Erika Heynatz on sleeping well

Erika Heynatz does a great job juggling a successful career that incorporates singing, acting, modelling and more. For years however she suffered from insomnia, and only recently has started to enjoy a good night's sleep. Here Erika tells us her top tips for sleeping well.

How much sleep do you get, on average, each night?

I wake up every morning around 5am, so I really try to hit the sack no later than 10pm...I tend to average six hours of sleep.

When did your problems with sleep start?

I think having moved around so much as a child, I've always slept with one foot on the floor and one eye open ready to go again. Add to that my constant travelling for work as an adult and I've suffered from poor sleep patterns most of my professional life.

What do you think triggered your sleep problems?

I think the greatest contributor to my insomnia is pure lack of routine. I've never had a regular gig that has offered the benefits of a predictable timetable to set healthy patterns in place for balanced work and rest time. By nature I'm an Aries girl with energy to burn, charging my way through the world head first and wanting to do it all at a million miles an hour. I also think I'm just another typical multi-tasking modern woman with a super busy mind to match an at times impossible work schedule. Not the world's best combination for achieving a state of Zen with ease at bedtime!

How have you learnt to combat disordered sleeping?

In the past while I was travelling so prolifically with work and struggling with time zone adjustments, I would always resort to sleep medication. But it it's a short term solution that can create long term issues. Looking for natural alternatives such as acupuncture really helped, which is why a product based on acupressure was such a great find for me. Especially something so portable.

What advice can you give to other Australians who are suffering a sleep?

There is something you can do about insomnia. Invest in a Yantra Mat to utilize the benefits of acupressure in your own home or space any time. While it looks a little intimidating, it's completely non invasive, and a great alternative to costly clinical and professional therapies. You will experience immediate stress and pain relieving benefits and develop healthy sleeping patterns the natural way.

What is the most frustrating experience you’ve had with your sleep disorder?

I've literally gone through spells where I've felt like I was losing my marbles. Accumulated lack of sleep really affects my memory. Trying to recall long television and film scripts has felt impossible and my mouth doesn't match my mind on those days. Everything simply becomes muddled. Not knowing if you're Arthur or on those days is enormously frustrating - because I've put the work in, but the effects of sleep deprivation say otherwise. It's an awful feeling to think there’s no remedy for countless sleepless nights.

How has your insomnia impacted your interpersonal relationships?

I'm really lucky that I have an understanding husband who is particularly sensitive to my insomnia. He, of course, is the first in line to bear the brunt of a bout of bad sleepless nights. My fuse gets short, although I'm very conscious of the impact my mental exhaustion has on others. I am immediately aware of how it affects my focus, my mood (not to mention my coordination) but essentially how present I am with people. Insomnia gives me an awful out of body feeling...a kind of haze that renders me ineffective, irritable, and pretty average company.

How can people prepare for a good night’s rest?

I think routine and ritual play a fantastic role in preparation for a good nights sleep. If you're like me and you can't get to bed at a regular or decent time every night, doing the same things leading up to bedtime makes a huge difference.

Start by switching off technology at least half an hour before bed. A little bit of lavender oil in a burner or on the wrists and temples and then spending 20 minutes on the Yantra Mat release the body's natural endorphins to relax the body and ease muscle tension to ease your way into a restful nights sleep.

Who would be your ultimate bed partner? Just for cuddles...

Seriously - have you seen my fella? Don't get me bragging…although I do like the idea of someone with a gorgeous narrators voice to read to me as I drift off into a deep slumber. As a child, I listened to the tape recording of "The Little Prince" read by Richard Burton every night for years. While it's considered illegal in my house to take technology to bed, I'm allowed to listen to a downloaded audio book on my iPad occasionally which I think is a bit of a treat. Not so good on the cuddle factor though!

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