Sleep Organic Articles — Sleep

Night sweats are hot flushes that occur while we’re asleep or trying to sleep. While typically associated with reduced oestrogen levels during the menopause, night sweats can occur in a variety of situations – e.g. due to reduced testosterone levels in middle-aged men, after spicy food, excessive exercise, migraines, alcohol, various neurological conditions, fever or allergic reactions, just to mention a few. Night sweats can really disturb our sleep quality and waking up in soaked nightwear and bedding is very distressing.   Here are some really useful ways to counter these dreaded night sweats…   Avoid caffeinated drinks, alcohol and...

With world sleep day approaching (March 15th), we thought what better time to share with you our Top Ten Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep. Here we go... Be selective - use your bedroom for sleep (and sex) only! The latter, in fact, aids sleep through the release of hormones such as oxytocin and prolactin. The aim is to build up a positive mental association between your bedroom and sleep.   Make your bedroom sleep-friendly. Keep your bedroom uncluttered. It will help calm your mind and is more conducive to gently unwinding. Also reduce light levels (throughout the house) in the...

It’s that time of year, busy preparations, rushing around to get everything organised, and ticking it all off on your ever-expanding to-do list. It can get quite stressful! While the holidays are a time of joy and celebration, it can be hard to stay grounded at times. So, we thought a few helpful pointers might not go amiss - ways to maintain your balance and to savour the festive holidays.Tis the season to be (not too) jolly! Certainly the Christmas holidays are a time of celebration. But too much alcohol, especially late in the evening, hugely impacts our sleep, and...

How important is sleep for our mental health? October 10th was World Mental Health Day. Being a therapist and running a sleep-related business, I felt a strong urge to write about the connection between our sleep and mental health.  In my psychotherapy practice, I have observed that many clients who suffer from severe anxiety, depression and even mental illnesses like schizophrenia and paranoia are often also plagued with poor sleep. I will be exploring whether a lack of sleep is due to mental illness or if it contributes to mental illness. We’ll also look at what practices help and hinder...