‘There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.’
- Homer, The Odyssey

So, now you are getting fitter and eating better, we are going to connect some more important dots and take a look at how sleeping well is vital for a positive mindset.

Personally, I always think that sleep is one of the most important yet underrated elements of our lives. What is more, believe it or not, just making a few simple improvements to how you sleep can make a massive difference towards how you behave, perform and feel!

Benefits of a Good Night's Sleep

‘Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.’ -Thomas Dekker

​We all know how great it feels after you’ve had a ​good night's sleep. Full of energy, clear-headed and raring to go.

​There is a good reason for this. Not only does a ​decent nights sleep help heal and restore the body. But also the mind. In fact ​recent scientific ​evidence suggests it has a whole range of benefits for the brain, including​ keeping it healthy by letting neurons prune away ​any unnecessary synaptic connections we make during the day. This process, called synaptic homeostasis, ​stops the brain from ​becoming overrun by useless memories. It is also ​very likely that it helps us to improve our cognitive performance. ​While ​dream​ing, on the other hand, allows us to process and ​file away​ our memories.

On top of all that good sleep can also help you lose weight, make you more attractive, speed up healing and muscle recovery​.

So, for obvious reasons, my number 1 lifestyle tip to help improve your mindset is for you to focus on improving the quality of your sleep.

Tips for a better night's sleep

1. Try to go to bed and wake up at a regular time.
2. Do not eat or drink too much before going to bed (especially alcohol, caffeine and spicy foods).
3. Create the optimum sleeping conditions in your bedroom, i.e. comfort, silence, darkness, temperature etc.
4. Invest in new, good quality bedding material; mattress, duvets, pillows etc.
5. Have a digital detox an hour before going to sleep (perhaps read a book instead)
6. Increase your exposure to daylight and reduce your exposure to blue light in the evenings (​also consider wearing 'yellow' or 'orange' glasses in the evening).
7. Don’t exercise too late in the evening.
8. A warm bath or shower before you go to bed can help make you go to sleep more quickly.
9. Try sleeping with your socks on (warmer feet tells the brain it’s time for rest).
10. Make sure your bedroom has some fresh air.

Bonus tips:

1. Don’t sleep with your pet on the bed (I know you love them, but honestly, it’s a bad idea).
2. If you feel adventurous, you might want to try inclined bed therapy. It’s straightforward to do, and lots of people (including me) think it’s a life changer!
3. If you have difficulty sleeping at night, don’t get stressed, just try to relax, close your eyes and remember that it is still doing you lots of ​good. If you really still cannot get to sleep, consider engaging in a low-light, low-stress activity such as reading. I find reading a Hungarian language textbook works for me every time.

What’s next

In the next chapter, we will be looking at a few simple things you can do to help calm and relax your mind! Until then sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite 😉