3 tricks for better sleep

If you struggle to get the shuteye you need, there is help at hand. Instead of suffering through lack of sleep, here are three tricks that should make it easier for you drift off into a dreamland once you’re in between the sheets.

1. Create the perfect setup

Your bedroom plays an important part in your ability to get a good night’s sleep. In general, the room itself should be dark, quiet and cool, and if you can, keep the space tidy and clutter-free to help maintain a relaxing and calming environment where you can unwind before it’s time for lights out. Moreover, sleeping on an uncomfortable, sagging mattress between old, worn sheets is likely to get in the way of you enjoying decent slumber, so if your current sleep situation is less perfect, now could be the time to do some shopping. You could swap your mattress for one that is firm and supportive, and you could treat yourself to some plump pillows and luxuriously soft bed sheets.

To take your bedroom setup to the next level, you could even replace your entire bed. For maximum comfort, you could choose a model that has an inbuilt massage function, like the adjustable beds from Adjustamatic. These beds are designed with unique NHC Cyclo-Therapy technology, which uses rotations and pulsations to make you feel relaxed and help you drift off more easily.

2. Adjust your sleeping posture

Did you know that the position you lie in at night could be scuppering your chances of getting the sleep you need? If you often wake up feeling achy and sore, it could be that your sleep stance is to blame. So that you can snooze soundly and rise the next morning feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead, you could try adjusting your sleeping position. For example, if you tend to snooze on your back, position a pillow under your knees so that your back can maintain its natural curved shape while you’re asleep. Making alterations to how you lie in bed could help you sleep more soundly night after night.

3. Cut back on the caffeine

Although you may rely on a cup of tea or coffee to help you wake up of a morning, it shouldn’t be your choice of drink later on in the day. Caffeine is a stimulant and its effects can take a long time to wear off in your body, preventing you from falling asleep easily. So to avoid lying awake at night, you should try to cut back on your caffeine intake. You could drink water, fruit juices or herbal teas instead.

By putting these simple tricks into practice, you should be able to enjoy a better quality of sleep.

Wake at the same time every day…

coffee-cup-bed-bedroom-large

I’m a big fan of sleep. I find the whole “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” thing complete nonsense. Making sure you get enough sleep is essential if you want to feel good, look good and be uber productive.

But here is a good tip for you…wake at the same time every day. A recent study in the Netherlands found that those who slept longer on a weekend had higher cortisol levels (which leads to stress and weight gain) than those who woke up at the same time each day.

So, here are 5 tips to help you sleep smarter…

Make yourself a cup of Valerian Tea. Valerian root is a herb with sedative properties used to ease insomnia and anxiety. I like the Dr Stuarts brand which is around £1.80 in most supermarkets.

Turn off your devices at least an hour before bed! I’m not really one to comment on this as I’m terrible for “just checking my email” or having a scroll through twitter before I go to sleep. A lot of the time though, it’s habit not necessity that sees me reaching for my mobile. But the blue light that our phones and tablets omit will cause sleep problems. Instead, grab a juicy book and settle down with your cup of valerian tea.

Think about your alarm clock. I hate alarm clocks and I’m so grateful that I’m a freelancer who works from home. However, my partner, he has to have an alarm go off, luckily I’m usually awake by then but a bad alarm tone will set the tone for the rest of the day. Think about investing in an alarm that will gently wake you. Or even a Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock with Sunrise Simulation which is especially good during the winter months.

Don’t hit the snooze button. Instead, pinch the pressure point between your thumb and index finger, this will stop you from falling back asleep.

Add essential oils to your life. I’m REALLY in to my aromatherapy and lavender is a great addition to your life if you have trouble sleeping or you just want to stop your brain from whizzing around.

Do you have a sleep routine? I’d love to hear about it below…

Want to sleep better? Stick your feet out of the covers

sleep-better

I don’t know about you but I like to sleep with the window open under a big, thick duvet. I don’t mind my face being a little cooler and I like to have fresh air circulating but I absolutely HAVE to have my duvet covering me. Regardless of the weather, from heat wave to cold snap – the only way I get a good sleep is to have my trusty duvet – if I get a little too hot, my leg comes out from the duvet.

Now, generally I sleep really well but I’m always interested in ways to sleep better…

Which is why this article in New York Magazine caught my eye. They suggest that to help you fall asleep faster and have a better quality of sleep, all you need to do is keep one foot or both feet outside of the blanket.

This is exactly how I manage to sleep with a big heavy duvet – the one leg out method.

Sleep researchers know that right before you fall asleep, your body temperature starts to drop; in the deepest stages of sleep, your body is at its coolest, about one or two degrees below normal. Some scientists believe cooler temperatures cause sleepiness, and although the pre-slumber cooling process happens naturally, there are a few things you can do to help it along, like taking a warm bath right before bed, for example. When you leave the tub, your body temperature rapidly cools, triggering that sleepy feeling. A warm beverage works the same way.

So, why feet? Feet contain blood vessels called the arteriovenous anastomosis, which — coupled with the lack of hair on the bottoms of your feet — are perfectly designed to help dissipate body heat.

So there we have it. If you want to sleep better – you’ve got to poke your feet out of the bed.

Do you do this?

3 Simple Steps To A Better Sleep Tonight…

Kudos to this dog for knowing how to get himself comfy! From pound pooch to forever home diva! #cairn #cairnterrier #dogsofinstagram #dog
When my friend turned 30 I gave her one (good) piece of advice. Get enough sleep. I don’t know what it was about my 30th year but I was just tired – all. the. time. Maybe it was my 20’s catching up on me or hormonal changes – who knows.

I can do late nights and early mornings, WELL, I can function anyway. But I don’t feel my best. And lack of sleep is something that we ALL suffer with. Especially in these always connected times. Remember when not being able to sleep was solved with a warm milky drink or a bath? These days it means that the smart phone up gets picked up and e-fiddling begins. A flick through facebook, a tweet to reach out to others who are not sleeping. The blue light waking our brains even more – regardless of whether our eyes are heavy and our bodies need rest.

But making sure you get a good nights sleep isn’t just for the weak, it means increased energy and productivity, improved heart and immune system health, a better mood, even a longer life.

So here are just three simple tips on getting a more restful nights sleep… Continue reading “3 Simple Steps To A Better Sleep Tonight…”