Sleep Better Tonight!
A whopping 75% of people in the UK are not getting a good night’s sleep. Make sure you’re not one of them!
GET UP AT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY
Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, irrespective of whether it’s the weekend, will dramatically improve sleep quality and consistency, explains Dr Simon Kyle, expert at WWW.SLEEPIO.COM. “Regardless of whether you’re a night owl or a morning lark, sleeping at the right time of the day is important in order to get the right composition of specific sleep stages for maximum sleep benefits.”
WEAR BLINKERS IF YOU WAKE IN THE NIGHT
“Avoid looking, checking the time as you’ll fret about when you’re due to wake up, which in turn will prevent sleep,” warns Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, Silentnight’s sleep expert. “Instead, make a conscious effort to relax each part of your body from your toes working up to your head. Breathe deeply and tell yourself you will just use the time to rest and relax.”
TRY THIS HERBAL REMEDY
Research shows that taking valerian hops (Dormeasan £4.15 for 15ml – WWW.AVOGEL. CO.UKL) before bed results in more deep sleep and more regular sleep cycles. It not only helps you fall asleep but also improves the quality of sleep – and, unlike other sleeping aids, it’s non habit-forming, has no adverse effects associated with taking or stopping it, and works from the very first dose. The taste is strong, so add it to juice rather than water.
BE CAREFUL WITH CAFFEINE
Caffeine has a direct impact on reducing sleep quality, says Dr Ramlakhan. “It can take up to 10 hours to completely remove all of the caffeine from your body if you drink a cup of tea or coffee, so consider replacing your afternoon coffee with herbal tea or decaffeinated variants.”
FORGET THE BEDTIME TIPPLE
Alcohol may initially make you feel sleepy and reduce the time it takes to drop off, but it changes the composition of sleep stages so that once the alcohol wears off you will spend more time sleeping in the lighter, non-restorative, stages of sleep. You’re also more likely to have bizarre dreams or sleep disturbance, and won’t feel refreshed in the morning.