Our immune systems rely on sleep to help us fight off and colds. According to research conducted in the University Klinikum in Germany, the response memory of your immune system is stronger when you enter a deep sleep and hence is better equipped to fight off bacteria and viruses when they attack. Studies suggest that people who sleep 6 hours or less each night are 4.2 times more likely to catch a cold than people who slept 7 hours or more.

So if you are loading up on vitamin C and zinc to counteract the sniffles, stiffness, aches and pains and headaches, you might just try snuggling up under the blankets and let a good night’s sleep take care of things!

As the Winter weather creeps in, here are some tips to help you get a good night’s sleep:

Bedtime Routine

Stick to a consistent sleep routine by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, and yes, this includes weekends!

Diet & Nutrition

Make sure that your diet includes adequate amounts foods which contain tryptophan such as bananas or walnuts, which is necessary to creating the sleep hormone melatonin.  Calcium also helps to regulate your sleep cycles so try to drink warm milk at night if you’re struggling to sleep.

Light Stomach

Try not to eat at least two hours before going to bed to aid digestion and avoid trips to the bathroom, however is you are really hungry you could have a light snack because our bodies produce the hormone Ghrelin when we are hungry and research shows can disrupt your sleep. Just remember to keep your snacks light!

Stimulants

Limit your daily intake of caffeine to the recommended 200mg to 300mg and keep nicotine to a minimum, especially in the evenings as sleep can be disrupted when your caffeine or nicotine levels are high.

Environment

Keep your bedroom clear from clutter and anything that reminds you of work or chores to create a more sleep-friendly environment.

Power Down

Take sufficient time to wind down and power off all smart devices which is a concentrated form of daylight and suppresses the production of melatonin.

Exercise

Regular exercise helps keeps us active, healthy and fit, but also makes us naturally tired and is known to be a contributing factor to getting a better night’s sleep.

We at The Natural Sleep Company hope you’ve found some helpful advice to help avoid the winter flu and viruses! For more sleep tips and tricks, check out our previous posts or our Facebook page.