They say the best health and beauty essential is a good night’s sleep but yet so many of us struggle to get those much needed zzz’s each night. It is widely documented that having a good night’s sleep can have a positive impact on everything from your productivity and mental health to your immune system and overall health. The concept of sleep hygiene refers to a number of habits and practices that can help you improve your sleep, ensuring you wake up rested in the morning. Here’s some ways you can ensure a better night’s sleep.
Steady Sleep Pattern
Building a steady sleep pattern is the key to ensuring a good night’s sleep. This means having a set bedtime and waking up around the same time each morning as much as possible. This way you can train your body to fall asleep easily at the same time each night.
Consistent Night Time Routine
For the best night’s sleep avoid things like falling asleep watching Netflix or scrolling through Instagram. Having a consistent bedtime routine will help you wind down and let your body know when it’s time to wind down. Try having things like making yourself a decaf tea, having a skin care routine, a relaxing bath, reading a book or meditating. Carrying out relaxing activities at the end of each day will help you to drift off as soon as your head hits the pillow.
No Screens Before Sleep
One of the best ways to improve your sleep is to avoid screen time at least half an hour before you sleep. Your phone or laptop screen emits blue tone light, this triggers alertness making your brain think it’s time to be awake. If you must look at your laptop or phone before bed make sure to put on the night setting as this changes the blue tones to red tones which can induce calmness.
Avoid Working in Bed
It is tempting to study or read emails in your comfortable bed but this can cause your brain to associate bed with your brain being alert making it difficult to relax and fall asleep. It is even recommended to avoid watching TV or reading in your bed to train your brain further to think that bed equals sleep.
Ensure you Have a Good Sleep Environment
The best way to induce a good night’s sleep is to create a good sleep environment. The ideal environment for the best night’s sleep is cool, quiet and dark. Invest in some black out blinds to block out any light and avoid having main lights on before you sleep. Many people use fans to keep the air cool while also producing white noise which can help you sleep and mask any sounds that might disturb your sleep. Having a humidifier in your room increases the moisture in the air, making it easier to breathe and increasing your quality of sleep.
Sleep Masks
Investing in a sleep mask has proven to have a huge improvement in sleep. Artificial light suppresses melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone in the body. While a sleep mask can block out the artificial light, the small pressure and soft material of the sleep mask can have a calming impact on the body.
If you’re looking for a new sleep mask try these from theskilkcollection.co.uk
Pillow Spray
Unwind from the day and enjoy a peaceful nights sleep with a pillow spray such as This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray. Infused with calming lavender and chamomile, simply spray a fine mist over your pillow right before bed and gently drift off to sleep.
