Sammy Margo - Good Sleep Guide; Increase Your Energy Levels And Banish Fatigue From Your Life Forever

Contents

About the Book

Do you toss and turn at night, counting down the hours you have left to sleep?

Do you need an alarm to wake up on time and then continually snooze it in the morning?

Do you use caffeine to help you stay alert?

Do you feel tired most of the time?

If your answer to two or more of these questions is yes then you are not getting enough sleep.

Almost a quarter of the UK population frequently experience sleeping difficulties. If you have trouble sleeping and often wake up feeling exhausted, The Good Sleep Guide is the answer.

Written by sought-after physiotherapist Sammy Margo, this essential handbook will help you:

- Understand the importance of the right environment

- Look younger and feel more energised

- Discover the best over-the-counter sleep remedies

- Combat jet leg

- Say goodbye to sleep disorders, such as insomnia and sleep apnoea

With advice on the best mattress to buy, which sleep position is optimal and the importance of routine, as well as explaining why you sleep badly and what you can do about it, The Good Sleep Guide is a practical, accessible and lively book to help you sleep better, for good.

About the Author

Sammy Margo has been a chartered physiotherapist for 20 years and has built up her clinic over the past 13 years. She trained as a physio at West Middlesex University Hospital and subsequently did a Masters in Physiotherapy (MSc) at University College and Middlesex Hospital. She is also the spokesperson for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Sammy is a qualified Pilates and exercise instructor and incorporates this balanced body approach into her treatments. She has spent many years using a practical hands-on approach to the management of her clients. In addition, Sammy is actively involved in the media, including television, radio, newspaper and magazines, while still maintaining her clinical input.

INTRODUCTION

A Good Nights Sleep

When was the last time you had a really good nights sleep?

In my work as a physiotherapist I see many people who have problems getting a good nights sleep, but with easy techniques and a few changes to their lifestyles their problems can be resolved. If youre having problems sleeping you too can enjoy a good nights sleep, night after night, by following the practical advice in this book.

Research makes it clear that good health rests on a good nights sleep. You probably already know how important healthy eating and keeping active are for your health and wellbeing but two out of three doesnt get you there! To maximise your chances of good health and performing at your peak, both personally and professionally, you need to sleep well.

We spend more than a third of our lives asleep but sleeping well is little more than a dream for an increasing number of people. According to a recent poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, nearly two-thirds of adults have trouble sleeping on a few nights per week or more. In the UK recent statistics show that:

28 million workers are getting less sleep than they need for good health

63 per cent of people report at least one bad night in an average week

34 per cent regularly sleep five hours or fewer a night

18 per cent admit that they never get a really good nights sleep

This lack of shut-eye makes us more susceptible not only to poor concentration and performance at work, depleted energy levels, jaded skin and premature ageing but also to major health problems, such as high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

So whats keeping us awake? Back pain, stress and snoring partners are the biggest causes of poor sleeping habits but there are a number of other, less obvious, reasons why you may not be getting the quality sleep you deserve or why you can still wake up feeling drained after eight or more hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Drawing on the very latest sleep research, and my years of experience as a physiotherapist, this book will give you sound, practical advice about how to sleep better in todays fast-paced, 24/7 world. It will cover basics from optimum sleeping positions and bedtime routines to specific situations such as dealing with jet lag or adjusting to sleeping with someone when youre used to having the bed all to yourself! Theres advice, too, about what to look for when you are buying a new bed, bedclothes and pillows; what to think about when arranging your bedroom; and why recalling your dreams may be far more important for your health and wellbeing than you think.

Above all, though, the aim of this book is to show you how sleep is the magic ingredient that can make you happier, healthier, thinner and sexier. By following my practical solutions you can rest assured that a good nights sleep and waking up feeling refreshed and energised will no longer be an exception but the norm. And not only will your performance at work improve, but so too will the quality of your relationships.

WHY DO WE SLEEP?

Napoleon, Florence Nightingale and Margaret Thatcher famously got by on four hours a night. Einstein, one of historys greatest thinkers, needed eight to nine. Thomas Edison claimed it was a waste of time. So why do we sleep? This is a question that has baffled scientists for centuries, and the answer is no one is really sure. The importance of sleep is without question. Sleep-deprivation experiments have shown that sleep is essential for concentration, clear speech, memory and hand-eye coordination. However, scientists still dont know exactly why it is so important to our survival.

Contrary to what many of us, myself included, often assume, the purpose of sleep isnt to give your body and brain a chance to recuperate from the days activities. When you sleep you dont actually lie still and conserve energy but make frequent movements turning over as often as 2040 times a night and stretching continuously. And far from being dead to the world during sleep, your brain is even more active than when you are awake!

Although the mystery of why we sleep has yet to be solved, one thing is clear: sleep plays a crucial role in preparing your body and mind for a productive, alert and healthy tomorrow. By making quality sleep a high priority in your life I have no doubt that you will feel healthier, happier and more productive. With increased energy and efficiency youll find that there are more than enough hours in the day to both work and play hard.

Only when you are able to take advantage of all the restorative benefits sleep has to offer your mind and body can you discover, perhaps for the first time in years, what it feels like to be alert all day long. Follow my advice here and within a few weeks you will be able to live life as it should always be lived to the fullest.

ONE

Why Healthy Sleep is Important

THE BENEFITS OF good sleeping habits are more than just old wives tales, theyre well documented. Deep, optimal sleep has been proven to provide countless benefits to daily life including a strengthened immune system, increased memory, a trimmer waistline and improved reaction time.

Simply put, there is just no substitute for the benefits of sleep. For anyone who wants to be healthy and successful in life, quality sleep is an essential, not a luxury. When well rested we can live our lives to the full and perform at our peak; a bad nights sleep, however, will release the demons inside us all.