Time and space for rest

SLEEP is the latest must-have for better health. Too little and you can make yourself seriously ill but dropping off to sleep is a nightly challenge for many. Cumbria-based mattress makers herdysleep, which won last year’s Express Newspapers Home And Living Awards for Best Eco Living Solution, has some advice on that.

Exercise outdoors at least 10 minutes a day, read or meditate to relax before sleeping and don’t hit the snooze button – an extra 10 minutes won’t help.

The firm has teamed up with Sleep Tracker 24/7, an app that explains sleep/ wake cycles and rhythms (herdysleep. com/100-nights-better-sleep) to help you maximise your sleep.

But apps are not the only pieces of techie kit coming our way. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Philips introduced a SmartSleep

Refreshed

headband that tracks brain activity then plays white noise once you fall asleep to leave you feeling refreshed when you wake, or so it claims.

And Sleep Technology brand Simba sells a duvet with materials developed by NASA to protect astronauts from temperature changes in space.

The Simba Hybrid Duvet contains OUTLAST, which has the Space Certified Technology seal of approval. It absorbs heat when you’re too warm and releases heat when you get cold.

Simba’s Hybrid Pillow uses laser-cut memory foam tubes that respond to head movement to improve support.

And it helps to refresh your bedlinen. Christy’s Vintage Washed Belgian Linen is designed to become softer with every wash and is 100 per cent breathable. So it’s beautiful and useful. Sweet dreams!

DREAM TEAM: Mattresses by herdysleep, from £649 (0800 294 8666; herdysleep.com), are craftsmen built for lasting comfort

Christy Vintage washed Belgian linen denim double duvet cover, £140, with Oslo throw, £65 (0845 758 5252; christy.co.uk)

Simba hybrid pillow, 50x75cm, from £65 (simbasleep.com)

Simba hybrid duvet, single from £195 and double from £245