The Essentials of Sleep, Its Effects on Our Health and How Reflexology Can Help



Did you know that around 20% of adults in the UK suffer from some kind of sleep deprivation?  Are you one of them perhaps?  Sleep is essential to our health, both physical and mental - and not getting enough sleep can have dire consequences.  Reflexology encourages balance and sleep, so that clients can reap the many rewards of getting their 8 hours.
 
So here are 9 benefits of getting those precious 8 hours a night:
1. Improved memory and concentration
2. Reduced mood swings
3. Reduction in the harmful effects of stress
4. Increased creativity
5. Stronger immune system
6. Increased libido
7. Increased energy
8. Feeling younger 
9. A healthier heart

If you're having problems getting off to sleep or staying asleep, maybe these 6 tips could help you to optimise your sleep environment:
·      Tryptophan helps sleep - snack on foods high in this, (such as cheese, nuts, pineapple, turkey and lettuce) an hour before bedtime.  Tryptophan helps the pineal gland produce melatonin and serotonin, which are essential for sleep and mood regulation
·      Avoid all electronics in the bedroom - mobiles, TV and tablets - they give off blue light (which suppresses the production of melatonin) and their electromagnetic signals disrupt sleep patterns.  Switch it all off at least one hour before bedtime
·      Prepare for bed with a relaxing routine - a warm bath, dimmed lighting, hot drink, etc
·      Keep work out of the bedroom - if your brain associates your bedroom with the stimulation or stress of work, you'll find it much harder to fall asleep 
·      Keep your bedroom dimly lit or dark and at 18-24°C.  In order to fall asleep, our body temperature needs to fall - that's why hot summer nights can disrupt sleep
·      Practise some deep breathing and progressive relaxation exercises.

So, why is sleep-deprivation so bad for us?  Well, here are 6 good reasons to get our sleep:
·      It affects us in the same way as alcohol - 17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05%
·      Chronic sleep deprivation is linked to Alzheimer's Disease - there is a build-up of protein plaques (thought to be one of the possible causes of Alzheimer's) caused by the glymphatic system not working properly. The glymphatic system is a waste clearance system that works in the brain and central nervous system
·      Reduced lymphatic activity weakens the body's immune response, making us more susceptible to illness and disease 
·      Lack of sleep makes us age more rapidly - growth hormone is released during deep sleep, which helps repair and rejuvenation
·      Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory - lack of sleep affects our ability to concentrate
·      Lack of sleep can make you put on weight - sleep regulates two hormones (ghrelin, which stimulates hunger, and leptin, which signals satiety).  Lack of sleep decreases leptin and increases ghrelin

If you're struggling with sleep and need some help, reflexology has been found to be effective. By having regular treatments, which stimulate the right parts of the brain to produce melatonin and serotonin, and by encouraging relaxation and balance, many people find that their sleep improves.

If you'd like some help, please get in touch through Messenger, or through my website www.barefoot-reflexology.co.uk

Hi, I'm Jo. I founded Barefoot Reflexology. I welcome the chance to meet you and introduce you to my Practice. I enjoy helping my clients to manage stress, overcome fatigue, cope with bereavement, manage pain, relax and heal, and they have all reported significant improvements in their health and wellbeing. I am qualified as a Reproductive Reflexologist (Reproflexologist) and I am a full member of the Association of Reproductive Reflexologists - I look forward to helping couples and individuals on the journey to conception, whether they are undergoing IVF or following the natural route. Reflexology is a gentle therapy that can be used to promote better health. It can be used by anyone, from newborn babies to those receiving end-of-life care and everyone in between. I'm am fully insured by the Alan Boswell Group, through the AoR.

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