Top tips for getting a good night’s sleep with Malminder Gill
Malminder Gill, the renowned Harley Street hypnotherapist and sleep expert, has over 15 years’ experience in sleep and managing anxious thoughts to aid rest and relaxation. For all The Lady readers who find it difficult to drift off, here are her top tips.
1. Build on Good Habits
Maintaining healthy habits around sleep hygiene can be incredibly effective. I recommend creating a non-negotiable eight-hour sleep window every night. This means going to bed and waking up at the same time every night.
2. Dark Conditions
The photoreceptors on our skin can detect even the smallest amount of light, which can disturb sleep patterns. Ensure your room is dark with blackout blinds. Also prefer dim lights in the evening and avoid screens during the last hour before you go to bed.
3. Keep it Cool
Studies show that cooler temperatures, between 15-20 degrees Celsius, encourage a deeper sleep.
4. Take a Break from Your Bed - If you’ve been awake for longer than 20 minutes, move to another room, try reading or meditating until you feel sleepy and wish to return to bed.
5. Try Therapy
Hypnotherapy not only promotes relaxation, which can induce the hypnagogic stage of sleep, but enables deeper sleep by inhibiting fear pathways, sleep anxiety and eliminating negative thoughts. It reprogrammes the subconscious minds with different beliefs, rewiring the brain for a deeper, restful and peaceful sleep.
6. Dine Light
During the three to four hours before you go to bed, it is best to avoid food and drink — especially alcohol and caffeine. Having an early meal and switching a glass of wine for a calming herbal tea will help induce relaxation and ease into slumber. Easily digestible cooked foods, such as vegetables, sweet potato and rice, should be eaten at dinner.
7. Listen to Your Liver
According to the Chinese body clock, the hours between 1.00am and 3.00am are when your liver is most active, which can cause wakefulness. This is only exacerbated by stress. If you find yourself awake around this time, consider taking advice on a liver detox, as well as finding ways to reduce stress through meditation to calm an overactive mind.
For those who want to take it a step further, in a bid to tackle ‘Coronasomnia’ Malminder has teamed up with The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel on a new service, ‘The Sleep Concierge’ to ensure guests enjoy a good nights’ sleep. On offer is a sleep-inducing meditative recording via the hotel app, recorded by Malminder as well as a pillow menu, the option of a weighted blanket, a bedtime tea developed by The Cadogan specifically for the Sleep Concierge, and a scented pillow mist.
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