Top Tips For How To Sleep Better At Night

The body likes good habits, and the same wake/sleep time can help set your body’s expectations. Work out your optimum time to go to bed (everyone needs a slightly different number of hours; how much sleep you need is down to your age and individual requirements) and the best time to wake and stick to them; even if you want to press snooze. A nightly bath (warm, but not too hot as you are trying to calm the body) is a great way to tell the body sleep time is approaching.

To work out what your best hours are, note down the length and quality of your sleep. Did you experience insomnia? Feel sleep was shallow? If you try different bed/wake patterns and still wake up feeling you have had a lack of sleep, it could be that you have a more serious sleep disorder which needs more support, so if you have any doubts contact your doctor.

Using relaxing colours for bedrooms to create a sleep sanctuary is essential for good rest. Calming hues that soothe the nervous system include blue (those sleeping in blue bedrooms have the longest slumber) pale yellow and on-trend soft greys, all of which can reduce blood pressure and slow heart rate. However, colour alone won’t make your bedroom a soothing retreat. Try soft linens on the bed that manage body temperature (keeping you cooler in summer and warm in winter) with a high thread count (which makes them softest on the skin) and gauzes and sheers at the window for light management.

Our lives are so connected it’s hard to imagine an intentional switch off, but an evening digital detox is essential for getting a good night’s sleep. The constant use of technology from phones to keep up with social media or last-minute work emails often leads to not sleeping well at night. Research shows that the blue light from smart phones and devices interferes with the body’s production of the hormone melatonin, which tells the body it’s time to rest. Blue light sends the same triggers to the brain, making it harder to wind down. So no devices for at least an hour before bed.

As well as the obvious trick of avoiding clear culprits that may be laden with sugar or excessively stimulating spices, you can use food intentionally to help you sleep or to easily drift off. Tryptophan is a naturally occurring amino acid that produces serotonin, essential for good sleep. Turkey, oats, seeds and eggs contain it and lettuce contains lactucarium which has sedative properties. To get to sleep fast, try a whole-wheat, seeded bread turkey sandwich with a relaxing chamomile tea for a sleep-inducing supper.

Winding down is hard for many busy people, who want to stop worrying or feel anxiety about jobs left uncompleted at the end of a long day. Learning some relaxation techniques and mind clearing exercises will, once mastered, let the body know sleep is due. The popularity of easy to master meditation and breathing apps can help you move past the initial problem a busy mind has in clearing the mind… worrying about clearing the mind. If you like your actions more practical, research shows writing down the next day’s ‘to do’ list helps the brain switch off ‘planning mode’ and unwind.