Top 7 Tips To Help You Sleep Better
12 September 2020
Get into a routine
Before you get started, you need to identify a solid schedule that will work well in your current daily routine, allowing you to get a good night’s sleep.
Aim to keep a consistent bedtime and wake time. If you’re currently far away from your target routine then start to move it slowly by 15 minutes every three days until you’ve reached your goal. It is important to remain consistent, our bodies thrive on routine.
Regulating and looking after your circadian rhythm is one of the most important ways to ensure you get a good, restful sleep. Have a read here for our tips to do so.
Create a restful environment
We have all suffered from a restless sleep and ensuring your room is the optimum sleep environment is crucial. Making sure your room is the perfect sleep environment is quite personal, but there are some key points to consider when creating the right sleep environment for you.
- The temperature of your room should be around 16-18 degrees for the best night’s sleep.
- Light entering your room can disrupt your sleep, particularly artificial light so consider blackout curtains/blinds or an eye mask.
- And finally, it’s very difficult to get a good night’s sleep on a mattress that is too soft or too hard, or a bed that’s too small or old. You may need to replace your current mattress, and we can help. Find out which bed is right for you here on our website.
Time to relax
It’s important to start winding down 90 minutes before bed, a warm bath or reading a book can help you to relax and slow down your body and mind. Practising breathing exercises is also proven to relax your muscles, in turn calming your entire body and is a great step to take when discovering how to sleep better.
Ditch the blue light
While quite often our technology is an extension of ourselves, it can be hard to put them down, especially at bedtime. Technology can result in poor sleep in more ways than you may realise.
- Blue light suppresses melatonin and reducing melatonin makes it harder to fall and stay asleep.
- They wake you up.
- They keep your brain alert.
Creating an ambient sleep environment is vital to having a blissful slumber, and no place does it quite as effectively as a hotel room. The soft lighting and inviting warmth make for a dreamy sleep. Have a read of our tips here to make your bedroom feel like a hotel at home.
Things To Avoid To Get Better Sleep
Caffeine, alcohol and nicotine all have different but significant impacts upon our sleep.
- Caffeine interferes with the process of falling asleep and also disrupts deep sleep resulting in restless sleep. Instead, have a warm, milky drink or herbal tea before bed.
- Alcohol may seem to help you fall asleep initially, but it will disrupt your sleep later on in the night resulting in poor sleep. Consider reducing your intake of alcohol, especially in the evening.
- Nicotine is a known stimulant, therefore, people who smoke tend to take longer to fall asleep, wake up more frequently and often have more restless sleep than those who do not. Cutting down on nicotine consumption can make a great impact on your ability to get a good night’s sleep.
Get active
Both moderate exercises such as swimming or walking and vigorous regular exercise such as running can help to relieve some of the tension built up over the day and can lead to a good night’s sleep. In spite of this, be sure to not do vigorous exercise too close to bedtime, as it will energise you and may keep you awake.
Here’s some of the best workouts you can do before falling asleep and after getting up to help you sleep better, and feel rejuvenated and ready for the day ahead.
Don’t watch the clock
As we round up our guide to a good night’s sleep it is important to remember that if you’re not tired, watching the clock just makes you anxious about not being asleep. Alternatively, you could go into another room to continue winding down, by reading or meditating. Aim to use your bedroom only for sleep, this will strengthen the association between bed and sleep and improve your sleep routine.