The quantity and quality of our sleep affects our overall sense of wellbeing, our relationships with family and friends and our performance at school or at work. With adequate sleep we memorise better, we repair and heal faster, our energy is restored and our daytime mental capacity increases. Basically, sleep = life.
In light of The National Sleep Foundation's Sleep Awareness Week (March 10-16) and World Sleep Day (March 15) we've called on the experts to share some tips to help you get a good night's sleep.
WHY CAN'T I FALL ASLEEP?
Some common cause of sleeplessnes include:
Poor sleeping habits / irregular routine
Parenting young children
Caring for the elderly
Shift work
Acute or chronic pain
Illness
Hormonal changes and imbalances
Hyperthyroidism
Grief
Stress or anxiety, including depression
Medications and stimulants such as foods and drinks containing caffeine
Cigarettes and alcohol
TIPS FOR A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP
BEDROOM DESIGN
How you design and decorate your bedroom can dictate how easily you fall asleep. Creating a restful environment starts with the right colour palette.
Research has found that above all others, blue is the sleepiest colour. In a survey of over 2000 people, it was found that those sleeping in blue bedrooms got the most shut eye - clocking in at an optimal 7 hours and 52 minutes. A further 55% of those sleeping in blue bedrooms even reported waking up happy.
"Traditional rules for picking colours for your bedroom suggest sticking to muted blues followed by muted greens, but really, any light, muted neutral could suffice to create a soothing environment," says Lisa Rickert, founder of specialist paint company Jolie Home. "It's important to remember that the brighter the hue, the more stimulating the colour will be. Red and purple are the worst offenders when it comes to causing a disruptive sleep, followed by primary colours in their brightest forms."
The Goodnight Co. co-founders, Shea & Danielle, also suggest keeping clutter to a minimum.
"Your mind is already full of the day's clutter, so keep your bedroom decor simple and your accessories to a minimum to create a calming environment rather than one overwhelmed by stimuli. Making the bed the focal point can also help you streamline the room."
Steer clear of reds and yellows and opt for cool, calm and earthy tones.
Incorporate indoor plants that promote sleep.
Keep your room clean, clutter-free and well-ventilated.
MATTRESS & PILLOWS
A comfortable bed and the right supporting pillow are by far the most important items to help you drift off with ease. The Sleep Health Foundation recommends keeping your head in 'neutral alignment' – the way you would when standing up with good posture.
Invest in a good quality pillow that provides the right support. We love Koala's memory foam pillow. The outside edge of the pillow is slightly firmer than the rest, so your head floats but your neck is supported in any position. It also has a 'high side' and a 'low side' to cater to different preferences and a gel-infused memory foam to conduct heat and moisture away from your head. We're drifting off just thinking about it!
A quality mattress is just as, if not more, important. King Living conducted a survey on over 3000 Australians to gain key insights into the way we spend our nights. Over half of all surveyed were dissatisfied with their quality of sleep based on their current mattress.
Based on this research, King Living have designed a game-changing (or should we say, sleep-changing) mattress that allows customers to tailor a mattress to suit their personal requirements. The Sleep+ mattress lets customers adjust the firmness, softness, warmth and coolness of their mattress in a way that is straightforward and user-friendly. Users can easily re-configure their mattress to reflect the level of support they desire as well as the change of seasons, guaranteeing the restorative nightly sleep that we know to be essential for a healthy lifestyle.
BED LINEN
Much like your mattress and pillows, the sheets you sleep in can have a surprising effect on the quality of your sleep. "Prioritise quality bedding that is simultaneously practical, beautiful and affordable to promote a good night's sleep," says Bed Threads founder, Genevieve Rosen-Biller. Bed Threads sheets are composed of 100% flax linen — rounding out quality bed linen that promotes peaceful sleep thanks to its breathability in the summer and added warmth in the winter.
"Anyone who's ever spent all night tossing and turning in sweaty sheets knows temperature control is one of the most crucial factors in a good night's sleep. Compared cheaper, low-tech fabrics, 100% flax linen has an in-built temperature-regulating performance function to keep you cool in the summer and insulate your body in the winter. That, and it also feels like butter — served up in colourways fit for every appetite."
LIGHTING
Did you know light can inhibit the secretion of melatonin, which is a hormone that acts like your body's natural sleep drug?
Total darkness is most conducive to a good night's sleep, so invest in blackout curtains or blinds.
Dimming the lights in your home and room a few hours prior to sleeping will help you wind down — consider lamps, fairy lights or dimmers.
Exposure to any light stops the production of sleep-inducing hormones. Try a sleep mask if you can't block all light out of your room.
TECHNOLOGY
Another major highlight of King Living's survey was the impact that technology and devices has on our sleep.
Although we are constantly told not to use our phones or computers at least an hour before bed, when it comes to bedtime respondents admitted to loving their tech even when they are trying to sleep. 74% of respondents still choose to sleep with their phone at their bedsides, and 30% described their sleep as interrupted throughout the night to check their mobile devices, while 50% watch TV and videos in bed before they go to sleep.
Put the phone down, people! If you must have your phone in the bedroom, aim to put it to the side and stay of social media and emails at least an hour before bed.
TV's do not belong in the bedroom, plain and simple. Watching TV before bed will overstimulate your brain and make it harder for you to switch off and unwind.
EXERCISE & DIET
Exercising for just 30 minutes a day has been shown to increase relaxation and improve our ability to sleep.
A full stomach is counterproductive to sleeping well. Eat a light dinner combining complex carbohydrates, calcium-rich foods and a little protein to ensure supply of the amino acid tryptophan. This is used by the brain to manufacture the sleep-inducing neurotransmitters melatonin and serotonin. The classic bedtime drink of warm milk and honey provides all these elements.
A diet providing plenty of calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, B-group vitamins, biotin, folic acid (folate) and zinc is ideal. Excessive amounts of vitamin A in your diet, or lead or copper in your environment, are hazardous to both sleep and good health.
Waking, sleeping and eating at consistent times helps to regulate our circadian rhythm or body clock. This is the system responsible for regulating our sleep/wake cycles and it thrives on routine.
STRESS LESS
Do you lie awake at night thinking about work or what you have to do the next day? Stress is one of the most-common sleep disruptors and the hardest to combat.
Clear your mind of the 'must do' lists well before heading to bed. Try writing a list so you feel on top of things are know exactly what needs to be done.
A warm bath or shower before bed can help induce sleep. This is because body temperature plays an important role in our ability to fall asleep and in waking.
SLOW BREATHING TECHNIQUE
Anxiety is the enemy of a good night's rest and can make going back to sleep impossible. The breath is a simple and effective tool for calming my mind and body. If you practise a slow breathing routine, you may find it very useful for returning to sleep and reducing anxiety. Breathing costs us nothing, it's always available, and it's invisible – these are all good reasons to learn to use our breath to affect positive change in our physical and mental health.
TRY THIS SLEEP-INDUCING BREATHING ROUTINE
Sit so your spine is comfortably straight and your feet are flat on the floor about hip-width apart. Close your eyes and rest your hands in your lap.
Begin by just following your breath and observing your breath the way you watched the clouds in the sky or the waves rolling into the beach when you were a child.
Now focus your attention on your belly. Relax your shoulders and begin to slow your breathing down until you are breathing at your slowest comfortable rate.
Maintain attention on your belly and continue to slow your breath until you are breathing at around five to six breaths per minute.
Full Article: https://www.homestolove.com.au/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep-8029