Her.ie Health Revolution: What Is Insomnia And How You Can Beat It?

Getting enough sleep is vital to ensure that you are functioning at your best; it also boosts your immune system helping you to fend off nasty bugs like colds and flu. So you really need to get your rest.

Eight hours of sleep a night is necessary and anyone who’s suffered from insomnia will know how quickly your general wellbeing can deteriorate when you don’t get enough zzz’s.

The first step to getting a better night’s rest is to limit your intake of food, caffeine or liquids at least two hours before you hit the hay. Before your body completely relaxes it will need to feel like it’s getting into rest mode not gearing up to digest a heavy meal or being pumped full of energy drinks.

Regular exercise like walking, running, swimming or yoga will get your blood going, the oxygen flowing and your body working better so that when bedtime comes around you should be feeling suitably tired and ready for a restful kip.

If you find you’re having problems sleeping at night because you’re brain is really active and just won’t switch off then keep a notebook and pen by the bed and write down your thoughts and worries before hopping into bed. This is a way to stop you going over and over them in your head.

All the experts agree that lying in bed watching TV can really disrupt your sleeping patterns. Try turning off all gadgets, that includes your phone and laptop before you decide close your eyes and sail away to the land of nod. Trust us, finding out the latest celebrity goings on via Twitter can wait until the morning.

When was the last time you bought a new pillow? If getting some much needed shut-eye is a problem then think about upgrading your pillow.

We hope these tips will encourage you to have a more restful and satisfying sleep.

All this month we're running the Her.ie Fitness Revolution in association with PomeGreat Pure Plus - check back to our Health section for daily updates on how to improve your body this New Year!