The Perfect Night Time Routine for a Good Night’s Sleep
It is recommended that we get between 7 and 9 hours sleep per night, and with nearly half of us complaining that we get only six hours of sleep or less, it is clear that many of us need some help drifting off. Sleep is important for both our physical and mental health, so while it may drop to the bottom of our priority list when we are busy, this is when it is more important than ever to get some shut eye! At Sueno, we know the value of a good night’s rest, so we decided to put together the perfect night time routine to help you reach the land of nod…
Caffeine
The perfect bedtime routine starts at around 5pm – cutting out caffeine from this point on will make a significant difference to your quality of sleep. Caffeine is a stimulant which means it has stimulating effects on your body, such as raising your heartrate, blood pressure and energy levels. However, caffeine also delays the natural production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Reducing your caffeine intake overall and avoiding it 4 – 6 hours before bedtime will help your body get a restful night’s sleep.
No-Screen Time
TVs, laptops and mobile phones all give off a blue tinged light which stimulates our brain and keeps us awake. Scheduling in some no-screen time for an hour or so before you go to sleep is a great way to help you mind relax and keep it away from those emails! However, if you really can’t drag yourself away from your phone, installing a blue light filter can help towards resetting your natural circadian rhythm.
Have a Bath
Relaxing in a candle-lit bath with some calming bath products does wonders for getting your mind ready for sleep. Choose natural bath products with scents such as lavender and chamomile to create a peaceful environment. This is also a great activity to do in your no-screen time.
Read a Book
Sometimes when we go to bed our mind is still racing from the events of that day. Reading or listening to an audiobook before bed can help you to take your mind off those events and get things into perspective. After all, it’ll be much harder to deal with your problems tomorrow if you’ve had a poor night’s sleep.
Have a Warm Drink
Drinking a warm caffeine-free drink before bed such as herbal tea or Horlicks can help to soothe and relax your body and mind. Drinks such as camomile and peppermint tea can help to calm nerves and aid digestion, getting your body ready for sleep.
Perfect Your Environment
Some of the biggest culprits of a sleepless night are based on sleeping environment. Having an uncomfortable bed, a messy or cluttered room and feeling too warm are all common complaints. Fix these issues and you are sure to reap the benefits! To begin, focus on your mattress – is it comfortable? Does it offer you enough support? If not, it may be time to invest in a new one. It is also important to make sure you have enough air-flow to your room and that any unneeded clutter is moved out.
We hope this blog post has helped you on your way to a good night’s sleep. Do you have any top sleep tips that you’d like to share?