Sleep & Self Care: The Forgotten Non-Negotiables

We all know that sleep is important. It’s a major factor in what enables us to be successful, handle whatever the day faces and get through the tough shit. You don’t need to look hard to find people who aren’t getting enough sleep, or people who are nearing towards burnout! Unfortunately, these days sleep and self-care is often over-commercialised by the health and wellness industry. As a result, we often feel like good sleep becomes a luxury, and self-care is only real 'self-care' if it costs us something. Let this blog post remind you about the importance of sleep and self care, and most importantly, the simple things we can do to look after our bodies in their times of need. 

We all know what it feels like to wake up tired, and we all know it sucks. Waking up tired seems to have become this new routine which honestly no one deserves. I’m the first to believe that everything comes in seasons in our lives, and for some they may currently be in a season where quality of sleep is having to take a back burner. Whether that’s because you’re currently studying hard for your degree, raising young kids, or doing extra hours at work for financial reasons. No matter what season or stage you’re in, sleep is a fundamental part of who we are and what we need. So while it might not be your top priority, it should always be your priority.

I was listening to a podcast the other day where a young mum was discussing how through pregnancy and becoming a young mum she completely revolutionised her perspective of self care. Even while pregnant, she was overwhelmed by the fact that she could no longer be as productive as she’d always been. Pregnancy - the one thing seemingly most natural to us as women - was holding her back from being the powerhouse woman she’d always been in her younger years. Understanding and grasping hold of what that transition meant for her was pretty difficult. Once her baby was born, she realised that her own self care was even more vital as it enabled her to support her dwindling milk supply. Self care, getting quality sleep and looking after herself was literally enabling her to feed her baby.

These days, the commercialised image of self care makes it feel like a luxury. In contrast to this, we have to understand that self care is an essential - but it’s not going to look like it’s commercialised counter-part. Self care is about doing what you need to do to keep sane, to fulfil your own potential and look after your health both mentally and physically. Let go of the guilt and embrace the real-life applications of self-care.

Check out this infographic we made about daily practices of self care which we should be aiming to prioritise.

Self care looks different for everyone, ultimately it’s just about finding what works for you and what fills your cup. For me, I love using my time in the evenings to plan ahead for the next day. This involves writing down 3 things I wish to accomplish personally and 3 things I wish to accomplish professionally. The next day, if I accomplish these three things, it’s been a good day. I also tell myself that I’m not allowed to pick up my phone the next day until at least one of these things is accomplished!

I’m also really fussy with the people I surround myself with. Here in Cambridge, we’re lucky to be surrounded by a pretty cool group of inspiring women. I work for them, am friends with them and I collaborate with them. Ask yourself about your peer group: are they encouraging, positive and inspiring? These peers are the people you choose to surround yourself with, so choose friends who make you a better person because you’re around them!

Finally, I know that my environment is a reflection of how I’m feeling. This is why I put a lot of my effort into ensuring that my environment is clean and organised! For a lot of people, there is just 'one thing' which helps them feel at peace with their environment. For you, this might be ensuring that the floor is vacuumed or that the dishes are done. By focusing on accomplishing this one task, you can instantly feel a lot better about your environment without taking on the overwhelming task of cleaning the entire house! 

When it comes to sleep, there are 3 keys benefits of sleep which we need to keep in mind. Sometimes it’s easy to push our sleep to the side when other priorities are beckoning. Let these 3 things remind you of the importance of good quality sleep!

1. Moving memories from our short-term to our long-term memory: a great way to think about this is when you go to the gym or exercise you’re working out your muscles, making micro-tears in the muscle fibres so that when you rest your body in-between exercise the muscles heal and grow. Giving yourself these times of rest for your brain is just as important for memory retention and cognitive function!
2. Cleans plaque in the brain - which may lead to dementia or challenges later in life. Sleep well now so future you performs better!
3. REM Sleep! Our brains are the most active at night. During periods of REM sleep our brains are super creative! For more information about this, check out our brainwaves post here. You wouldn’t believe how many famous inventors and creatives came up with their best work in their REM sleep dreams! What you dream about in these super creative stages of sleep could be the answers to solving your biggest issues!

We all know how important sleep is, but let’s now focus on getting more of it.
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1. Exercise earlier - studies have shown that waking and exercising earlier results in longer periods of sleeping in the deepest stages of anabolic sleep. They are also shown to sleep longer and have more efficient sleep cycles. So get up and get moving - even if it’s just a quick walk around the block.
2. Manage your cortisol levels - cortisol is our body’s main stress hormone. Think of it as your body’s built-in alarm system. People with low cortisol levels tend to be ‘tired and wired’. These people often use the devices heavily before bed and therefore struggle to get up early in the morning. Exercise in the morning to boost your cortisol levels, this will help set the template for good cortisol levels. In a healthy body, your cortisol will be naturally high in the morning and will gradually decrease over the day. Help support your cortisol levels by managing stress, taking time to relax before bed, and listening to your body.
3. Support melatonin production in your gut - did you know that melatonin is significantly produced in your gut? This means that certain bacteria in your gut communicates with your sleep hormone-producing cells. Therefore, it’s vital to minimise unnecessary medications and to look after your gut! Also think about including sleep nutrients like vitamin C and magnesium in your food or through supplements!

Do you feel like you're falling short on self care and sleep? Share what you're planning on implementing into your routine to resurrect this! 

From our home to yours,