Sleep has been described as our superpower and it's no wonder when there are so many benefits to having a good night's sleep. Many of which you have probably heard of already such as; improved mood, learning/making memories and improving concentration. BUT did you know it can help reduce your sensitivity to pain?

7 hours each night is the suggested amount of sleep we should be having but this can vary from person to person. 7 hours, easier said than done right?

Are you reading this thinking well there's no way I get 7 hours of sleep at night, so how does this help me?

5 tips to help with getting a good night's sleep

1. Darkness  - Our body needs to know it is dark and therefore time to sleep - I have a sleep mask which blocks out any light in the room you can also get black out blinds/curtains to block out light from outside

   

2. Meditation/sounds - If your mind needs help switching off there are loads of apps available to help with this - Insight Timer is the one I use most often, The Honest Guys on You Tube are great as well

   

3. Reading - This can help make you to feel more relaxed and sleepy, it certainly does for me

   

4. Blue light - Artificial blue light provided by mobile phones primarily, keep our brain awake, it's the opposite of thinking it's time for sleep (tip number 1 above). I have a setting on my phone that turns off the blue light between certain times of day, you can also buy blue light blocking glasses or alternatively (possibly not a likely option for many - I already hear you scoffing at my last suggestion here) don't use your phone for an hour before you're going to sleep

   

5. Daylight - Our body needs to know that at night when it is dark it is time to sleep, in the day it likes to know it is time to be awake too. If you can get outside into natural daylight it'll help you to sleep later when it gets dark

   

Sleep deprivation can heighten pain sensitivity with us therefore feeling more pain than we would have, had we had a good 7 hours of sleep. As pain is felt in the brain it is not that surprising really that good sleep can help us feel less pain. A researcher of all things sleep has said that "sleep is a natural analgesic that can help manage and lower pain".

It can help your brain health as well as one of the many things that happens when you sleep is toxins being cleared from the brain. It's kinda like when you put your bin out overnight and the bin men come and collect your rubbish before you wake up.

A lack of sleep can also elevate stress levels, which starts a cycle I guess, as when you're stressed, you can't sleep and around it goes.

I love talking about sleep and its benefits. I have mentioned it on a few of my LinkedIn posts in the past and I love reading about it too. Feel free to connect/follow me if you'd like to see more of my ramblings

If you've tried these things and stress or your pain is keeping you awake still, perhaps it's time for you to talk to a counsellor? You can get in touch with me at emily@thelighthousecounselling.co.uk