Who doesn’t want to stay in bed a bit longer? A cosy lie-in is not just for Sundays. If your body tells you that you need more sleep, then you should sleep for longer. We love a lie-in too, so we’ve done a bit of research, including tips and advice on how you can achieve the perfect lie-in.
Sleep is an important and essential function that allows your body and mind to recharge, leaving you waking up refreshed and alert. Adults are estimated to have between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, whereas children and teenagers need more, especially if they are younger than five.
Factors including day-to-day stress, work schedules, not getting enough sleep or being disrupted during sleep and medical conditions can prevent a good night’s sleep. Having an extra hour or so in bed, will do you no harm, and will improve your mood.
Wondering how to have a lie-in and achieve a relaxing and peaceful start to your day? Below are some advice and tips to have a comfortable lie-in and improve your mood for the day.
Many of your natural daily rhythms (circadian rhythms) are controlled by daylight. So, in order to wake up naturally, you could leave your curtains open slightly to allow morning sunlight into the room. Be aware that the sun rises pretty early during summer!
Another way of waking naturally is to use a sunrise light, wake-up light or whatever you want to call it. This is basically a lamp that mimics sunlight to help you wake up naturally, and can be set at whatever time you desire.
Avoid hitting snooze on those early morning alarms and switch them off the night before. Rather than having a shock to the system that is a loud alarm on a weekend, you’re going to want to wake up naturally. This will increase your length of sleep without any disruption.
It’s become a habit of many to reach for their phone or tablet as soon as they wake up. However, we recommend that you leave that phone alone during your lie-in and escape the grip of technology. If you do grab your phone then you’re going to be more likely to check emails, something you don’t need to concern yourself with whilst relaxing in bed.
Being close to a loved one is a great way to start the day. Your oxytocin levels will increase, which is a feel-good hormone, said to help you feel bonded with your partner throughout the day.
You’ll also produce endorphins that will boost your mood. It’s important to spend quality time with your partner, as it will help build your relationship.
If you’re short on sleep then catching up on a bit of shut-eye is worth doing. But, don’t presume that you should just try sleeping for as long as possible, no matter how inviting that may sound! In fact, it can actually be bad for you to sleep for too long.
Research suggests that sleeping for too long can increase the risk of depression, and diabetes, leading to weight gain.
Avoid sleeping for too long by going to bed at a reasonable time, perhaps even a little earlier than usual. This will ensure that you don’t oversleep and completely ruin your lie-in.
After a long week’s worth of work or even just a stressful day, taking time for you to have a lie-in or get to bed a little earlier for more sleep, can have a range of benefits, not only on your physical but mental health as well. Benefits of having a lie-in include:
You deserve it, so wind down and lie in bed until you feel rested.
