Trying to get better sleep?
Dr. Naji Abou Ali, a London based doctor, recently shared a post on Instagram explaining how to get the best snooze of your life. It’s no secret many find it difficult to sleep at night for various reasons.
But now the doctor, who goes by @doctor.naji on Instagram, shared some tips to get the best sleep you can. Some of the tips include taking a warm shower before bed and drinking herbal tea. Since it was shared, the post racked up 41,000 likes.
In the caption of his Instagram post Dr. Naji wrote: “During sleep, we cannot defend ourselves from invaders, we cannot seek food, and we cannot reproduce. These are the three most important evolutionary functions, and we can do none of them during sleep! Yet, no animal species has been able to get rid of sleep.
“It’s almost impossible to have good physical and mental health if sleep is poor. Here are the top strategies to get the best sleep of your life! Send to your loved ones.”
The strategies he listed are below:
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Create a “cave environment” in your bedroom – quiet, dark, cold
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Get morning sunlight in your eyes (within 30 minutes of waking up)
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Sleep and wake up at the same times
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Take a warm shower 30 minutes before you go to bed
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Drink camomile, anise or lavender tea before bed
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Take Magnesium Glycinate 200mg 30-60 minutes before bed or other supplements
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No screens one hour before bed – enjoy a relaxing activity instead (reading, praying, meditating)
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No food three hours before bed and no caffeine in the afternoon
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Open windows to have adequate ventilation
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If you wake up during the night invest in red light bulbs for your bedroom
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Use your bed for sleep and sex only
The doctor added: “You can also consider supplementation if you are struggling to get 7-8 hours of quality sleep every night.” He said you could consider taking Inositol (1g-2g) or Glycine (2g-3g).
Dr. Naji recommended although these supplements are natural, you should “always discuss with your physician or healthcare professional before starting or removing any supplements, especially if you have allergies, take medications or have other medical conditions”.
Several Instagram users commented on the post. One said: “Great sleep hygiene tips.” Another added: “No screen time before bed has really helped with my sleep routine.”
A third commented: “On a more serious note, thanks for the comprehensive list,” and a fourth said: “This post is a game-changer! Can’t wait to try out these strategies and finally get the best sleep of my life. Thank you for sharing!”
Some people asked the doctor questions in the comment section, for example one said: “Can you elaborate on point 10 please?”
Dr. Naji replied: “Red light is easy on the eyes making it helpful for those who wake up during the night to navigate their bedroom and fall asleep either.” Another user asked: “What if I ate fruit before bed?”
The doctor answered this question when he said: “For better sleep it’s best you don’t eat before bed. Try herbal teas instead.”