Boost mental agility

Sleep has long been known as a major influencer on mental agility. We share our top tips to sleep your way to improved mental performance.

Better focus, concentration and motivation after a good night’s sleep isn’t simply down to having more energy. Sleep is vital for your brain to repair and recover, process and retain the information from the day, and perform vital ‘mental agility’ for various functional processes.

Research has shown that sleep and brain functioning are highly correlated, so with a few simple tweaks to your sleeping environment you could make a huge difference to your mental agility.

Research has shown that sleep and brain functioning are highly correlated, so with a few simple tweaks to your sleeping environment you could make a huge difference to your mental performance.

Creating the right brain-boosting bedroom can boost mental agility and enable you to recall things more easily later on, as well as improving your ability to solve problems and focus.

So let’s get to it – how does one turn their room into a brain-boosting environment?

Colours

The colours blue and green have been shown to be incredibly prevalent when it comes to boosting mental agility. Strong and gentle shades of blue and green are soothing, calming and can stimulate clear thoughts. But you don’t have to paint your whole room – maybe introduce a feature wall or some cushions/throws in these accent colours.

Mental Agility Improved by Light

It’s not just external light that can impact your sleep – devices that emit artificial LED light, such as mobile phones, tablets, TV’s and even alarm clocks can contribute to disrupted sleep, as this type of blue light suppresses the production of melatonin. Try to reduce exposure to digital LED-omitting devices 60 minutes before bed, and ensure they are covered whilst sleeping.

Keep Clutter to a Minimum

Clutter and crowded surfaces are an absolutely no-no, whether you’re studying, working or sleeping! Not only can it inhibit creative thought, it’s also not great when you want to feel relaxed.
Before bedtime, spend around 15 minutes clearing cluttered surfaces so that your mind can fully rest.

Smart Bedding

A mentally agile mind needs smart sleep, and smart sleep starts with smart bedding. Fine Bedding’s range of Smartfil products is ideal as not only is it hypoallergenic, but it also works to keep airflow moving throughout the night to avoid sleep disturbances.

Fresh Air

Allowing plenty of fresh air into your work or study space is essential for eliminating fatigue and maintaining mental agility. However, it’s important at bedtime too, as it enables the body to cool off and supplies much-needed oxygen to the brain, leading to a much more restful sleep.

Reading

Studies have shown that what we read before bed is more easily assimilated the next morning. That doesn’t mean you should be using this time to do your tax return (!), but it is a good excuse for reading something semi-educational during your wind-down time.