{"id":236888,"date":"2022-09-12T18:27:30","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T16:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/?p=121257"},"modified":"2022-09-12T18:27:30","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T16:27:30","slug":"south-african-dietitian-shares-5-tips-for-a-better-nights-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/south-african-dietitian-shares-5-tips-for-a-better-nights-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"South African dietitian shares 5 tips for a better night\u2019s sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1 \">\n<aside id=\"republication_tracker_tool-2\" class=\"republication_tracker_tool clearfix\">\n<h5 class=\"adtitle\">Republish for Free<\/h5>\n<div class=\"license\">\n<p><button name=\"Republish This Story\" id=\"cc-btn\" class=\"republication-tracker-tool-button\">Republish This Story<\/button><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"license\" rel=\"noreferrer license noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Creative Commons License\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/south-african-dietitian-shares-5-tips-for-a-better-nights-sleep.png\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Creative Commons License\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/south-african-dietitian-shares-5-tips-for-a-better-nights-sleep.png\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"message\">\n<p>Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/aside>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/?attachment_id=121258\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-121258 size-thumbnail lazyload\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/south-african-dietitian-shares-5-tips-for-a-better-nights-sleep.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-121258 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/south-african-dietitian-shares-5-tips-for-a-better-nights-sleep.jpg\" alt width=\"300\" height=\"200\">Sleep is incredibly important for maintaining optimal health and well-being, yet most South Africans are getting insufficient sleep. In fact, according to the sleep tracking app, Sleep Cycle, South Africans are getting fewer sleeping hours than almost any other nation, resulting in a sleep-deprived population facing several health risks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen it comes to human physical and mental health, sleep is as vital as regular exercise and eating a balanced diet,\u201d explained Tetley tea partner dietician, Mbali Mapholi. \u201cWhen we don\u2019t get enough sleep, it doesn\u2019t just affect our mood, it impacts every aspect of daily life and poses significant health risks including impaired brain activity, depression, diabetes and heart disease. That\u2019s why we believe it\u2019s important for us to share practical guidelines on getting quality sleep every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>How much sleep is enough?<\/p>\n<p>Getting enough sleep is essential, but the definition of good sleep differs from person to person. Scientifically, the number of hours of sleep for young people is more than for adults. For adults aged 18 to 60 years, seven hours or more is required a night; while adults aged over 60 years need at least eight hours of sleep.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond sleep quantity, the quality of sleep is also important. Signs of poor-quality sleep include waking up multiple times during the night, or waking up tired or sleepy even after the recommended number of hours of sleep.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the benefits of sleep?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Sleep supports brain and mind function by improving concentration, cognitive function, performance and mental health stability.<br \/>\u2022 Sleep is a direct and indirect contributor to healthy body weight management. People who sleep well are more inclined to exercise, eat well, drink more water and less alcohol, and lead an active lifestyle.<br \/>\u2022 Sleep reduces risk of heart-related diseases as it helps the body regulate blood pressure naturally.<br \/>\u2022 Sleep reduces mental health issues such as depression.<br \/>\u2022 Sleep supports a healthy immune system, although more research is needed in this area. For now, it\u2019s understood that the body repairs, recovers and regenerates during sleep.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5 tips for improving sleep<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Keep a regular sleep routine<\/strong><br \/>Going to sleep at the same time each night \u2013 even on weekends \u2013 helps the body recognise rest times. Being consistent reinforces the body\u2019s sleep-wake cycle.<\/p>\n<p>Dietitian tip: If you don\u2019t fall asleep within 20 minutes of going to bed, leave the bedroom and do something relaxing such as reading a book. Do not scroll your phone or watch TV.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Hydrate well in the evening<\/strong><br \/>Although drinking lots of liquids right before bed is probably not a great idea as it could result in frequent trips to the bathroom during the night, it\u2019s important to get sufficient hydration in the evening in order to get a good night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n<p>Drinks that are free from caffeine and sugar are preferable. Chamomile tea, which is made from the chamomile flower and is naturally caffeine-free, is a great option as it has been used to promote sleep and relaxation for generations. Research has shown that chamomile may be used to successfully treat insomnia and induce sedation (calming effects).<\/p>\n<p>Dietitian tip: Try the new Tetley Pure Chamomile as part of your evening wind down, it is naturally caffeine free and has all the benefits of Chamomile.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Engage in daily physical activities<\/strong><br \/>Keeping active during the day is important as it improves sleep quality. However, it\u2019s best not to be active too close to bedtime as this can have the opposite effect.<\/p>\n<p>Dietitian tip: Find physical activities that you actually enjoy, and make them part of your daily routine. Rather than exercising late at night, go to bed earlier and wake up in the morning for an early morning workout before the day\u2019s routine starts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Adopt a good bedtime routine<\/strong><br \/>Adults need to establish a good bedtime routine just like children. Research shows that those who follow bedtime routines are more likely to go to sleep earlier, take less time falling asleep, sleep longer, and wake up less during the night.<\/p>\n<p>Dietitian tip: Identify your bedtime routine and try to stick with it. Have a shower or bath, have a cup of Chamomile tea while journaling or listening to music, or read.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Limit daytime naps<\/strong><br \/>A short nap in the mid-afternoon can boost memory, improve production and brain performance, lift one\u2019s mood, improve alertness and ease stress. But if these naps go on too long or happen too often in the day, they can impact sleep at night.<\/p>\n<p>Dietitian tip: Set an alarm during daytime naps to help you stick to the planned nap time.<\/p>\n<p>Tetley tea, manufacturers of SA\u2019s #1 Green tea and a range of other teas, are committed to developing products that help South Africans care for themselves from the inside out. Candice Sessions, Tetley Marketing Manager, noted: \u201cOur focus is on developing products and tools that make it easier for people to live their best lives and take proper care of themselves. The role that sleep plays in overall wellbeing is often under-rated, and we are excited to launch Tetley Pure Chamomile tea to play a role in helping South Africans improve their sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Visit www.joekels.co.za and @TetleyTeaSA or @urbandietitian on social media for more health tips and advice from Mbali Mapholi, as well as healthy recipes and ideas for the whole family.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/mypr.co.za\/contact\/featured\/\">CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <span class=\"post-views-icon dashicons dashicons-chart-bar\"><\/span> <span class=\"post-views-label\">Press Release Views since 1 July 2022:<\/span> <span class=\"post-views-count\">57<\/span> <\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-pagination pagination\">Pages: <span class=\"post-page-numbers current\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Page <\/span>1<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/south-african-dietitian-shares-5-tips-for-a-better-nights-sleep\/2\/\" class=\"post-page-numbers\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Page <\/span>2<\/a><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\">Source: MyPR.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republish for Free Republish This Story Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Sleep is incredibly important for maintaining optimal health and well-being, yet most South Africans are getting insufficient sleep. In fact, according to the sleep tracking app, Sleep Cycle, South Africans are getting fewer sleeping hours [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":236889,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[18,9021],"tags":[3257],"class_list":{"0":"post-236888","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-durban","8":"category-mypr","9":"tag-mypr","10":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/south-african-dietitian-shares-5-tips-for-a-better-nights-sleep.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=236888"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236888\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/236889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=236888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=236888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=236888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}