Sleep well this summer with Silver Linings

Sleep is increasingly recognized as one of the key factors of our wellness and longevity but for many, sleep is elusive and interrupted. One of the key questions that we ask clients during their pre-retreat Wellness Consultation is about their sleep, both the number of hours and the quality of the sleep are really important. It’s amazing how few of us regularly get those precious eight hours and ignore the long-term health implications of short and interrupted sleep.

So, as you reach for your triple-shot-almond milk cappuccino, consider your sleep over the last few months. How many times did you wake up having had eight hours of essentially uninterrupted sleep and you woke feeling rested and refreshed? I am guessing not many times.

This is the reason we focus so much on being in magical places like the Bahamas, for our Signature and Bespoke retreats as it is vital to take you away from your regular patterns and think about setting new patterns of behavior, amongst them prioritizing sleep and ensuring that you have the ideal environment and headspace to promote good quality sleep. Wednesday 15th August 2018 We also put huge emphasis on ‘digital detox’ whilst on retreat which has an incredibly positive result for most of our clients. So, for those of you escaping on holiday this summer with family and loved ones, consider making sleep one of your priorities. There are a few simple ways in which you can promote better sleep for you and your family whilst you are away:

• Ensure the rooms are dark and cool but not cold (AC can be either noisy or cause muscles to tighten if aimed at your neck or back during the night!)
• Ensure mobile phones set to ‘airplane mode’ and ideally in another room so that they don’t disturb you during the night
• Pack some earplugs and an eye-mask just in case your hotel or villa is not equipped with blackout curtains or blinds.
• Consider setting an alarm to go to bed and not to wake up but to allow this to happen naturally…this is the luxury of being on holiday!
• Check the pillows and covering are comfortable. This is really personal and for some of us travelling with a pillow is not a luxury…it is essential.
• Avoid caffeine and too much alcohol late at night. This will depend on your sensitivity but for most people stopping caffeine intake approximately 4-6 hours before going to bed is preferable. Alcohol will make you feel sleepy but as your body processes the sugars during the night you will often wake a few hours later.
• Rest & Relaxation: using breath techniques, having a bath, using visualizations of calm places, these are all great ways of preparing the body for sleep. Again, this can be very personal but if you do struggle to drop off consider exploring some of these techniques to calm the mind and body down.

If you are really struggling with sleep and this has become a constant area of concern and frustration either because of work stress, the demands of young children or anxiety then there are plenty of professional bodies focused on sleep and helping you to improve your sleep. We would be happy to put you in contact with a sleep specialist if you need one.

If you have found this helpful we would love to help you further along your wellness journey by taking you with us on retreat to one of our magical homes…

Enjoy the ultimate in beautiful sleeps at Kamalame Cay…