Sleep - are you getting enough?

With the recent hot weather, many of us, have been having difficulty sleeping! I wake up after a restless night feeling tired, slightly irritable and generally not quite myself. A good night's sleep is incredibly important, in fact, it's as important as eating healthily and exercising.

For adults, it's recommended that we get 7-9 hours of sleep per night, yet, many of us are getting as little as 6 hours per night, leaving us tired, miserable and walking around like Zombies. So I've put together my top tips on getting a better night's sleep.

What can we do to sleep better?

Well....there are a number of things we can do to get a better night's sleep - from the moment we wake up.

Routine

Try and go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Being consistent reinforces your body's sleep-wake cycle.

Food and Drink

Don't go to bed hungry, have a Jane Plan light snack with a cup of herbal tea, to sustain you through the night. And don't go to bed full, heavy meals at night can cause discomfort and interrupt your sleep. When it comes to drinks, avoid coffee after 3pm, and even though alcohol may make you feel sleepy, it also affects the quality of your sleep, leaving you tired the next morning.

Environment

Your room should be cool (easier said than done in recent weeks) dark and quiet. Avoid screen time just before bed time, instead take a bath or read a book.

News from Jane Plan

It don't know about you, but my garden was very relieved when it rained this week. Recently I've been growing some fragrant summer herbs and garnishing my current favourite Jane Plan meal - Veggie Lasagne - with fresh basil. Our very own Dr Sarah Jarvis is also a keen gardener, and she's harvested a crop of new potatoes and mange tout this week. Growing your own vegetables, or even just herbs, is a wonderful way of connecting with the food we eat every day. And somehow, if the vegetables are from your garden, they taste so much better. Apart from gardening, I've been doing lots of live TV this week and either been trying to keep cool, or trying to keep dry - depending on where I am in the country. I hope you've managed to say cool and dry (wherever you live) and have had a wonderful week.

Stay happy, stay healthy and stay in touch

Jane and the team

Sleep - are you getting enough?

With the recent hot weather, many of us, have been having difficulty sleeping! I wake up after a restless night feeling tired, slightly irritable and generally not quite myself. A good night's sleep is incredibly important, in fact, it's as important as eating healthily and exercising.

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