Sleep Tips

Sleep, or lack of it, is one of today’s most common health complaints. Incredibly only 1 in 10 of us say we sleep well and 1 in 5 suffer from lack of sleep... So why is this? For many, one of the main reasons is that their bed no longer provides the support and comfort needed. This can greatly affect our ability to get the perfect night’s sleep. When it comes down to how much sleep you need - eight hours is about right, which is around 3000 hours a year or over 120 full days. That’s almost a third of our lives, so you can see why you need to be totally happy with your bed.

But what if lack of sleep is a problem? What should you do about it? Count sheep? Quite often the solution lies in our own hands and simply requires some small changes to your bed and sleeping habits. Here are a few tips that will help you to unwind and drift off to sleep naturally.

Buy your Bed from Dreams… It’s important to buy a bed with the right support. Everyone’s different and you may need a soft, medium or firm feel, so try before your buy.

Get a Bigger Bed… Being bumped into by a sleeping partner is one of the most common complaints we hear. Upgrade to a King Size or even a Superking size bed for a better night’s sleep.

Treat yourself to New Pillows… Your neck should be in alignment with the rest of your spine and a quality pillow plays a crucial role in providing the essential support required. Old and flattened pillows can quite literally be a pain in the neck.

Bright Light… Always expose yourself to bright light first thing in the morning. An hours exposure to morning sunlight will help you get to sleep at night.

Colour Choice… Colours can affect our moods. Create a colour scheme using softer tones in your bedroom as these are more calming, bolder colours are more unsuitable for a relaxing environment.

Hide your Clock… Having your clock in view can lead to worry about not sleeping. You know the feeling, when you toss and turn, thinking you’ve seen every minute tick by.

Soothing Sounds… You may benefit from playing soothing music to help send you off to sleep. Natural sounds such as rain or wind and soft classical music have the most calming effect.

No Naps During the Day…  Daytime naps can affect your body clock, and therefore reduce the amount of sleep you get at night.

Exercise Regularly… Just 20-30 minutes of daily exercise, such as swimming or walking, will help you sleep. It relieves the day’s stresses and strains.

Keep Regular Hours… Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time every day will help your body recognise when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to get up.

Cut down on Caffeine… All stimulants interfere with falling asleep and prevent restful, deep sleep, so avoid tea, coffee and fizzy drinks before bedtime.

Avoid Alcohol… Try not to drink alcohol before bedtime as it can interrupt sleep patterns. It’s likely you’ll have a restless night, tossing and turning.

Don’t Smoke… Not surprisingly, nicotine is also bad for sleep. It’s a powerful stimulant, which makes it difficult to fall and stay asleep.

Be Wary of Medicines… A good night’s rest can be affected by many over-the-counter drugs. Check with your doctor. You may wake more often and experience sleep disruption.

Keep your Bedroom Dark… Light interferes with a good night’s rest. Buy full-length curtains, keep your door closed and do whatever you can to make sure your bedroom is as dark as possible.

Avoid Late, Heavy Meals… Eating less than 2 hours before bedtime can lead to indigestion, which can make lying down uncomfortable and play havoc with your sleep patterns.

No TV just before bedtime… Television arouses the brain, making it more difficult to clear the mind and fall asleep.

Time for a Story… Read children a bedtime story, especially one where your child is the hero. This will relax the child and give them nice thoughts to take into their dreams.

Write Down your Thoughts… If you’ve got things on your mind, make a list. Write down your worries and things to tackle tomorrow before going to bed. It’ll help you to clear your mind and relax.

Use Bed Socks… Feet have the poorest circulation and often feel cold well before the rest of your body, which may wake you during the night.

Visualise… Focus your attention on repetitive things that allow your brain to shut down and sleep. Count sheep jumping over a gate or visualize walking down an endless stairwell.

Breathing Exercises… Simple breathing exercises can help promote relaxation. Long, deep, slow breathing can create a sense of wellbeing and increase your chances of falling asleep.

