NCTV Episode 3

Part 2 of the sleep related two-parter in the series of bitesize health tip videos which can be found here on my YouTube Channel. This episode covers:-

  • 12 tips for a healthy sleep
  • What to avoid
  • Things worth including in your evening routine
  • The right timings
  • The right conditions

 

Transcript

If you’d prefer to read the content within, rather than watch the video, then feel free to read the transcript, as follows:-

Hello and welcome to NCTV, this is Part 2 of the Sleep Special, so if you haven’t already seen Part 1 On the benefits of sleep, I’d encourage you to go back and watch that first as it will give you some context leading into this episode where I’ll be covering 12 Tips For A Healthy Sleep, taken from Matthew Walker’s excellent book called Why We Sleep.

So jumping straight in and first of all, tip number 1 – Stick to a sleep schedule, your body loves rhythms and routines, the sooner it gets used to doing things in a certain way, the easier it becomes

2 – Exercise is great but not too late in the day. Try to exercise 30m on most days but no later than 2 or 3 hours before bedtime, adrenaline, high body temperature and sleep don’t go well together

3 – Avoid caffeine and nicotine, this can be good general advice but for a better sleep, definitely not after mid-afternoon at least as these are stimulants and will stay in your system.

4 – Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed. A difficult one to adjust to for most I know but alcohol messes with your sleep and if you want to sleep better, it’s a sacrifice you’ll need to be willing to make

5 – Avoid large meals and beverages late at night. A) It won’t digest properly and B) Your body will be in wind-down mode and then suddenly have a huge demand put it to the detriment of your sleep

6 – If possible, avoid medications that delay or disrupt your sleep

7 – Don’t take naps after 3pm because you won’t be sufficiently tired come bed-time

8 – Relax before bed. Don’t overschedule your day so that no time is left for unwinding. A relaxing activity such as reading or listening to music should be part of your bedtime ritual

9 – Take a hot bath before bed

10 – Have a dark, cool, gadget-free bedroom

11 – Have the right sunlight exposure. Daylight is key to regulating sleep patterns. Try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least 30m a day. If possible, wake up with the sun or use very bright lights in the morning.

12 – Don’t lie in bed awake. Instead go and do something quiet and relaxing until the sleep urge returns.

So that concludes this two-part series, a lot of information to process I know but hopefully that will be of assistance. Let me know how it goes, any questions just ask and I will see you next time for a new instalment of NCTV, providing you with bite-sized bits to help your health flourish. Bye