Struggling with sleep?

There is nothing worse than struggling to fall asleep and stay asleep. The exhaustion from sleep deprivation is brutal and leaves us feeling like a shell of ourselves.

Humans run from two cycles that keep us awake in the day and help us fall asleep and stay asleep at night. Cortisol rises in the morning as the sun comes up waking us and providing energy to stay awake and alert through the day. When the light changes in the evening and the sun starts setting, the cortisol reduces and allows melatonin, our natural sleep hormone, to be released so we can fall asleep and stay asleep. 

However, if cortisol rises too high from triggers such as stress, staying up late, working too hard, being unwell, screen time before bed or excessive caffeine or alcohol intake then it can be very difficult for melatonin to be released at optimal levels and the sleeplessness starts to hit.

Simple steps you can take to improve your sleep

  • Avoid phone or computer use 1 hour before bed. The amount of information hitting our brains from social media or email really increases cortisol, stopping melatonin from being released
  • No more than 1 cup of caffeine in the day and none after lunch. Caffeine triggers release of adrenaline and cortisol.
  • Get in bed before 10pm as after this time we get a cortisol surge (giving you a burst of energy) which can make sleep near impossible. Don't let yourself get to this point. Get in bed early.
  • Drink Chamomile tea or sleepy tea. Chamomile has been well researched to promote a deep and restorative sleep. Drink sleepy or chamomile tea 1 hour before bedtime so you don't wake up needing to go to the toilet!
  • Exercise each day (walking, weight, yoga or Pilates) this helps reduce cortisol and helps improve sleep.
  • Getting sunshine on your skin daily and being in natural light is very important for resetting circadian rhythms and supporting optimal melatonin release.
  • Don't eat late at night. Eating late causes an insulin surge which suppresses melatonin release. Try to finish eating by 7-7.30 pm nightly
  • Avoid alcohol. Alcohol notoriously causes recurrent waking overnight. Try to only drink moderately on special occasions

My top fav sleep support supplements 

Magnesium is brilliant for reducing cortisol and allowing melatonin to be released so you can fall asleep and stay asleep. NZ has low levels of magnesium in our soils so supplementing it can be very helpful for reducing cortisol and supporting optimal sleep (and mood).

 

Adrenal support herbs such as ashwagandha are wonderful for reducing cortisol not only to help you feel calmer and more regulated, but also to allow that cortisol reduction so melatonin can be released to allow you to sleep optimally. 

 

Sleep support herbs such as Californian Poppy which is traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to reduce the time taken to fall asleep. Passionflower which is traditionally used to relieve restless sleep. Lavender Oil which is used promote refreshing sleep and Ziziphus which is traditionally used in Chinese medicine to relieve sleeplessness

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