Health

Wake up on the right side of bed: Our tips & tricks to help you get closer to 8 hours of sleep

Ever recited the phrase “don’t talk to me before my morning coffee” or felt extra snappy in the morning after a poor sleep?

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Sometimes you need more than a caffeine hit to perk you up. These are tell-tale signs you are missing out on much-needed zzz’s. Although sleeping patterns are unique to everyone and sometimes it feels like you need to ride it out, a lack of sleep can have a significant influence on your overall health and wellbeing.

Take it from expert Jonni Pollard, “Sleep is integral to many of the body’s critical processes. Sleep is important to allow the body to rest and restore.”

Why do we struggle to fall or even stay asleep throughout the night?

“There’s no cookie-cutter answer to this question – it depends entirely on the individual and their circumstances. Some people may be dealing with medical or environmental conditions that make it difficult to sleep while others simply seem to value other activities – like scrolling Instagram or TikTok – over rest,” says Jonni Pollard.

So, what’s the sleep solution?

We have stitched together some of our most-loved tips & tricks to help you get some much-needed shut-eye.

#1 Make time for meditation

We admit it, it sounds generic – but clearing your mind before you wind down for the night can work wonders. Besides helping you get better rest, research shows long-term meditation practice can help manage stress, too.

“While it’s easy to get caught up in to-do lists and living on autopilot, meditation connects you to the present and allows your feelings to rise and move through you rather than against you. Meditation is an impactful tool that can empower your life for the better, recharge your mind, and bring you back to yourself,” says Wanderlust Spiritual Guide, Tami Roos.

If you are a newbie or looking to add-on to your current guide, there are a heap of free online resources and apps designed to help guide and improve meditation and mindfulness practices.

#2 Add a supplement to your night-time ritual

We recommend taking the time to invest in high-quality supplements. Wanderlust has a vast range of dream-worthy, plant-powered sleep supplements. Whether you need help falling asleep, or staying asleep, we have all bases covered. We always choose to formulate without over 20 avoidable ingredients, like binders and coating agents.

“Herbs like California Poppy and Passionflower are used traditionally in Western Herbal Medicine to support refreshing sleep and reduce disturbed sleep. California Poppy also assists mind relaxation and induces sleep, based on the traditional use. I love dropping the Wanderlust Sleep Botanicals straight onto my tongue as an evening.” says yogi, Masha Gorgodilova.

#3 Design your ritual (& most importantly stick to it!)

Now we aren’t talking about a kid’s bedtime routine (but feel free to read yourself a nice story & have someone else tuck you into bed). We mean rigidity around “wind down” or “tech-free” time, a laborious skincare routine, or even a night time tea.

“An easy way to prioritise sleep is by creating healthy bedtime rituals. I follow a digital sunset each evening by removing technology from the bedroom. I then complete a round of breathwork before picking up a good book to read quietly before bedtime,” says Tami.

#4 Use the yoga nidra technique to relax your body and mind

If you’re struggling to fall asleep, Founder of 1 Giant Mind, Jonni Pollard recommends trying yoga nidra before bed.

“Essentially, yoga nidra is a body-scanning and awareness technique where we use our attention to direct breath and sensitivity into different parts of our body starting from our feet, working our way up. This creates a chain of relaxation. Ultimately, the body becomes so relaxed that you just fall into a deep rest,” says Jonni.

#5 Schedule dinner earlier

Eating early to digest in time before you snuggle up in bed can lead to better rest.

“Eating dinner three hours before bedtime can be an amazing habit to form to improve sleep onset and quality. By doing so we are allowing our stomach to digest food properly and food to be moved through the small intestine. This means when bedtime rolls around our body can prepare to unwind.” Says, Freedom Wellness Nutritionist Shelley McKenzie.