Sleep is great. It’s a healing, rejuvenating, reboot of the mind and body each night that helps to support good health.
Any healthy lifestyle should also make room for good sleeping habits, as sleep can help to:
A good night’s sleep can also help improve your mood by giving you a chance to recharge, setting you up to take on the day with all its challenges.
Yet if you’re one of the many people with sleep issues, getting 8 hours of sleep might feel like an unachievable dream. You’re not alone. The stresses and strains of this year have kept many people from getting a good night’s rest.
Anxiety and stress can work together to make it difficult for you to fall asleep or even stay asleep. You may even find that being unable to sleep makes you feel even more anxious or stressed and it becomes a vicious circle.
Be kind to yourself.
If you find that you’re tossing and turning, and getting more anxious, it can be a good idea to get up and go do something else like reading or listening to relaxing music until you feel sleepy again. [2]
Write down all your worries and things you need to do
Trying to sleep with a to-do list running through your brain is incredibly difficult. The same if you have any worries or concerns on your mind. By writing them down, it can help to clear your thoughts of that mental chatter and relax your mind down a little for sleep.
Avoid caffeine in the evenings
You should avoid drinking caffeinated drinks like tea or coffee for at least 6 hours before you go to bed if you’re struggling to sleep. Yes, the caffeine is keeping you awake to get through your day, but it may also be continuing to keep you awake through the night!
Cut down on screen time before bed
The light from our phones, tablets, laptops, televisions, and desktop computers can all play a part in keeping us awake. [3] Try and curb your screen time before bed to help your brain calm down for the night. If this feels like an impossible ask, challenge yourself to stop 30 minutes before bed and gradually build on that time till you have at least an hour free of screen time before bed
Keep regular sleeping hours
Going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning can help get your body into a routine that makes it easier to fall asleep. Those weekend lie-ins may be tempting but they can throw off your sleep schedule.
Make your bedroom an ideal place for sleep
If the room is too hot, too cold, too bright, or too noisy, getting a decent night’s sleep can be tricky. If light is a problem, investing in a blackout curtain or blind could make all the difference. If the temperature is a problem double-check the settings on your heating, if your window needs opening/closing, and what tog duvet you’re using – it could be too thick or thin for your needs. You may want to invest in a room thermometer to get a more accurate idea of what the temperature is like.
Try to relax before bed
An hour before you want to go to bed, try to create a relaxing night-time routine for yourself. It could involve taking a bath or reading a book – whatever helps you to wind down. We sell a range of support pillows to help you get comfy, whether you want to read in bed or curl up in your favourite chair.
Avoid alcohol before bed
Despite popular belief, having a few alcoholic drinks before bed doesn’t really help you to sleep better. In fact, it’s likely that it can make the quality of your sleep worse as your body spends less time in the restorative REM sleep, meaning you still feel tired the next day. The extra liquid also means you’re more likely to get up in the night, too, disrupting your sleep even more. [4]
Ask yourself: is my bed comfy?
If your pillow is pancake-flat and you’ve had your mattress for a decade or more, it may be your bed holding you back from nodding off.
Can you fold your pillow in half and have it stay that way without you touching it? Then it’s probably time for a new one.
Do you find that you wake up feeling sore in the mornings? Or that your mattress is creaking? It may be time to get a new one. The current recommendation is to get a new mattress every 8 years to make sure it’s still giving you the right level of support. [5]
Check out our range of mattresses, pillows, and bedding to help you get a comfortable night’s rest.
It can take time to feel the benefits of an improved sleep routine. It’s important to remember that if you’ve had lots of sleepless nights then you may have gained a sleep debt that will take time to work off.
If you’re still struggling after trying the above tips for a little while, make sure to check in with your doctor so they can offer you help and advice.
[1] https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/why-lack-of-sleep-is-bad-for-your-health/
[2] https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/ss/slideshow-insomnia
[3] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/insomnia/
[4] https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/effects-on-the-body/alcohol-and-sleep
[5] https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/often-change-mattress/
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