Sleep to succeed. 3 Scientific secrets to a good night’s rest for success.

It’s no secret that quality sleep is essential to good mood, immensely improved learning efficiency and a healthy lifestyle in all aspects.

It’s also no secret that these qualities are not only more essential for children in primary school, but that the benefits are even more significant.

Without good sleep, you put your child at a severe disadvantage not only in their chances of Job Preparation, but in all areas of their development. Failing to ensure your child receives quality sleep each night puts them at severe risk of losing so much of their potential.

Let’s visit the scientific secrets to the best rest you can get, and put the other myths to bed!

When it comes to sleep, there is one fundamental mechanism in your body which is vital to setting your sleep schedule.

Very few people know this secret…

There is a very regulated and special relationship between the hormone cortisol and melatonin production timing. As you may know, melatonin is the hormone that causes you to feel sleepy.

Most people still believe that taking melatonin supplements is the only way to feel more sleepy, but our body has a secret power of its own and here we’ll teach you how to naturally and easily use it…

When you wake up, it's vitally important that your body experiences a huge rush of this hormone cortisol, because once this happens, it triggers the beginning of a physiological timer for natural melatonin production which will occur 12-14hours following this cortisol release.

But how? You might want to keep reading to learn how easy this is…

Now that you understand this fundamental secret and as you continue to read and discover the secrets of sensational sleep, you may find it extremely easy to understand why the following tips will help you finally experience the deep dreamy slumber you’ve been chasing your entire life. And how you can help secure the same for your child!

1. Light

Another secret that most people still don’t know…

Our bodies require light energy (photons) the same way we need glucose for energy. 

You wouldn't try stuffing food down your ear as a means of providing your body with glucose for energy, it just doesn’t work. You have to eat food, and that's the only way you can actually make use of that energy source.

The same applies for photons, only our eyes can be used to intake it and allow for that energy to be used throughout our bodies.

Most people recognise that sunlight is good for us. 

But what they don’t realise is…

Not all light is equal. Your body requires different types of light at different times throughout the day.

When you wake up it's extremely important that you go outside and look at sunlight from the morning sun, this means sunlight from before when the sun has reached the middle of the sky. Take care not to look directly into the sun as that is damaging to your eyes.

You might be wondering why is this important?

The reason is that your retina is very specific in recognising the correct type of light with the optimal colour of yellow and blue. This is present in low angle solar light (morning sun) and is absolutely optimal for stimulating the cortisol release you need.

The easiest part is that only 2 to 10 minutes of morning sun exposure is typically sufficient, when you take the time to try this, you will really find yourself experiencing these powerfully good-feeling lifts in mood and energy.

It's important to note that you should aim to physically be outside, because looking at the sunlight through a window reduces its efficacy by 100-1000 times. For busy parents, there is no benefit in taking longer than you really need.

Ona cloudy day or if the sun is not bright outside, you might find that being indoors and turning on bright overhead lights will help.

Towards the evening, watching the sunset can dramatically improve your sleep. This is because the specific colour of light from viewing the sunset is actually required for optimal anchoring of your cortisol and melatonin releases, also it actually increases your blue light tolerance for the rest of your evening. 

Artificial lights should be kept to a minimum closer towards sleep time, especially ones that shine downwards, low positioned lights have less effect on disturbing your natural melatonin production. 

You should aim to turn off all lights before 11PM, because artificial lights from the times of 11PM to 4AM are extremely detrimental to dopamine levels.

Optimal sleep times are between 9:30PM to 11:30PM until 6AM to 8AM.

2. Reconsider melatonin supplements

Most people will tell you melatonin supplements are the simple solution for your sleeplessness. Not true.

You might want to reconsider using melatonin supplements as a quick fix, and here’s why…

For your child, melatonin supplements have especially harmful effects on delaying the onset of puberty, even in adults it has negative effects on other parts of your body. 

Excessive melatonin supplementation has also been linked to reduced levels of vitality, which you might find is another benefit to avoiding this commonly misprescribed supplement when you wish to improve your mood and quality of life.

What these people won’t tell you either is…

Melatonin can only help with the onset of sleep but it does not help you increase the quality of your sleep nor make you sleep for longer. A good alternative supplement that does help with these more important factors, is magnesium threonate.

Of course, you should always consult your doctor or physician prior to making any changes to dietary supplementation.

3. Morning exercise

You probably know about your body’s physiological clock, otherwise known as your circadian rhythm.

What you probably don't know is…

Your body temperature plays the crucial role of directing your circadian rhythm. 

When you wake up, increases in body temperature help to regulate your body's circadian rhythm, and as the day progresses towards evening, your body should cool down to help with an optimal sleep schedule. 

But how can you easily control this?

Exercise and cold water exposure are particularly powerful in directing your body temperature, the key is timing.

During exercise your body warmth increases, so as to optimise this change in body temperature, you might realise that exercising is most effective in the morning to help regulate your sleep schedule.

When combining exercise with correct light exposure, the benefits combine and multiply to produce an even greater wake up signal to the body. 

The optimal times to exercise are 0.5, 3, and 11 hours after waking up.

Now that you’ve learned the scientific secrets to securing sensational sleep for both you and your child, you might find yourself naturally and easily noticing how easily you can apply these habits into your personal everyday lives. We trust with what you’ve learnt, that you will ultimately find more joy and success in your days, and peace and calm in your nights.

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