Have you found yourself tossing and turning at night recently? Unable to get to sleep easily, and waking up feeling a bit groggy, and not wanting to drag yourself out of bed in the morning – we’ve all been there.
Did you know that there are a few little things you can be doing, that might have a significant impact on not only the amount of hours of sleep you are getting each night, but also the quality of the sleep, too?
Take these simple steps and enjoy a better night’s sleep!
Create A Bedtime Routine
Before you settle down to sleep for the night, you should incorporate some kind of routine that will get you in a much more relaxed state ready for you to go to sleep when you actually get in bed.
Embedding this routine in to your day to day life will also help you to establish a system whereby your body is understanding it is time to wind down and get some sleep.
Within this routine you should be turning off your television and avoiding prolonged phone usage 30 minutes, or at least 60 minutes, before you go to bed. The light emitted from these devices can have a negative impact on the brain and you might struggle to switch off.
Why not look into yoga, or relaxation CD’s which can work to put you in a much more relaxed state before bed.
Assess Your Diet
What you are putting into your body can have more of an impact than you think on the quality of the sleep you are getting each night. It might be a bit of an obvious one, but limiting your caffeine intake throughout the day can significantly improve your ability to get to sleep at night. The same will go for foods and drinks with high sugar counts, as well as avoiding eating a big meal too late at night.
Buy A Fan
You should look to keep your room at an optimum temperature, which should be around 19 to 23 degrees during the night, and whilst your partner might hate feeling a little cooler than normal, they can always cuddle up to you for extra warmth (or just layer up!).
Go Mattress Shopping
Back aches and pains, among other health issues could negatively impact the quality of your sleep. Consider how old your mattress is, if it is older than 7 years it might be time to replace it, especially if the springs are becoming noticeable or you are experiencing pains.
Investing in a new mattress should not be an impulse decision, discover which mattress is right for you and look to buy a mattress that is worth at least four to five times the amount of your bedframe as this will guarantee the longevity and quality of the mattress.
Keep A Sleep Diary
To establish your routine, keeping a sleep diary will really help you understand your sleeping patterns and what external factors could be impacting on the quality of your sleep. Detail what you have eaten and drank before bed, any exercise completed and how much technology has been consumed each day.
If there are added stresses throughout the day, then detailing these will help you differentiate and establish ways in which you might be able to relax and get a better night’s sleep!
