So many of us struggle with getting good quality sleep. We can be all too familiar with the immediate effects of a bad night’s rest – irritability, low energy, and lack of concentration, to name a few – but there can be a more complex disruption to our physical and mental health from subpar sleep, too, including an increase in depression, heart disease, and stroke.
Thankfully, there are ways to improve our quality of rest to prevent slipping into poor health and reap some further great health benefits. Good quality sleep can increase your ability to focus and remember new information, help regulate pain, and improve brain and immune function.
Take a look at some of our top tips for good sleep below, and get ready to rest easy.
Our Sleep Hygiene Hacks:
Keep A Routine
Maintaining a regular sleeping routine and setting a schedule around how and when you head to bed can be one of the best hacks for good sleep. The actions you take, your mood, and the time you allow your schedule will all play a part in creating an efficient sleeping routine.
Between 30 to 60 minutes before you go to bed, take time to relax without a device – the blue light that mobile phones, tablets and laptops produce can be a sure-fire way to throw off your body clock! A warm bath or shower, meditation, reading a book or some gentle stretching can be great ways to wind down without electronics. Whatever choice you make, this step will help your body release tension, relieve your mind of the stresses of the day, and allow you to start settling into a calmer, quieter space that will lead to good sleep.
With consistency, your body will recognise the steps of your sleep schedule as cues for sleep, and you’ll find yourself falling to sleep more easily.
Manage Your Environment
A comfortable bedroom can make all the difference. We all know how easy it is to let laundry pile up or leave a bed unmade in the morning – but maintaining the details around the space you sleep in is an important element to any sleep schedule.
Keep your space tidy and clear – that way, you can simply focus on sleep when it comes to it. A quiet, dark, cool room is also an optimum bedroom setup for most. Of course, everyone’s sleep hygiene looks a little different, so find what works for you – but lighting and temperature can really set the atmosphere.
Find a temperature where you can feel cool and comfortable throughout the night, and shut out as much light as possible. Invest in blackout blinds or thick curtains if you can, or buy an eye mask to keep your sleeping environment as dark as possible. A cool, dark room will allow your body to relax and settle into a natural sleeping rhythm. If you suffer from a lot of noise pollution in your area, earplugs may also be a wise investment to avoid sleep disruption throughout the night.
Refresh Your Bedroom Furniture
Perhaps the most central factor to good sleep is a suitable mattress, pillows and linens that work for you – if your sleep is uncomfortable, you’ll never get good rest.
How old is your mattress? If it’s quite old or getting worn out, it’s probably time to look at investing in a new one. Similarly, look to refresh your pillows and sheets as needed- we all know that fresh, clean sheets can be the most welcoming part of getting into bed!
Get Ready For Better Sleep
Good quality sleep not only improves our physical health and mental wellbeing in the short term, making us ready to take on the day’s challenges, it also prevents stress and illness further later in life which can cause more severe health issues. Try out our top tips for a better night’s sleep, and see how much brighter the world feels!
Written by Simon Johnson, Director, My Next Mattress