Tips for sleeping like a baby

Do you consistently struggle to get a good night’s sleep? Well lucky for you we’ve compiled a helpful little guide to getting the best Zzz’s’s possible. It’s easy to get caught up in life and develop nasty habits that can affect our body’s ability to get itself prepared for lights-out time. Read on for tips on taking control of your sleep.

• Create a routine: Routine equals consistency. If it’s possible, try to stick to a routine of going to bed at the same time every day. This would ideally run throughout the whole week, including weekends. There will always be occasions where you won’t be able to stick to this… meals out, parties, etc. But when that happens, try to get straight back into your routine as soon as possible. Your body will respond well to routine and you may find falling asleep easier once you are locked into a pattern. Think about including some relaxation time each night where you snuggle up with a book or drink a soothing cup of chamomile tea.

• Create the ideal environment: What is your bedroom doing for you? Is it too hot or too cold? Temperature is important for creating the ideal sleep environment. The Sleep Foundation recommend a room temperature between 15.5 – 19.5 degrees Celsius for optimal sleep. Also, think about keeping your bedroom as noise and light-free as possible. And of course, a comfortable pillow and mattress to support your body is a must! We can help find a suitable option when it comes to pillows and mattresses. Chat to us next time you’re in the clinic.

• You get out what you put in: Try to avoid smoking, drinking alcohol and eating a hearty meal before bed. Aim to eat your last meal a minimum of two to three hours before you hit the sack. All of these things can lead to disturbed sleep and increase the risk of wak-ing up tired the next day. The saying sticks… you get out what you put in!

• Bedroom = sleep: This is a big one. Technology is finding its way into our bedrooms more and more. For many people it’s the only time they get to switch off and check their social media accounts or catch up on emails. But we recommend avoiding screens. Keep your bedroom for sleep and sleep only. If you have to use a screen before bed, set aside time earlier in the evening to get this work done. The light given off by tablet or phone screens stimulates the brain, when in reality, you should be trying to relax, allowing it to switch off.

• Avoid daytime naps: We all know how nice it is to have a little siesta during the day. But there is logic in the assumption that if you struggle to sleep through the night, removing your daytime nap could help to regulate your night-time sleep pattern.

• Exercise regularly: Emerging research into the effect of exercise on sleep shows that light-to-vigorous exercise helps a person to fall asleep faster and improves the overall quality of sleep. It is thought that exercise helps to increase the amount of deep sleep you get, as well as helping to de-stress the mind to allow for a more relaxed cognitive state.

We suggest not trying to implement all of these at once. Why not pick just one or two changes and work with them for a few weeks. It may take some time to find what works best for you.

References
1. Help Guide. 2019. How to sleep better. [Online]. Available from: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/getting-better-sleep.htm. [Accessed 15 Jul 2020]
2. SleepFoundation.org. 2020. Healthy sleep tips. [Online]. Available from: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/healthy-sleep-tips. [Accessed 15 Jul 2020]
3. Johns Hopkins Medicine. 2020. Exercising for better sleep. [Online]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/exercising-for-better-sleep. [Accessed 27 Jul 2020]

Uploaded : 25 August 2020