The Key to Better Sleep: Galway Pros Share Their Tips

Has there ever been a buzz around catching those Zzzs? Amidst all the ‘sleep hygiene’ hype and hyperbole, we discover what you really need (and what you don’t) to get a good night’s rest.

What is sleepmaxxing exactly?

Sleepmaxxing is the latest social media trend and it’s giving rise to a new type of influencer, one who offers sleep hacks rather than style tips. Mouth tapes, nostril expanders and jaw straps are just some of the surreal solutions espoused for insomnia and poor sleep, along with pricey wellness trackers and high-tech mattresses that can adjust temperature and vibrate when it’s time to wake up. 

“What impacts our sleep the most is the time we spend outside, moving around in nature.

But Galway sheep farmer Michael Burke and CEO of Irish wool pillow and duvet company, Woolow, believes the path to a sound night’s sleep is far less complicated, and costly. “What impacts our sleep the most is the time we spend outside, moving around in nature. If you speak to farmers and people who work in construction, you’ll find very few have problems sleeping. Our bodies were always meant to get lots of movement, and sleep follows on from that,” he explains. 

“We need to build activity into our day. Getting into the garden or having a walk at lunchtime is important.” The light we’re exposed to outdoors is also vital for regulating our circadian rhythms [the 24-hour cycles that help govern essential bodily functions], even on a cloudy day, explains Burke. 

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Stress, screentime and sleep problems 

The Dunmore native, who worked in the healthcare industry for 25 years, is confirming what most of us already know: human beings weren’t designed to sit indoors at a computer all day.

 “Most of the people who have sleep issues tend to work inside and suffer from stress,” says Burke. A global sleep survey carried out by Swedish furniture brand Ikea earlier this year across 57 countries confirms this, with 40 percent of respondents in Ireland reporting stress and anxiety as the main reasons for losing out on sleep. Twenty-seven percent said they wake up more than twice during the night and 49 percent revealed they wake up in the morning feeling tired almost every day.

Exercise and eating habits for better sleep

Burke explains that a bad night’s sleep can knock you for six. “If you were to go without food, water, exercise and sleep for a day, it’s the lack of sleep that would have the most negative impact on your body,” he says. Galway city-based psychotherapist Mary Lynn agrees. “Sleep impacts absolutely every aspect of our lives because when we’re tired we make poor choices.” 

She frequently works with  clients suffering from stress and poor sleep and agrees with Burke that exercise is  an important factor in reclaiming those midnight hours.

Lynn suggests practicing  gentle forms of exercise, such as yoga or pilates, in the evening and high-intensity workouts earlier in the day. Both Burke and Lynn agree that large meals late in the  evenings are not conducive to good-quality sleep. “We should eat to work,”  explains Burke. “Consuming larger portions earlier in the day and then working them off as the day goes on.”

Morning routines and mindful starts 

While many of us may only consider our sleep hygiene half an hour before we head  upstairs, a good sleep routine should start from early morning, Lynn explains.  “The first thing I do when I wake up is check in with how I am. Then for one or two minutes, I breathe in and blow out. This helps regulate my cortisol levels (the  stress hormone), which are at their highest in the morning.”

“I recommend not turning on your phone for the first half hour or hour of the morning, stepping outside with your cup of tea and giving yourself the head space to enjoy it.”

Karin Müller,  co-founder of Solaris Botanicals, also believes “successful sleep starts during the day”. “I recommend not turning on your phone for the first half hour or hour of the morning, stepping outside with your cup of tea and giving yourself the head space to enjoy it.”

A qualified medical herbalist, Müller established the organic tea  company with her husband Jörg 22 years ago and explains that herbal teas are  great for helping to downregulate the nervous system. “Most of our teas are high  in essential oils, which help to switch the body from an adrenaline-based  fight-or-flight mode to a more calm and relaxed one.”

Lynn also works with clients  on calming their nervous systems and one technique she recommends before  bed is the Butterfly Tapping method. It involves crossing your thumbs and fanning  out your fingers into a butterfly shape and then gently tapping your knees  rhythmically to soothe and lessen stress. 

Natural solutions and evening rituals

Like Lynn, Müller is seeing a huge demand for natural solutions from problem sleepers and this month, the company is launching its new Glow Up Tea Ritual & Spa Set, designed specifically to help people wind down in the evening before bedtime.

The set includes an aromatherapy candle, bath salts and three boxes of tea, each of which is caffeine-free. “Tea is such an important part of Irish culture,” she explains. “We wanted to make it not just a moment to chat but a moment to come back to yourself. Brewing a cup of Solaris tea a half hour before bed as a signal to your brain that it’s okay to relax now and wind down.

Keeping it simple: the key to better sleep

With sleep, as in life, the simplest solutions are often the best. “We tend to overthink things,” says Müller. If you want to sleep well, she says matter-of-factly: “Stop drinking caffeine at lunchtime. Take your phone out of your room at night. Make sure your bedroom is clean and smells nice. Give yourself an hour without any screens before bed and have a journal on your bedside table so you can write out your to-do list for the next day. It’s really very basic. You don’t need all the pomp and nonsense.” 

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