How To Sleep Well

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If you want to optimise your health, lose weight, increase productivity or improve your mood, getting a good nights sleep is one of the most important things you can do.

If you struggle with getting good quality sleep, there are number of methods you can employ which are proven to be effective. Be aware that it takes time for your body to adjust to a routine, so it’s important to stick with it for at least a couple of weeks to allow your body to respond.

Increase light exposure during the day: Your body follows a natural clock known as your circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm tells your body when to stay awake and when to sleep. Natural sunlight or bright light during the day keeps your circadian rhythm on track.
Go to sleep and wake up at the same time: Irregular sleep patterns can alter your circadian rhythm and levels of melatonin, which signal your brain to sleep.
Reduce blue light exposure in the evening: Blue light emitted by electronic devices such as smartphones and computers tricks your body into thinking it’s daytime, disrupting its circadian rhythm and brain activity resulting in difficulty falling asleep.
Avoid the clock: Lying in bed awake, watching the clock and obsessing about how much time is passing is only going to increase your levels of anxiety.
Avoid caffeine late in the day: Coffee stimulates your nervous system and may stop your body from naturally relaxing at night.
Avoid alcohol: Alcohol may seem to be helping you get to sleep, but overall it’s more disruptive to sleep, particularly in the second half of the night. Alcohol reduces the ability to get into REM (deep) sleep, and suppresses breathing which can lead to sleep apnea.
Use lavender oils: Lavender has a relaxing effect on the central nervous system, and studies suggest that lavender can slow the heartbeat and relax muscles. Dab a drop of essential oil on your temples, wrists or neck before bedtime, sprinkle a few drops on a piece of tissue and tuck it under your pillow, or use a diffuser that sprays a fine mist of water and essential oil into the air as you sleep.
Reduce noice where possible: External noise can have a highly disruptive effect on sleep patterns, with noise disturbances keeping you from falling into deep sleep cycles throughout the night.
Eliminate external light: A pitch black room will give your body its cue to sleep. If you find it difficult to get your room dark enough, try using an eye mask for complete darkness.
Keep your body temperature low. Body temperature can have a profound impact on sleep quality, with overheating resulting in restless sleep. Keep the room temperature to around 20 degrees and keep your coverings light.
Enjoy a comfortable bed: Your bed, mattress and pillow can greatly impact sleep quality. Buy a high-quality mattress every 5–8 years. Invest in comfortable pillows, make the room attractive and inviting for sleep, and free of allergens.
Avoid heavy meals late at night: Lying in bed feeling full and bloated is not a pleasant feeling. Try to give yourself 2 hours without eating before hitting the sack.
Set up a pre-sleep routine: Just as we do with children, establish a routine to prepare your mind and body for bed. Turn screens off, have a bath or shower, read a book, listen to a relaxation app. Even a 5 minute ritual can have a profound impact on the night’s sleep.
Take a warm shower or bath: Your body temperature drops as you exit the shower, and research shows that this temperature decrease can trigger a sleepy feeling because your heart rate, digestion and other metabolic processes slow down.
Avoid naps, especially in the afternoon: Powernapping may help get you through your day, but can also be detrimental to your ability to fall asleep at night.
Exercise regularly: As we watch our children run around outside we can be heard commenting on how “they will sleep well tonight!” Well it’s no different for us! Being active in the day plays an essential role in our ability to fall asleep at night.
Write a check list just before bed: As we lay down to sleep we often think of all the things we may have forgotten, things we need to get done, or things that are worrying us. By writing these things down on paper, it takes it off our minds ready to be actioned the next day.
Don’t lie in bed awake: Lying in bed worrying about not being able to fall asleep is counter-productive. Get up and do something that calms you: read a book, listen to music or even go for a walk (if you are brave enough to be seen in your dressing gown).
Stress less: I realise this is easier said than done. However, as you reduce your stress you can calm your mind and body and give yourself a higher chance at a better night’s rest.
Try deep breathing: By deliberately changing the pattern of your inhales and exhales, you can change your heart rate and blood pressure, two systems linked to sleepiness. Concentrating on your breathing is also a simple form of meditation as it helps your mind focus on one thing. There are many forms of deep breathing, one simple option being box breathing: breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breath out for 4 seconds, hold out for 4 seconds.