We all know it’s important to get a good night’s sleep but it’s often easier said than done – by the time you’ve got home from the office, got the kids fed and off to bed, taken care of any household chores and tidied up any home work it’s almost impossible to get a good eight hours in before you have to start again.
Here are 10 ways to make sure you’re giving yourself the best possible chance to get a good night’s sleep.
Clean And Tidy Bedroom
A cluttered room can lead to a cluttered mind so make a habit of putting your clothes and shoes away properly and make sure any work is also put away so your mind knows it’s time to go to bed. Also, if you get up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night and trip over the shoes you kicked off you’ll find it harder to get back to sleep with a twisted ankle!
No TV/Computer
The screen from your television or computer is very stimulating and if you’re watching something fast paced or that requires a lot of concentration your brain is going to struggle to switch off. Make sure the computer and the TV are switched off an hour before you’re planning on going to bed so your brain has time to wind down.
Temperature
If your room is too hot or too cold you’re not only going to struggle getting off to sleep but you’ll struggle getting into a deep sleep too.
Ideally you should have some fresh air coming into the bedroom but if you’re too cold you’ll find it harder to get to sleep. At the same time, if you’re wearing thick pyjamas or have too many bed covers you’ll find you keep waking up throughout the night.
Food And Drink
There is a list of food a drink a mile long you shouldn’t be consuming before you go to bed but ideally you shouldn’t be eating anything an hour before you hit the sack and avoid drinking anything with sugar, caffeine or alcohol in it too.
You might think you get to sleep quicker when you’ve been drinking but your body is so busy repairing any damage you’ve done it doesn’t get a proper night’s sleep – after all have you ever woken up from a night of drinking feeling fresh and full of energy?
Warm Bath/Shower
Whilst you don’t want a warm room when you’re trying to drift off a nice warm bath or shower is perfect for getting your body ready for bed.
It helps all the stress of the day melt away, gives you time to run through any important information and it’s the perfect excuse to do nothing for ten minutes which is just what you need when you’re trying to wind down.
Write Down Any Problems
A major cause of being unable to fall asleep is the brain refusing to switch off. If you’ve had an argument with someone or you’ve got a really big day coming up write down everything you’re worrying about on a piece of paper and look at it like you’re emptying your brain, write down what you need to think about tomorrow or how you want to resolve your argument then put that paper in a drawer out of sight.
Quiet Rule In The House
If you have a family or live in a shared house not everyone is going to want to keep the same hours. If you’ve got teenagers who want to stay up later make sure they know there’s a ‘no noise after 11:00 at night’ rule, no taking phone calls (if you have thin walls), no music or banging around in the kitchen and return you try to be quiet before 9:00 in the morning.
Fresh Bed Sheets
You should be changing your sheets once a week but that’s not always practical but you need to make sure they’re being changed at least once a fortnight.
If you can’t change your bed sheets once a week you have to make sure you’re sleeping in fresh bed clothes. There’s nothing like settling down into freshly laundered bedding and it helps promote a restful night’s sleep.
No Clock
There’s nothing worse than not being able to get to sleep and having a LED clock staring at you. You know if you go to sleep now you’ll still be able to get six hours sleep, if you go to sleep now you’ll get four hours sleep and now you’re watching the window for the first rays of daylight.
Cover the clock, face the alarm the other way and make sure you’re not checking your phone throughout the night, checking the time will not help you get a better night’s sleep.
Comfy Bed & Mattress
You probably don’t pay much attention to your mattress or your bed but if you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep or you’re waking up throughout the night it might be because of your mattress. If it’s too old, lumpy, soft or hard it could be hindering your sleep.
If you’ve tried everything in this article and you still can’t sleep it might be time to bite the bullet and buy a new mattress.
Jess works for Home Furniture Range who sell a selection of high quality oak beds at low prices – if you ask nicely we might even offer a discount.