We all know that getting quality sleep is one of those rarities that can really make the day ahead so much better. From being in a better mood, getting more done at work and even seeing clear skin, sleep is somewhat of a magical thing!
That being said, if you’re looking for better sleep, we have ten simple hacks for quality sleep below. Take a look.
Use ‘Wind Down’
Smartphones are becoming increasingly more intrusive in our lives and it could be affecting your sleep patterns. Setting a Wind Down on your iPhone to start a slow interruption-free evening before bed is a great place to start. You’ll see fewer notifications and eventually your phone will simply silence itself by bedtime.
Invest in a CPAP Machine
Our readers with sleep apnea will know that sleep is a real struggle. It prevents you from falling into a deep sleep, and causes you to wake up tired almost everyday. We suggest investing in a CPAP device to make finding quality sleep a tonne easier for you.
No Caffeine or Alcohol Before Bed
We know that sometimes it’s hard to forgo a drink before bed, or a cup of black tea or even a coffee, though all of these substances stimulate the body and keep us up. If you do happen to nod off, your body won’t actually be falling into a deep sleep – so, cut these substances down to as little as possible.
Cut out All Light
There’s nothing more helpful when it comes to quality and interruption-free sleep than cutting out as much light as possible. This being said, we ask that you turn off all lights, use blackout curtains and switch off all those pesky red or blue standby lights on your devices too.
Throw on Some Socks
This is a bit of a hit or miss for some, though studies show us that sleeping with socks (ideally tight or compression socks) makes sleeping and staying asleep a lot easier for many people. With that, try your hand at wearing some cozy socks to bed and you might wake up more refreshed.
Get Your Thirty Minutes In
As humans it’s imperative that we remain fit and active in our day to ensure our bodily processes are working correctly, and so we suggest that you always do your best to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. When we do this, our body’s hormones have a chance to balance and keep us in a routine that makes sleeping at night a whole lot easier.
Move Heavier Meals to Midday or Afternoon
Though many of us eat dinner around a couple of hours before bed time, make sure that these meals aren’t too big. When we’re digesting food, our bodies aren’t able to fall into a deep state of sleep, and this means that we’re going to wake tired. That being said, if you find yourself exceedingly hungry during the later hours, it might be worth adjusting your diet to get the bulk of your eating out of the way before the later afternoon.
Re-style the Bedroom
When it comes to our bedrooms, a lot of us underestimate just how important it is to have a cozy and well-designed space that encourages sleep. If you’re sleeping in a bedroom filled with bright and flashy colours, reflective surfaces and even shimmering wall paint, it can be a lot harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Even though these are our bedrooms, colour and ‘shimmer’ can keep us stimulated which makes it harder to get to sleep.
Keep the Bedroom Quiet-er
Not to mistake this tip for creating a dead-silent bedroom, we suggest that you cut out anything that could be making too much noise. For example, a ticking clock is certainly not a helper here when it’s time to fall asleep. With that in mind, don’t work to make your room deathly quiet, and if things are a little too quiet you might actually find it harder to sleep, and so a white noise machine may be the way to go.
Stay Consistent!
Our final tip here is to stop the weekend sleeping in! Though this might be your absolute favourite part of the weekend, the body doesn’t understand that our jobs give us the weekend off, and so they are going to want us to keep on some sort of routine. Be sure to get up and out of bed on weekends too, and not laze around in bed for too long, or you run the risk of disrupting your sleep schedule even further.
