Arianna’s advice
Top tips to help you get more shut-eye
Get to the bottom of sleep myths and find your winning combo with these top 10 tips from Arianna.
1. Lights out
All out. And we mean it – it’s not just the blue light from electronic devices that we need to banish (at least half an hour before bed), we also need to consider turning down the lights to create a ‘quiet, dark space that will coax us towards sleep’. Instead of using the bright bathroom lights for that wind-down bath, use the ones in the hallway instead.
2. Set the perfect temperature
The National Sleep Foundation recommends 18°C as the ideal sleeping temperature and anything above 23°C and below 12°C will disrupt our slumber. Instead of relying on radiators to mediate the temperature, invest in quality wool bedding or electric blankets which are less likely to affect your sinuses during the night.
3. Be active
Studies have found regular physical activity to be an effective, non-pharmaceutical way to improve sleep. Many of us think that exercise and sleep are mutually exclusive; that you’d have to miss out on one to honour the other. But the key is to make it a habit. Rather than a long workout, try to exercise for just 20 minutes a day. Just remember: the harder you push your body, the more calories and sleep you’ll need to recover.
4. Forgo caffeine and nightcaps
Most of us know that it’s not a good idea to have coffee after dinner, but the caffeine can have a more prolonged effect on the body than we think. A cup can wake us up and revive us during the day but if taken later in the afternoon, it can cause a disruption to our sleep, decreasing it by as much as one hour. Having alcohol before bed can also lead to poor sleep – even if it helps you doze off in the first place.
5. Find your sleep elixir
There is no evidence to suggest that a hot cup of milk will help you to sleep but if it’s a ritual that relaxes you then by all means, do so. You can try herbal teas too. Find a flavour that works to make you feel calm and ready to drift off.
6. Ban latenight eats
It takes us two to three hours to digest a meal, so eating late is not ideal – especially if you suffer from acid reflux. Your body’s biological system has a daily rhythm and eating at odd hours can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle.
7. Switch off
If you lie awake worrying about uncompleted to-do lists, you need to calm the mind by leaving it behind. To avoid going over the stresses of what still needs to be done through the night, write a to-do list for the next day and then forget about it.
8. Count your blessings
‘Every day has blessings and setbacks, but it’s the setbacks that take centre stage once our head hits the pillow,’ says Arianna. Focus on what went well rather than the unresolved problems. Write the good things down if it helps.
9. Breathe
Arianna refers to Dr Andrew Weil’s popular 4-7-8 method: inhale quietly through the nose for four counts, hold for seven and exhale through the mouth for eight. If it doesn’t put you to sleep, it’ll help calm you at least.
10. Dress right
If you don’t already have clothes that you associate with sleep and relaxation (it doesn’t have to be PJS), it’s crucial to get some. It’s key you’re not in your day clothes, however comfy they are!