We all want to be better people right, better parents, better friends, better colleagues, better at being healthy and one of the best ways to achieve this is by sleeping better.
Now for many of you, this is far easier said than done with young families and work sometimes taking priorities, however here are some really easy tips from sleep expert Mathew Walker on how to get a good nights rest.
Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. As boring as it sounds routine is better for you, if you’ve been sleeping poorly in the week it can be tempting to sleep in for longer on the weekend, but this is actually worse for you, as the body craves a sleeping routine. So try and wake up at the same time each day regardless of the quality of sleep last night.
Avoid phones An hour before bed dim the lights in the room to tell your brain that its nearly time to sleep. Also book on your match night a bit earlier to avoid looking at your phone, laptop or TV too close to bed.
Avoid Caffeine after 1 pm When your reaching for the coffee to lift you out of the the post lunch dip, think again. The effects of caffeine can take up to 8 hours to wear off fully. Therefore an late coffee will still be in your system when you go to bed, making it harder for you to sleep.
Keep cool Not a problem this time of year, but a cool bedroom will help as your body needs to cool to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Avoid alcohol. Again probably not a popular one! Although having a drink before bedtime may feel like its easier to sleep, it actually reduces the quality of sleep you experience, it may also wake you up in the middle of the night when the effects of the alcohol wear off! Especially if you are stressed out from a tough week.
Don’t lie in bed awake If you can’t sleep after 20 minutes in bed get up and do something else. As your mind begins to associate the feeling of being awake with your bed.
Don’t take naps after 3pm It might feel nice coming in from work, putting the fire on and ignore the noise around you while you nod off, but don’t. Taking naps after 3pm makes it far harder to fall asleep at night and gets your out of that routine you need.
