Some say it is the biggest health trend for 2017. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow has embraced the term, recently stating sleep plays such a powerful role in determining your appetite and energy levels that I believe it should be your first priority‚ even before you think about your diet.
So what is clean sleeping? Clean sleep is simply the pure, restorative sleep that penetrates body and mind allowing you to wake invigorated, positive and cheerful each morning. The key is the quality rather than the quantity of sleep. Generally, the process of sleep is quite straightforward - hop in to bed, shut your eyes and go to sleep but with life's external pressures continually increasing, that crucial, clean sleep is becoming more difficult to achieve. To get your clean sleep tonight why not try one or all of the following.
Relax
Yoga is well known for reducing anxiety and tension. Yoga Nidra or 'psychic sleep' is a deep relaxation practice. Lying quietly, focussing on your breath and each body part in turn helps to quieten your mind and release physical tension throughout your body. Your heart beat and breathing slow down, and your body and mind become deeply calm, preparing for sleep.
Eat earlier
Your body is unable to achieve deep relaxation whilst it is concentrating on digestion. Where possible eat your meals earlier and avoid late night snacking. Optimise your sleep quality by keeping your alcohol and caffeine intake to a minimum.
Massage
Like yoga, massage is renowned for its therapeutic benefits, soothing tense muscle and stimulating circulation. Head massage is particularly beneficial to improving sleep, using thumbs to apply gentle pressure to the skull behind the ears, and fingers to the temples. Reflexologists tell us that every part of the body has a corresponding area on the foot, so for a relaxing all over body massage, rub your feet. Adding a few drops of sleep inducing lavender oil to your favourite moisturiser will enhance the quality of your sleep.
Copper
And Gwyneth's tip? Add copper! Studies show that copper oxide assists with wrinkle prevention, boosting the skin's collagen and elastin levels. It may not improve the quality of your sleep, but choosing a metal infused pillow case offers a new meaning to beauty sleep.
Source koala.com.au