9 Ways to Get Better Sleep

You don't necessarily need eight hours of sleep a night. You do, however, need enough high-quality sleep for your body and mind to function effectively. Here are nine steps you can take to enter the land of dreams and begin your journey to improve your health and wellbeing.

Make sure your bedroom is worth sleeping in

If your bedroom is doing double-duty as an office or gym (or both) then try to pack everything away out of use. If you can't then try to layout your room so you don't see your equipment from the bed.

Invest in decent bedding and take care of it. Turn your mattress both ways every six months. Also, be aware that your mattress preferences can change over time. This means that you might need to update your mattress even if it's in good condition.

Remember temperature matters

Try to keep a consistent temperature in your room. Remember that your body temperature drops as you sleep so you may need to have heating come on during the night. You might also want to think about keeping yourself cool in summer.

Stay in control of light and sound

Assess your light-proofing and soundproofing. Good curtains can help with both. They can also help keep out bugs in summer. If they're not enough try an eye-mask and/or earplugs. If you don't like the idea of sleeping with something in your ears, try adding extra textiles to your bedroom. They can really help to reduce sound pollution.

Make sure you have lights in the right places and think about what kind of bulbs are in them. Consider looking at "sunrise" alarm clocks. These often have a "sunset" function to help you drift off to sleep.

Bring in some plants

Plants don't just look calming; they help to clean the air. Improving your air quality can help to improve the quality of your sleep. If you have pets and they're allowed in your bedroom (or just go in) make sure to vacuum thoroughly and regularly.

Set yourself a routine

You should be setting yourself up for a good night's sleep from the moment you wake up in the morning. In simple terms, the better you organize your day, the easier it will be for your body and mind to recognise when it is time to start winding down.

Your evening routine is particularly important. You should be sending increasingly strong signals to your body that it should be getting ready for sleep. Try to stick to the same pattern on weekends. This avoids confusing your body.

Watch your eating and drinking habits

You need to eat your evening meal early enough for your body to be able to digest it before you sleep. If you're concerned about waking up hungry, have a light snack just before bedtime.

Avoid drinking alcohol or caffeine late in the evening and watch your liquid intake. If you want something to help you drift off, then consider CBD. This can provide a whole lot of relaxation with minimal liquid.

Brain dump before bed

Just before you go to bed, write down everything you can think of, literally. Getting it onto paper can help clear it out of your mind.

Ditch the screens

If you have limited space for physical books then invest in a proper ebook reader. Do not read off your phone/tablet. Similarly, if you want to listen to some soothing audio, try to use a dedicated audio device. If you absolutely must use your phone/tablet, keep the screen face down.

Moisturise

There are two good reasons for moisturizing before bedtime. The first is that it gives the moisturizer plenty of time to work. The second is that prolonged exposure to the air can dry your skin. This can make you itchy and hence disturb your sleep.