5 Signs You Need to Improve Sleep Quality

Sleep is probably the most important determinant of wellbeing and a lack of sleep can drastically affect your health. Even if you’re eating well and exercising regularly, without enough good quality sleep your health and happiness will surely suffer.

But how do you know whether you’re getting enough sleep? What are some of the symptoms of insomnia? And what can you do if you can’t sleep? We interviewed sleep expert Dr Michael Grandner who has shared a lot of useful advice on the matter.

If you want to kick those insomnia symptoms to the curb and sleep better you should focus on making some lifestyle changes including adding some choice sleeping supplements into your daily routine. LYMA contains Ashwagandha KSM-66® which has been clinically proven to enhance sleep quality, lessen the likelihood of insomnia, and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep.

If you’re failing to get the recommended seven to nine hours of good quality Rapid Eye Movement, or REM, sleep each night, dark circles and puffy eyes may become a permanent feature for you.

The microblinking that takes place when we’re in REM sleep helps to circulate accumulated fluid around the eyes and effectively blinks it away from the eye area. Therefore, when you wake up, the fluid is dispersed and your eyes look less puffy than they would otherwise when you wake up.

The good news is that you don’t have to resign yourself to having puffy eyes every day forever - there are things you can do about it. Sleeping on your back with your head raised a little is a good start as this will maximise the face’s fluid drainage potential.

Dehydration can exacerbate the appearance of dark circles, so make sure to drink enough water and to not over-consume caffeine or alcohol, both of which are incredibly dehydrating.

A cold compress, ice or soaked and chilled teabags can be applied to the area around the eyes upon waking to encourage the tightening of the blood vessels. This, coupled with gentle massage of the area, can further reduce the appearance of puffy eyes.

If the lack of sleep has taken its toll on you and your smile lines under the eyes have grown into full-blown wrinkles then a low light laser therapy for under eye treatment is probably the best option for you.

A lack of sleep can seriously impact focus, attention and memory, and can make it difficult to concentrate at work or on important tasks through the day.

And this is a social and economic issue as well as an individual one: with sleepless nights affecting up to 16 million adults in the UK and 67% of adults wishing they could sleep better, a lack of focus in the workplace is rife. Just think what more could be achieved during the nine to five if the majority of people were catching enough zzz’s to have their head in the game and be totally on the ball at work.

Whilst establishing a healthy bedtime routine and ensuring that your sleep environment is optimised are great places to start, it might be a good idea to supplement with brain-supporting nootropics too.

LYMA contains Cognizin®, the world’s leading nootropic. Cognizin® is a natural and potent form of brain-health nutrient citicoline. Citicoline is backed by rigorous scientific testing and has been clinically proven to enhance focus, attention, concentration and memory. Supplementing with Cognizin® can help to negate the negative effect of a lack of sleep on your brain health and productivity.

This one is a bit of a catch-22. If you’re eating poorly, it can dramatically impact the quality of your sleep. If your blood sugar is unbalanced, you will probably have trouble falling and staying asleep. At the same time, if you’re suffering from insomnia or a lack of sleep then you are more likely to feel driven to consume less-than-nourishing meals and snacks to fuel you through your day.

The reason that we often reach for simple carbohydrates and fat-laden junk food when we’re tired is that when we're sleep deprived, the hunger hormone, ghrelin, increases in quantity and intensity in your body. Researchers have shown that willpower is also inhibited by tiredness and thus you’re much more likely to say yes to that second slice of pizza or piece of cake. Put simply: tiredness can undo even the best-laid health and wellbeing plans.

You need, therefore, to be prepared. Make sure you have healthy snacks on you at all times when you’re sleep deprived: this will stop you popping into that cafe on the way to work for that croissant or sugary drink that you usually rely on to prop you up.

Hydrating and blood sugar balancing foods need to be your focus when you’re sleep deprived. The best foods to load up on when you’re feeling tired , fatigued, or are lacking the ability to focus include water, healthy fats such as those found in avocados, plant oils and nuts and seeds, leafy green vegetables, and high quality protein such as lean poultry, eggs and tinned tuna that are readily available and can help you to feel satiated after a meal and keep you fuller for longer.

If you’re looking for foods to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer in the first place, then you’ll want to focus your attention on complex carbohydrates, magnesium-rich nuts and seeds such as almonds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds, lean proteins and melanin-rich fruits of which kiwi, banana and tart cherry juice are good examples.

If insomnia is a real problem for you, you might consider making some lifestyle changes and embarking on a sleep-focused supplement regime . LYMA’s formula contains Ashwagandha KSM-66®, the most potent strain of the Ayurvedic adaptogen available today. Used for centuries in eastern medical tradition, the potent root extract has been linked to improved sleep, reduced stress, lowered inflammation and increased resistance to disease when taken regularly.

KSM-66® is highly bioavailable and has been formulated at a daily dose of 600mg in LYMA. When taken in conjunction with the other seven specialised ingredients in the LYMA formula, you can expect to see improved sleep and a reduction in insomnia-related symptoms, and fast. For uncompromised reliability when your health needs it most, trust LYMA.