Being a bride is one of the most exciting and heartwarming days of a person’s life, from ‘will you marry me?’, to the run-up to the big day when the nerves kick in. Pre-wedding jitters may be stopping you from getting the full recommended eight hours, but as we know, beauty sleep is not a myth and no one wants tired eyes on such a big day.
Silentnight’s sleep expert, Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, says: “Getting married is such an important and significant time in someone’s life, but it can bring with it a level of stress, which consequently can lead to a lack of sleep”.
Here Dr Nerina, shares her five top tips to help brides-to-be sleep well in the weeks before their wedding day.
1. Eat healthily - especially breakfast
To help us sleep as well as possible, especially when nerves are at their peak, we need a good balance of the hormones serotonin and melatonin in our system. Eating foods such as chicken, cheese, tofu, eggs, nuts, seeds and milk, will help to boost these hormone levels. Most brides will be conscious of what they are eating in the build up to the big day but during the rush of planning, many will forget to eat breakfast. Eating breakfast within 30 minutes of rising stabilises metabolism, blood sugar and melatonin production.
2. Reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption
Caffeine and refined sugars, which are found in alcohol, are stimulants and make it difficult to not only sleep, but to experience high quality sleep. Although a glass of wine may be tempting to calm wedding jitters and to help you to drift off, it actually disrupts sleep and is associated with more frequent awakenings and night sweats.
3. Try getting an early night
In the run up to the wedding, going to bed by 10 - 10.30pm a few nights a week is good for the immune system, thus clearing toxins from the body. Getting into a routine, by waking and going to sleep at the same time every day, improves sleep quality and increases the chances of a great sleep the night before your wedding.
4. Keep calm
Despite the pressure, the main thing to remember the night before your wedding is to try and not worry about getting a good sleep. Focus on resting well and even if you don’t manage to sleep well that night it won’t have any significant impact on how you look if you have slept well in the run up.
5. Breathe
If the nerves get too much on the eve of the wedding, try a simple breathing technique. Kundalini breathing is particularly good for a wired mind and body. Sit up straight in bed, pucker your lips as if holding a 10p coin, breathe in forcefully through the lips, and exhale through the nose for two minutes.
For more sleep tips from expert, Dr Nerina, visit Silentnight Sleep Toolkit: http://www.silentnight.co.uk/sleep-matters/dr-nerinas-sleep-toolkit/#22662
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