Sleep – The hub of your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
By Fiona Brennan
Author of ‘Sleep Well – Eight Habits to Help You Fall Asleep, Stay Asleep & Wake Up Refreshed’
There are six pillars of lifestyle medicine, and each one is vital to support a healthy body and mind and to prevent lifestyle diseases from developing. However, sleep is the foundation and the other five need it to function well. Each pillar is interconnected with the others; for example, if you are tired you will make unhealthy food choices and if you make unhealthy food choices it will impact your sleep.
If you consider the six components as a wheel, sleep is the hub and the remaining five are the spokes. Together, these spokes surround the hub of sleep, creating a balanced and interconnected wheel. The central placement of sleep reinforces the priority you need to place on it and how it supports all the other behaviours in your life.
Your well-slept self will naturally make healthier choices in your daily routine
The six pillars are: sleep, exercise, nutrition, stress management, avoiding risky substances, and positive social connections.
In an ideal setting, lifestyle medicine is practiced by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals including, chiropractors, doctors, consultants, nutritional therapists, personal trainers, psychologists, therapists and coaches. The idea is to empower the patient to know why they need to make better choices in order to prevent and manage chronic health conditions. Motivation is key. Many health services are under huge pressure and are not in a position to offer this type of care. However, you are in a position as a good sleeper to ensure you are doing all you can to take the care of yourself that you deserve.
As you sleep more soundly you will also move more, have a healthier diet and a calmer mind, lower your alcohol consumption and cultivate closer bonds with other people. If this sounds too good to be true, it isn’t. Each spoke in the wheel is important and relies on the other spokes to do their parts. When one part of your life becomes healthier, it is logical that you will begin to make positive shifts in other areas. For example, if you are used to a regular sleep routine, you have more energy to exercise during the day.
Below are my eight sleep-well habits (based on the pillars of lifestyle medicine). Chiropractors can recommend these habits to their patients alongside the important work that they do in helping people to live with ease.
The eight habits are:
- Go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time each day
- The blissful hour – 60 minutes to unwind before bed
- Move your body
- Reduce your alcohol and caffeine
- Adjust light and heat
- Eat mindfully and regularly
- Take time to rest in the middle of the day
- Laugh often and enjoy positive connections
Each habit is realistic and often simply requires some gentle tweaks to your current lifestyle.
About Fiona Brennan:
Fiona Brennan is a sleep wellness advisor for the BCA’s Sleep Health Partner, Kaymed. See Kaymed’s iGel™ mattress range exclusively at Bensons for Beds here.
Pre-order your copy of Fiona’s forthcoming book here and be in with a chance to win luxury sleep prizes. Publication date is Thursday 11 April 2024.
