“I am thankful for a chance to close my eyes.”
Today is World Sleep Day, an annual event intended to be a celebration of sleep and a call to action on important issues related to sleep. BEO has always recognised sleep as a vital component of every person’s overall health and well-being and an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow. We believe that getting quality sleep and rest is one of the best things you can do for your health and well-being.
Speaking at the launch of our BEO Sleep Well range last week, now exclusively available at the Kilkenny Shop, our resident Key-Note speaker, Miriam Kerins Hussey explained that, “Whether it’s at work or with our families and kids, we have to be able to make decisions quickly and focus and if we don’t sleep well that gets affected. If we can look at why sleep is important, we can begin to prioritise it more.”
Also in attendance at the launch was Sleep Expert Tom Coleman, a regular contributor to BEO. Having spent years working in Fatigue Management and dealing with issues relating to sleep, Tom shared his insights, science and sleep secrets along with practical tips and advice to help you unlock the powerful benefits of a restful night’s sleep. “We have to relearn to sleep,” he explained, “all of this stuff is new – living inside, technology – we have to train ourselves. Something different will work for everyone, body scan, mediation, eating well – find what works for you and practise it. We’re very good at creating habits for our kids around sleep – pyjamas, brush teeth, story time – we all have these rituals that allow them to wind down, but when it comes to ourselves we’re all running around,” he said.
BEO’s Recommended Nightly Rituals
Sleep is a quiet, relaxing activity. You can’t simply transition to sleep directly from something that is quite the opposite. Our bodies don’t do well with abrupt changes. Nightly rituals help you relax, fall asleep more easily and be better prepared for the next day.
These nightly rituals should include quiet activities before bedtime. How much time you spend unwinding may vary and of course depend largely on personal preference, including a consideration of what you find relaxing to include:
- Reading
- Listening to music
- Stretching
- Taking a bath
- Meditation
By taking some time each night to wind down, you will ensure a successful transition to sleep.
BEO’s Top 5 SLEEP WELL TIPS
1. Use Lavender
The scent of lavender provides a natural remedy to help people sleep well, which is why each of our three BEO Sleep Well products are infused with lavender. Our products aim to calm the body and mind, encouraging a peaceful night’s sleep and leaving you feeling fully refreshed and rested come morning.
2. Turn Off Electronics
Just like a bright bedroom light can keep you awake, a bright computer screen or phone screen can have the same effect. The electronics can inhibit your body’s melatonin production even more than regular artificial light from a lamp or overhead lighting — the blue light from the screen signals your brain to stop melatonin production entirely after even just a few minutes of exposure. “The blue LED light of a phone screen is twice as powerful as sunlight at suppressing melatonin in the brain, which essentially tells the brain to wake up,” explained Tom.
3. Make a To-Do-List
Are the tasks left undone keeping you awake at night? If you’re a busy person or just have a lot on your plate, it can be tempting to get caught up in a flutter of anxieties before bed. Did you reply to that email? Did you forget to run an errand? Reminding yourself of the things you need to do in your head can keep you on edge and make you less likely to fall asleep. Write down the things you need to remember for tomorrow so that you can rest assured you won’t forget.
4. Dim the Lights
Your brain is wired to keep you awake when it’s light out and asleep when it’s dark. When it’s bright in a room, your body inhibits the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. The darker it is, the more melatonin the body tends to produce. Artificial light can mess with these natural hormone responses — but you can fight back against this imbalance. Dim the lights well before your bedtime to increase your chances of a better sleep.
5. Clean Your Room
A disorganised or cluttered space can distract you from drifting off and keep you from feeling relaxed. Spending just a few minutes a day decluttering and ensuring things have a “home” can have a big impact on your sleep!
