In our fast-paced, screen-filled world, sleep is often the first thing we sacrifice. Yet, quality rest is essential—not just for feeling energised, but for everything from immunity to blood sugar regulation and emotional wellbeing. The good news? Improving your sleep doesn’t require drastic changes—just a few mindful rituals woven into your day.
This science-backed, easy-to-follow guide will help you reset your body clock and wake up truly refreshed.
Your Morning Matters: Start the Day Right
The journey to better sleep starts the moment you wake up. Morning rituals can help align your circadian rhythm, your body’s internal clock, setting you up for better rest at night.
- Avoid Your Phone First Thing: Give your eyes and mind a gentle start by skipping the screen for the first 20–30 minutes after waking.
- Hydrate Before Caffeine: Begin your day with a large glass of water to rehydrate and boost your metabolism. Delay coffee or tea for at least 30–60 minutes.
- Step Outside Into Natural Light: Spend 5–10 minutes looking towards the morning sun (never directly at it). If it’s cloudy, aim for 20–30 minutes. Morning light helps set your internal timer for melatonin release later in the day.
- Move a Little Outdoors: Stretch or walk on the spot while soaking up the light—this simple combo reinforces your body’s natural wakefulness.
Don’t Overdress: Feeling slightly cool while outdoors can enhance the wake-up effect.
Daytime Tips to Stay on Track
- Soak Up the Sun When You Can: Natural daylight boosts Vitamin D and supports sleep-wake cycles.
- Nap Smart: A short nap (20–30 minutes) is fine, but avoid anything longer than 90 minutes, which can disrupt night-time sleep.
Consider Light Therapy: If you wake up before sunrise, try using a ring light or a lux light therapy lamp to simulate early daylight.
Evening Wind-Down Rituals
Evenings are your time to tell your body: “It’s time to switch off.”
- Dim the Lights: Bright lights—especially from phones and TVs—suppress melatonin production. Aim to keep lighting low after 9 pm and avoid screen time close to bedtime.
- Take a Warm Shower: A warm shower in the evening helps your body relax and lowers your core temperature afterwards, which encourages sleepiness.
- Set a Bedtime Alarm: Just like you have a wake-up alarm, try setting a reminder to begin winding down for bed at the same time each night.
Supportive Supplements: Magnesium for Sleep
Magnesium is a gentle, natural relaxant that supports restful sleep, eases muscle cramps, and helps with menopause symptoms and constipation. It’s a helpful addition to your wind-down routine.
Forms of Magnesium to Consider:
- 🛁 Epsom Salt Baths or Magnesium Spray: Great for soothing the body externally.
- 💊 Magnesium Threonate (145mg) or Magnesium Bisglycinate (200mg): Highly absorbable and gut-friendly.
- 🥄 Magnesium Citrate (200–300mg): Often available in powder form, though it can have a laxative effect in some.
Note: These supplements may not be available in all high-street stores—you might need to order them online.
If You Wake in the Night
Struggling to fall back asleep in the middle of the night? Try Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep) or NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest). These guided audio techniques help your body rest deeply and may offer similar benefits to actual sleep—even if you don’t doze off again.
The Gift of Rest
You don’t need to overhaul your life to sleep better. With small daily habits—like getting morning light, staying off screens late at night, or adding magnesium to your evening routine—you can build a rhythm that supports deep, restorative sleep.
Sleep isn’t a luxury. It’s a foundation for your health, energy, and happiness. So, go on—press pause, create your wind-down ritual, and let yourself rest.
#BeTheForce
Stress and nutrition have always been linked – it’s a fact that has been in existence for years. It’s no rocket science to realize that someone with a healthy and balanced diet is likely to be far less stressed than someone with a poor diet.
Do you eat food peacefully or with worry on your mind? Do you exercise happily or with worry on your mind? Do you also go to bed worried? Are you low on energy through the day and only the thought of outside food or entertainment can cheer you up? Are you unable to overcome worry?
Most of our obstacles to weight loss and health are mental in character. You might say, “mine are not mental, they are real”, perhaps so, but your attitude towards them is clearly mental. “Worry” is the most subtle and destructive of all human diseases. Through “worry”, we have the dangerous ability to manifest diseases, stress, failure, defeat, anger, frustration and depression.
Take a paper and write down all the things that you have and are grateful for. This should come from your heart. When you are done with this, your problems and insecurities will suddenly seem less. When you begin to eliminate worry, your energy levels automatically increase.
