The cost of a poor night’s sleep is greater than you may think. In fact, the Sleep Health Foundation reported the total cost of inadequate sleep in Australia was estimated to be $66.3 billion in 2016 – 17. How can you reduce the cost of a poor night’s sleep?

Sleep is vital for health, productivity and overall happiness. I can certainly tell you that if I am not well rested (and well fed for that matter!) I am in a real funk for the rest of the day. They don’t say you ‘woke up on the wrong side of the bed’ for nothing!

There is a science to sleep, in fact, there are sleep doctors! A sleep cycle, aka circadian rhythm, lasts 90 minutes. In other words, it takes us 90 minutes to move through 5 cycles of sleep – four non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and one rapid eye movement (REM). REM is when dreams happen and while our brain and heart rate speed up, our muscles actually relax. The amount of sleep you need per night is dependent on your age but it’s said 7 to 9 hours is necessary for adults to operate at their full potential.

So science aside, are you getting enough sleep? Here’s a few of our tips to catch the optimal Zzz’s:

• Download the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock App – it will have you waking up on your 90 minute sleep cycle.
• Burn essential oils – Lavender is one of our essential oils of choice. Research shows that the scent of lavender eases anxiety and insomnia.
• Meditate or concentrate on slow breathing. Our suggested App is Headspace.
• Dim the lights and turn of your screens – exposure to too much light before bed, especially blue light, can play tricks on our body’s circadian rhythm and prevent us from getting to sleep as quickly.

REFERENCES
[1] https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=867&Itemid=1125
[2] https://www.prevention.com/life/a20428348/how-lavender-can-help-you-sleep/