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?