Sleep is critical for our health and ability to function on a day to day basis. Experts say that 8 hours is the optimum amount – some may need more, some less. The odd sleepless night here and there is often unavoidable however, to ensure that you give yourself the best possible chance of achieving a good night’s sleep, there are several factors to consider. We take a look at these in more detail with our top tips for a good night’s sleep.
Invest in the right bed and mattress. The right mattress will ensure that you are comfortable and that your body is properly supported so that you don’t spend the night trying to find that comfy spot while waking up with aches and pains. A pillow is also important and having the right kind of pillow to support you too.
Choose quality bedding that regulates the temperature and that is comfortable and inviting. There’s nothing quite like that feeling of clean and soft sheets when you get into bed after a long day.
Lighting is important in more than one way. While blocking out excess light is crucial, with the right kind of blinds and curtains, so is the amount of light you get during the day. Experts say that getting more natural daylight will help you to achieve a better quality of sleep. You’ve heard many times how getting outside in the fresh air is good for health – turns out it can help us to sleep better too.
Keep it quiet. Fans, televisions, noise from another room… all of these things can interrupt your sleep or prevent you falling asleep. Create a nice, peaceful and quiet atmosphere in which to sleep. Don’t fall asleep with the TV on and if you live in a house with lots of others that might stay up later or make noise when you are trying to sleep, shut the door and ask them to keep it down.
If it’s too hot you will be tossing and turning, throwing off the covers, putting them back on again, turning over your pillows and generally faffing around when you should be sleeping. If it’s too cold in your room, you are going to be wrapping yourself up in extra blankets only to wake up sweating. Keep your room at an agreeable temperature. 18.3 degrees (specific, right?) is thought to be the ideal temperature for a bedroom at night. This may vary from person to person.
Going to bed at 10pm one night, and then midnight the next, plus waking up at 6am one day and lying in until 9am the following, is not the kind of routine that lends itself to regular sleeping patterns. While the odd early morning/lie-in/late night is unavoidable. Try and have a routine where you aim for the same amount of sleep/time in bed each night. Have a nightly routine – read a book perhaps before you turn out the light.
The blue light emitted from mobile phones and tablets too close to bedtime can interfere with our body’s circadian rhythms which are so closely aligned with sunrise and sunset. Blue light can disrupt this. As well as mobile phones and devices, avoid LED lights and fluorescent lights in the bedroom.
Caffeine is a stimulant and too many cups of coffee during the day (particularly after a certain time) can stop you falling asleep. For some, they can’t drink coffee after lunchtime for this very reason. The caffeine needs time to leave your system before you go to sleep.
If we eat too late, our bodies are working hard to digest food when they should be resting. Eating a heavy, rich meal before bedtime is going to interrupt your sleep, not to mention make you feel a little queasy. Avoid eating too late and if you do need to eat, choose a light, healthy snack.
Most of us have done it – napped about 4pm in the afternoon only to find we are wide awake at bedtime. Napping is OK if you take short naps that aren’t too close to bedtime but if you nap too late, or for too long, you could find yourself either struggling to drop off, or waking up in the middle of the night and then finding yourself unable to drop back off again. The best time to nap is just after lunchtime in the afternoon and restrict it to 20 minutes.
How many times have you woken in the night thinking of something you have forgotten to do? Then it races around your mind and you struggle to get back to sleep again. Our top tip is to keep a pen and paper by the bed and write it down. Once you write it down you can cast it out of your mind and hopefully, fall back to sleep again.
These are just ten of our top tips to help you achieve a better night’s sleep. What’s your top tip for getting to sleep?
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