wake up early, so that you’re fresh for your usual life demands.
• Journal before bed - write down five things you are grateful for and take a moment to feel this in your body and nervous system. Do a brain dump of all the things you need to get done as well as a list of things that are out of your control, so that you can actively release those fears and avoid tossing and turning all night.
• Avoid blue light on screens one hour or more before your bedtime to reduce overstimulating your pineal gland and reducing deep sleep.
• Implement wind-down rituals like sleep-inducing teas, such as the WelleCo Sleep Well Calming Tea, which unites the effects of hops, valerian, lemon balm, passionfruit and skullcap to soothe the mind and usher sleep when bedtime calls. I notice a huge difference if not taking this before bed! (WelleCo Co-Founder Elle Macpherson says "The ritual of making a tea helps me wind down before bed. I sip this in warm water and use the blend of calming essential oils combined in a sleep spray at night and when I fly.")
• Take an Epsom salts bath and create a relaxing environment with candles, lavender, frankincense and a good book before you go to bed to encourage deep and restorative sleep.

For more information and to start your wellness journey today, visit WelleCo.co.uk or follow them on Instagram @welleco.

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WelleCo are partners of our new Immunity Programme which is a 2-week programme designed to build a healthy immune system through a 360 approach to good health. With daily healthy food deliveries from us, with supporting gifts from our favourite brands (including the above mentioned Sleep Well Tea from WelleCo!). Find out more here.