Five ways to improve your sleep

Sleep is essential to our overall health and wellbeing; not having good quality sleep can impact day-to-day functioning and can begin to impact relationships and work.

When we are feeling anxious and stressed we can find our sleep is impacted.

Here are some top tips to help you get a better night’s sleep:

Top tip 1 – Bedtime routine

Firstly it is important to develop a bedtime routine. It’s important to wind down before bed by doing the same things each night to help your body to know that it is time for sleep e.g. getting dressed in to pyjamas, cleaning teeth, reading your book, getting into bed.

It is also best to have consistency – going to bed and getting up at roughly the same times every day can help your body know it is bedtime.

Top tip 2 – Prepare your sleeping environment

It’s important to make sure your environment is comfortable in order to get a good night’s sleep. Many of the below will be personal preference but definitely worth considering:

  • Lighting – Is your room dark enough?
  • Temperature – research has shown that to aid sleep, the ideal temperature of a bedroom should be 18 degrees. Do you feel warm enough?
  • Noise – Do you prefer silence? If so it may be helpful to use ear plugs to help you get a peaceful nights rest
  • Bed – Is your bed comfortable? You could consider a mattress topper if you want added comfort. Is your duvet the right tog for this time of year? Do you need more/less pillows?

Top tip 3 – Avoid caffeine

Any food and drink containing caffeine consumed close to bedtime could impact on your ability to get a good night’s sleep. It’s not just tea and coffee that contain caffeine, you should also avoid chocolate and coca-cola.

Top tip 4 – Avoid alcohol

Although you may find you feel sleepy after having a couple of drinks – you will actually find the quality of your sleep is impacted. It is best to avoid drinking too much alcohol close to bedtime if you are experiencing sleeping problems.

Top tip 5 – If you can’t sleep – Get up!

If you have not fallen asleep within 30 minutes, get up. If you remain in bed you may get frustrated and it may be a case that your body is not quite ready for sleep.

Want more tips to help sleep? We have an online programme that can support with sleep. Find out more!