Weekly Routine… Get your children into a bedtime routine - ensure that everyone in your home is getting the sleep they need.

Have a Light Snack… 12 hours can pass between your evening meal and your breakfast, don’t let hunger pains disrupt your sleep and have a light snack before bed.

Avoid Bright Lights… Using dimmer switches in living rooms and bathrooms before bed can be helpful when trying to relax.

A Warm, Milky Drink… It can encourage drowsiness, thanks to its calcium content, which sleep experts claim can help you relax.

Relax your Face… Tension in your body, particularly your face can prevent sleep and relaxation. Loosen up the muscles in your face, relax your forehead and jaw, allow your mouth to open a little.

See Purple… Think of the colour purple, the most relaxing colour of all. You may think of other colours first, but keep thinking of purple and eventually you will relax into waves of purple.

Roll your Eyes… Slowly roll your closed eyes upwards 3 times – this happens naturally when you are asleep and will trigger sleep chemicals in your body. Repeat this 4-8 times.

Make the Room Cool… your body needs to cool down in order to fall asleep and stay asleep, so do what you can to make your bedroom cool – being careful it’s not cold enough to wake you up!

Have a Massage… If you can, convince your partner to give you a massage before bed. This will work out the tension in your muscles and soothe you to sleep.

Face the North… Sleep with your head facing north and your feet south, aligning your body with the magnetic field of the planet, bringing your own energies into harmony with those of the Earth.

Toe Wiggling… Lie on your back (where you should be in the first place) and wiggle your toes up and down 12 times, wiggling the toes of both feet at the same time. This will relax your entire body.

Stomach Rub… Lie on your back and make small circles in a clockwise direction as you gently glide your hand over your stomach. This soothes the digestive system, bringing about a deeper relaxation.

Get Up… Don’t lie there worrying about getting to sleep. It won’t get you anywhere. Get up and do something you find relaxing until you feel sleepy again – then go back to bed.

Night Light… If you do wake up in the middle of the night, try to avoid putting on lights, as this can reset your internal clock and make getting back to sleep more difficult.

Time for Bed… Children should have a set sleep schedule for bedtime and waking from birth.

Don’t Sleep with Pets… Sleeping with animals in bed with you, as their movements or your allergies can decrease the quality of your sleep.

Learn… You should always know how much sleep is appropriate for your child’s age so that you can plan their sleep-time accordingly.

Quiet Time… Give children a 20 to 30 minute nightly ‘calm-down’ bedtime routine. This could include taking a bath, reading and other relaxing activities.

Relax Before Going to Bed… If you don’t like reading, have a warm bath, do some meditation, listen to some quiet music. They’ll help you relax both the mind and the body.

Scared of the Dark… Keep a nightlight in the bedroom if your child is scared of the dark.

Create a Sleep Sanctuary… Your bedroom should be associated with rest. You should feel snug, secure and relaxed. Avoid using your bedroom for working, and move the TV out. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, as dark as possible and well ventilated.

Restrict your Child’s TV Viewing Before Bedtime... Their minds are easily excited. If necessary, remove the TV set from their bedroom.

When Putting a Baby to Bed… Always put them in bed when they are tired, but not yet asleep, this will teach them to fall asleep by themselves, which will aid bedtime routines as they grow.

Give your Child a Sleep Companion… A cuddly friend like a teddy bear. It helps your child feel secure and drop off contentedly.

Avoid Fluids… Try not to drink too much in the 2 hours leading up to bedtime, as a full bladder can interrupt sleep.

Schedules… Ensure that your children have a set sleep schedule for weekdays and weekends and try to stick to it.

Start Early… Establish positive sleeping habits with children at an early age, this lead to good, lifelong sleeping habits.

Don’t go to bed if you’re not tired… Do something relaxing out of the bedroom until you are ready to go to sleep.