4 of my top tips for getting a better night’s sleep
Sleep is literally my favourite thing to do. Every day, I look forward to getting into my pyjamas, lighting a candle, and cosying up in bed before falling asleep. Waking up feeling rested and rejuvenated is an unmatched feeling for me.
But sometimes, as much as I try, I struggle to have a good night’s sleep. Worrying about work, anxiety for upcoming events, and thoughts of embarrassing things I did years ago often keep me awake, tossing and turning. Not getting enough, or enough good quality, uninterrupted sleep, can lead to low mood and irritability.
Sleep and mental health are intrinsically linked. Poor mental health can decrease sleep quality and, in turn, poor sleep quality can contribute to negative impacts on mental health. So, it’s really important for our wellbeing that we try to get good quality sleep. Although this can often be easier said than done!
I have implemented the following 4 simple tips into my routine, all of which have really helped me improve the quality of my sleep, and hopefully might be able to help you!
Create a comfortable sleep environment
In order to get a good night’s sleep, we need to feel calm and relaxed, and our surroundings can impact this.
How many times have you gotten ready in the morning (probably in a rush) and left the bed a mess, thrown clothes all over the floor, and not taken your breakfast washing up downstairs, thinking you’ll sort it later? You’ve probably then gone out to work all day and returned home tired - and facing a messy bedroom!
There aren’t many worse feelings in my opinion, when all you want to do is climb into bed but your room is a complete mess. By taking small steps like making your bed in the morning and keeping your sleeping area clean and tidy, you will feel much more relaxed when it comes to settling down to sleep.
For optimal sleep, your environment should be calm and relaxing, whatever that may look like for you. For me, I like to set my room light to a dim, dark colour (like purple), and light a candle to make me feel at peace and ready for sleep. But there are also many other ways you could improve your sleep environment, such as having fresh flowers, displaying your favourite artwork or hanging up fairy lights, as long as it contributes to a peaceful environment that you enjoy being in.
Move your body
By moving our bodies, we can burn energy during the day, which will make us more sleepy when it comes to bedtime. It can be something as small as 5 minutes of yoga or a 10 minute walk, but getting in some form of exercise throughout the day will contribute to a better night’s sleep.
Exercising also releases endorphins, aka the happiness hormone. Endorphins can improve your mood, making you feel more relaxed, which can contribute to better sleep quality. The release of endorphins from sleep can help to reduce the negative impacts of anxiety and stress, which are the main contributing factors of poor sleep hygiene.
And, it’s a two way relationship, because getting more sleep gives you increased energy levels, which means you are more likely to be active throughout the day.
Try and stick to a routine
Our bodies love routine. Whilst you don’t need to set a definite bedtime that you must stick to, it is beneficial to start winding down for sleep at around the same time everyday where possible. This trains your body, and brain, to associate a certain time of day with rest and relaxation in preparation for sleep.
Make sure that you start winding down in plenty of time before you actually want to fall asleep, so you can try and get the maximum amount of quality shut-eye as possible. This includes engaging in restful activities such as reading, journaling, or meditating ahead of the time you would like to be asleep by, so your body can begin slowing down and preparing for a good night’s rest.
By maintaining a regular sleep schedule and getting in the maximum hours of rest that your schedule allows for, you are giving your body the best chance to repair and rejuvenate itself - which is the whole point of sleep in the first place!
4. Go tech-free
This tip is arguably the hardest to commit to, but your sleep quality and quantity can be significantly improved by removing all electronics from your bedtime routine (sorry, this does include TV’s, laptops and phones!).
Electronic devices emit blue-light, which tricks your brain into thinking it is daytime by suppressing the production of the sleep hormone melatonin (even when it’s actually 2am and you’re still up on TikTok). Watching a TV show or scrolling on social media can also stimulate brain activity, as you’re likely to be invested in what you are consuming, which keeps your brain awake for longer, making it more difficult to fall asleep.
A good rule to try is turning off all electronics at least an hour before you would like to be asleep. For example, if you want to be asleep by 10pm, try and stop using any electronics at 9pm. This will give your brain the time it needs to unwind and prepare for sleep. Although it might be hard at first, the more you do this, the more you will get used to it! You could try reading or having a bath in that hour before bed instead of watching something or going on your phone, as this seems to work for me!
Overall, sleep is vitally important for our wellbeing and can have positive impacts on mental health, mood and energy levels. Trying out these tips has helped me improve my sleep quality and I hope they will inspire you to do the same.
