Dreaming of a good nights Sleep

According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, 67% of us have difficulty sleeping, but are our modern lifestyles to blame?

Research shows that several factors including diet, stress, shift work and environmental change can have an impact on the quality of our sleep and when we don't get enough sleep, our health can suffer.

Sleep gives our bodies time to mend and heal, restoring us to optimum health. If we do not get enough sleep our immune system functions less efficiently and we produce fewer growth hormones, which are essential for regulating fat and muscle proportions in the body. Sleep deprivation has also been linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, and increases the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease.

If you're fed up of tossing and turning night after night, a few small alterations to your lifestyle may be all you need to break the cycle. "Dim the lights," recommends Christine Bickley, a CHEK Practitioner and Holistic Lifestyle Coach (www.christinebickley.co.uk). "Our bodies release the stress hormone cortisol in response to light, inhibiting the release of melatonin," she explains. "In evolutionary terms, this prompts us to wake up at sun rise. However, artificial lighting creates the same response so, when we should be winding down, our bodies are maintaining these levels of stress. All light has a frequency, and artificial light such as that coming from your computer screen or TV can mimic the frequency of morning sunlight. Once the body has been stimulated to produce cortisol it takes several hours for the effects of it to be reduced."

"Sugar stimulates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS)," warns Harley Street nutritionist Simone Parkinson. "It suppresses the immune system and affects blood sugar regulation, so it has a similar effect to coffee," she says. Simone suggests cutting down on high glycaemic index (GI) foods which disrupt sleep and also cause us to wake up in the morning feeling very tired & bloated. Simone recommends protein rich foods such as fish, chicken, lean meats, eggs and tofu, and low GI carbohydrates such as apples, basmati rice, oats & wholemeal pita bread, all of which help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

Nutritionist Kelly Walker (www.kwnutrition.net) recommends keeping caffeine to a minimum. "Caffeine and other stimulants such as cigarettes are a frequent factor in disrupted sleep patterns and stress," she explains. "Caffeine in tea, coffee, energy drinks and chocolate stimulate the stress glands to produce hormones that keep us awake. It is best to avoid these at least 3 hours before bedtime and keep coffee and tea intake to 2-3 cups a day only. An even better idea is to switch to a caffeine free alternative such as redbush (rooibos) tea, herbal or fruit teas or hot milk with cinnamon just before bed. Chocolate consumption should be kept to an ideal of once a week and energy drinks are best avoided completely." Kelly also suggests avoiding large quantities of alcohol. "Alcohol may help you to get you to sleep initially but it stimulates the body to wake up after a few hours," she explains. "Keep to a healthy intake of 1 -2 units a night or avoid it completely."