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The Magic of A Good Night's Sleep

Darlings, as part of Magic Members' Week, discover this EXCLUSIVE article from Integrative Nutrition Health Coach & Corporate Mental Health Facilitator, Margareta Serfozo, on the MAGIC benefits of a good night's sleep!

4 minute read

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any conditions. If you are seeking medical advice, or you’re struggling with insomnia, sleep apnoea or any other sleep disorders, please consult your GP or licensed healthcare practitioner. Any decision to use supplements to support your specific needs should be considered in partnership with your licensed healthcare practitioner.

High-quality sleep is vital for our physical and mental health. During the night, we restock our supply of hormones, process significant toxins(1), repair damaged tissues, generate vital white blood cells for immunity(2), eliminate the effects of stress, and process memories(3) and heavy emotions. Research over the past fifteen years has concluded that lack of sleep has a negative impact on our blood pressure, mental health, cardiovascular and immune functions and our metabolic health(4).

MAGIC CREAM LIGHT MODEL

As Allan Rechtschaffen, a noted pioneer in the field of sleep research, once said :

“If sleep doesn’t serve an absolutely vital function, it is the biggest mistake evolution ever made.”

Yet, data shows that as many as 16 million UK adults are suffering from sleepless nights, and a third say they have insomnia(5). Based on CDC data, the US shows similar trends(6).

Do you feel like your sleep routine is not on point? No worries, discover some tips that will help you optimise your all-important magic sleep:

1. Make sleep your priority

Know your body and know how much sleep you need. Make sure you are creating a sleep routine around your natural sleep cycle, which allows you to go to bed and to wake up around the same time every single day. If you find yourself exhausted, grumpy, snappy and moody, chances are you’re not getting enough sleep, or the quality of your sleep isn’t satisfactory. Listen to your body, read your body’s signs and make sure you make sleep your priority!

2. Make your bedroom a sleep haven

Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Start to wind down 1-2 hours before your bedtime and make sure you switch all devices off at least an hour ahead of your bedtime. Your body secretes melatonin (sleep hormone(7)) largely in response to darkness, so make sure you’re not exposed to too much light right before your bedtime. Maybe have a relaxing bath, read a book or journal before you go to bed. Make sure your room is as dark as possible and slightly cool(8), around 18°C or 65°F.

3. Say no to Joe

Try not to drink any caffeinated drinks at all after 2pm (e.g. tea, coffee, soda, chocolate). It can affect your sleep in a negative way many hours later(9).

Margareta Img

BY MARGARETA SERFOZO

Integrative Nutrition Health Coach & Corporate Mental Health Facilitator @ The Endearing Project

(1) Xie, Lulu et al. “Sleep drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain.” Science (New York, N.Y.) vol. 342,6156 (2013): 373-7. doi:10.1126/science.1241224, available from : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24136970/

(2) Asif, Nayyab et al. “Human immune system during sleep.” American journal of clinical and experimental immunology vol. 6,6 92-96. 20 Dec. 2017 , available from : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5768894/

(3) Landmann N, Kuhn M, Piosczyk H, Feige B, Baglioni C, Spiegelhalder K, Frase L, Riemann D, Sterr A, Nissen C. “The reorganisation of memory during sleep”. Sleep Med Rev. 2014 Dec;18(6):531-41. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2014.03.005. Epub 2014 Mar 18. PMID: 24813468, available from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24813468/

(4) Worley, Susan L. “The Extraordinary Importance of Sleep: The Detrimental Effects of Inadequate Sleep on Health and Public Safety Drive an Explosion of Sleep Research.” P & T : a peer-reviewed journal for formulary management vol. 43,12 (2018): 758-763, available from : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6281147/

(5) The Wellbeing Report from Aviva, Winter 2017, p.3, https://www.aviva.com/newsroom/news-releases/2017/10/Sleepless-cities-revealed-as-one-in-three-adults-suffer-from-insomnia/ , accessed 06/04/2021.

(6) Centers for Disease Control and prevention, “1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep”, Source: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0215-enough-sleep.html, accessed: 06/04/2021.

(7) Zisapel, Nava. “New perspectives on the role of melatonin in human sleep, circadian rhythms and their regulation.” British journal of pharmacology vol. 175,16 (2018): 3190-3199. doi:10.1111/bph.14116, available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6057895/

(8) Obradovich, Nick et al. “Nighttime temperature and human sleep loss in a changing climate.” Science advances vol. 3,5 e1601555. 26 May. 2017, doi:10.1126/sciadv.1601555, available from : https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/5/e1601555

(9) Shilo L, Sabbah H, Hadari R, Kovatz S, Weinberg U, Dolev S, Dagan Y, Shenkman L. The effects of coffee consumption on sleep and melatonin secretion. Sleep Med. 2002 May;3(3):271-3. doi: 10.1016/s1389-9457(02)00015-1. PMID: 14592218., available from : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14592218/

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Author Details

Margareta Serfozo

Integrative Nutrition Health Coach & Corporate Mental Health Facilitator

Specialising in women's health and fertility, Margareta created The Endearing Project to support, guide and enable her clients to follow their own path to wellbeing through lifestyle and behavioural guidance, and wellness, health and fertility coaching.