There’s nothing worse than sleep deprivation. Whether it’s struggling to drop off, waking up in the middle of the night with your head running one thousand miles per hour, or getting up in the early hours to frequently visit the bathroom, a lack of sleep can be totally debilitating.

Your energy levels are at rock bottom, you can’t think clearly, and even the frequent cups of coffee don’t really help. You can’t stop yawning, you’re more irritable than normal and you just can’t wait to get back to bed. Or worse…you dread going to bed through fear and anticipation of relentless tossing and turning and hours of frustration because you can’t sleep.

A range of factors can affect how well you sleep, including stress, anxiety, illness, pregnancy, menopause, depression, changing time zones, working shifts, certain medications and the ageing process or you’ve just been plagued with insomnia your whole life.

Whatever the cause of your insomnia, it is possible to enjoy a more restful night’s sleep, think more clearly, feel less stress and improve your overall health and wellbeing if you follow the best advice.

When you haven’t slept well, your body will struggle to function as it should. Here are five effects of sleep deprivation.

When you are sleep deprived, it becomes harder to control your emotions because of its impact on your brain function. This can lead to mood swings, anxiety, depression, paranoid, impulsive behaviour and make any preexisting mental health problems worse.

We need sleep to help our bodies rest, heal and repair so if we don’t get enough, our bodies won’t be able to keep us healthy. Lack of sleep affects your immune system, making it harder to fight off viruses like the common cold and, in turn, harder to recover from illness and injury.

Sleep deprivation affects the levels of two hormones which control your appetite and feelings of fullness: leptin and ghrelin. Your body also finds it harder to control your blood sugar levels and releases less insulin after you eat. Find yourself reaching for the packet of Hobnobs midmorning? This could be why. Additionally, you have less energy when you’re sleep deprived so will be less likely to stay active, leading to more potential weight gain.

When your body doesn’t get the sleep it needs, your brain feels exhausted and can’t perform its duties as well as it otherwise would. This makes it harder to focus, learn new things, absorb new information and maintain optimal brain health. It’s also more likely that you’ll experience a microsleep – this is where your brain momentarily dis-engages from your surroundings, and you fall asleep for a few seconds. You may not realise that you’ve fallen asleep – microsleeps are often identified as a blank stare.

We need a restful night’s sleep to ensure that our bodies can produce and control our hormone levels and keep us healthy. Whether we are menopausal or still ovulating, lack of sleep can disrupt this natural balance, worsen our symptoms, cause premature ageing, and leave us feeling drained.

Sleep matters! Make it your priority to adopt those healthy habits that increase your chances of falling asleep faster, staying asleep and feeling refreshed when you wake.

By trying these simple yet effective sleep strategies, you’ll give your body and mind the best chances of enjoying a restful night’s sleep.

Here comes the good news! There are many ways you can sleep better, feel more energetic and keep your emotional, physical, and mental health in tip top shape. Here are some suggestions from our team at Valentte.

1. Prioritise sleep. Sleep is the foundation for excellent emotional, mental, and physical health so make it your top priority. It’s so easy to get carried away watching TV or scrolling through social media – we all do it; but aim to get around 7- 9 hours per night and you’ll soon see the difference.

2. Avoid screens before bed. The blue light emitted from our screens can affect our sleep so turn off your devices at least two hours before bed and do something restful instead. We love indulging in a gorgeous shower with our relaxing and soothing Lavender Body Wash then reading a good book to help us wind down.

3. Get a healthy sleep schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time, whether it’s a working day or the weekend.

4. Avoid caffeine after noon. Switch your afternoon coffee for something caffeine-free like fruit or herbal tea, freshly squeezed juice or water and you’ll fall asleep much faster.

5. Get outside in the early morning sunlight. Expose yourself to natural light at the beginning of the day to help regulate your body clock and fall asleep more easily.

6. Get active. Aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes per day to increase your chances of a good night’s sleep. But not too late – exercising right before bedtime can have the opposite effect!

7. Create a restful bedroom. Make your bedroom into a nest perfect for sleep. Turn off all artificial light and keep your room cool. Consider burning a candle before bedtime or a spritz of pillow mist to fill your space with natural essential oils expertly blended to help you unwind, relax and sleep better.

8. Review any medicines you take. It could even be possible that your prescription or over the counter medicines are affecting your sleep, speak to your doctor or pharmacist for help if you think this could be the case.