• Thursday 30 March 2017

    Trouble Sleeping? Tips To A Good Night Sleep*

    My top tip: Turn off all digital gadgets!
    A good night’s sleep is easier said than done. Even with the clocks going forward over the weekend, my body clock is still all over shop. If you want to achieve good quality, continuous sleep then a good bed and mattress is key but it’s essential that you consider your wider bedroom environment too. Here are top ten tips from Warren Evans bed makers and their expert sleep advisor, Dave Gibson, to help you create the perfect bedroom environment that will help you fall asleep quickly and stay asleep throughout the night.

    Total darkness is vital to falling asleep easily. Try to eliminate all light from your bedroom. To test light pollution, switch all the lights off, allow a few minutes for your eyes to adjust, and then look for areas and items where you can see light. Eliminate all light leakage; blackout blinds are great, especially in summer, a towel under the door can help too if light is coming under. Turn your alarm away from you or swap for a dawn simulator. If all else fails, get a high-quality sleep mask.

    Keep it cool because a decrease in temperature as well as a decrease in light is a natural cue that it is time for sleep. The best bedroom temperature for you to get to sleep easily is between 15.5 and 20 degrees centigrade. Too far above or below this range, makes it more difficult to get to sleep. If your partner prefers it warmer, buy a cooling pad for your side or an electric blanket for their side. In the summer keep your room cool by closing your blinds and curtains during the day and have a fan or open window blowing through a damp sheet at night. You could even put your sheets/pyjamas in the fridge before using them if it’s especially hot.

    De-clutter your bedroom and keep it clean and tidy to create a calm, organised and relaxed bedroom to sleep in.

    Remove all technology, including your TV, mobile phone and tablet. This prevents you from bringing work into your bedroom, reinforcing to your brain that the bedroom is a space reserved for sleep only.

    Wrong smells can stop us from getting to sleep easily. Lavender oil helps get you into a deeper sleep. Plants can also help the air quality.

    Clean your bedroom regularly this improves your sleep and keeps you healthier, by ridding your room of dust, pet hair, pollen and bacteria. This reduces the risk of asthmatic attacks and allergic responses.

    Change your sheets at least every two weeks. Washing your bed linen in hot water, keeping your bed crisp and fresh helps you get to sleep more easily, and reducing dust mite risk at the same time.

    Use calming pastel colours in the bedroom and avoid red, which will keep you awake.

    Reduce outside noise. Tape over gaps in windows or double-glaze them to reduce street noise. Use earplugs or a white noise generator such as SleepPhones if you can’t reduce outside noise or your partner snores loudly.

    Get as big a bed as you can, especially if you sleep with a partner. Super king size gives you twice the size of a single bed, whereas a double bed only gives you the same room as a baby in a cot. More space to sleep in means you get a better, less disturbed night’s sleep as a couple.

    Want to know the trick behind a 'tactical nap'? A nap is a good way to top up any lost sleep but be careful to work with your natural sleep patterns. Our bodies are brilliant, when given the chance, at healing a sleep 'debt'. Just make sure it works with your body's natural sleep habits, a 90 minute nap should work, giving you one full circuit of your sleep cycle. However don't try to make up just the full hour with a 60 minute nap as this would mean that you would wake up in the middle of the deep part of your sleep cycle and end up feeling groggy. If you can't manage 90 minutes, set the alarm for a 20 minute power nap instead. Don't take your nap after 3 to 4 pm as it will prevent you from falling asleep easily. Find somewhere quiet, set an alarm, and get snoozing! Warren Evans bed makers are experts on sleep. If you need help getting off to sleep more easily, or need more sleep then visit Sleep Tips for advice.

    What are your tips to a good nigh sleep?
    Much Love
    Eltoria x

    *This post contains sponsored content but all opinions are my own

    Eltoria- South West Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle Blogger and South West YouTuber
    Be sure to check out my recent YouTube videos (click here)
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