5 Steps To A Better Night's Sleep

There are so many factors that impact sleep quality, stress, responsibilities, temperature, illnesses, overthinking and many, many more! Getting a good night's sleep is essential, and allows us to function better, so it’s incredibly frustrating when it doesn’t go as planned.

If you struggle with getting your 40 winks, have a read of our top 5 tips on how to have a great night’s sleep.

#1 Stick To A Sleep Schedule

Routine, routine, routine! If you don’t have one then this is the place to start. Having a regular bedtime and wake-up time will help your body to relax and ease into sleep easier. A sleep routine will gently allow your body to form a sleep-cycle.

As an adult, aim to spend 8 hours per night in bed. The recommended amount of sleep for an adult is a minimum of 7 hours, on average, most people don’t need more than 8 hours in bed to achieve 7 hours of sleep per night. 

Go to bed at your routine time, put down technology and rest, close your eyes and try to relax your mind. If you don’t fall asleep within half an hour, get up and do something you find relaxing, read, or listen to comforting music. Return to bed when you’re tired.

#2 Face Worries Head On

We all experience periods of worry in our lives, this can cause our minds to go into overdrive, keeping us awake at night. Periods of worry are pretty much unavoidable, but dealing with problems before going to sleep will help your mind to relax.

For example, write down everything you need to do the following day and organise your time so you feel ready to tackle tomorrow, today. Meditation can also be a brilliant way to channel your emotions and manage worry.

#3 Create A Perfect Environment

Make your bedroom a relaxing sanctuary. Ensuring it’s the right temperature is key, do you have the correct tog duvet? Is it too hot or too cold? Are your pillows comfortable? These are all things that need to be right so you can get your best night sleep.

If getting the temperature right is up there with your top concerns then try the Breathe Duvet from Fine Bedding Co. The duvet is made with Modal fibre, which is derived from natural wood pulp and allows moisture to wick away from the body, helping to avoid a sweaty sleep during warmer nights or hot sleepers. By buying the Breathe Duvet you’ll be investing in a calming night’s sleep.

For ultimate comfort and temperature regulation, try the Breathe Pillow, a firm favourite with our customers. By using this pillow alongside the Breathe Duvet you’ll stay at the perfect temperature throughout the whole night. Much like the duvet, this pillow is filled with Modal fibre, so you can have a comfortable sleep by wicking away moisture on those warmer nights. 

#4 Master Your Nutrition

For a good night’s sleep go to bed with a settled stomach, not one that’s too full or hungry. Make sure you eat at least a couple of hours before your routine bedtime, allowing your body enough time to digest your food, by doing this, discomfort is less likely to keep you awake.

Things like caffeine, alcohol and nicotine can wreak havoc on your sleep quality. The effects of caffeine and nicotine take hours to wear off, so avoid these too close to bedtime. Alcohol can sometimes make you feel sleepy, but don’t be mistaken, it can help you fall asleep, but it will reduce the quality of your sleep by interfering with the all important REM sleep cycle and is often linked to insomnia. 

#5 Get Outside & Get Active

Get those trainers on and get outside! It can be an upbeat jog, or a gentle walk, either way, getting outside and getting active will help to promote a better night’s sleep - especially if you exercise regularly. In fact a 2013 poll found that roughly 76-83% of respondents who engage in light, moderate, or vigorous exercise reported very good sleep quality. 

Spending just a little bit of time outside everyday can help to boost your sleep quality, so give it a go. It could be a quick 15 minute walk on your lunch break, an early morning run or a walk with friends in the evening; just make sure you do it at least 2-3 hours before you plan to go to sleep.

So, there you have it, 5 of our top tips to getting a better night’s sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep really does make a world of difference to our mental and physical wellbeing. If you struggle to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night, give these 5 top tips a go!