How to set up for better sleep, every night.

How to set up for better sleep, every night.

Feeling tired all the time? Thinking that you could go straight to sleep at 3 pm? The story of almost every adult you cross paths with nowadays. How do you then avoid being a statistic?  Learn how to set up for better sleep, every night.

A 2016 survey by the Sleep Health Foundation found that inadequate sleep affects 33-45% of Australian adults. This survey also revealed that 17% of candidates had missed work due to lack of sleep and 29% admitted making mistakes at work due to sleepiness.

Getting the right sleep is surprisingly important for our mental and physical well-being. A good night sleep of 8 hours guards against stress and depression, improves memory & attention and assists with maintenance.

Research overwhelming shows that sleeping fewer hours makes weight loss harder. Insufficient sleep wreaks havoc with the hypothalamus, the brain’s master regulator of metabolism. A tired hypothalamus turns up the desire to eat, changes metabolism to store more fat and dampens the desire to move.

How can we combat sleepiness? Create the ideal sleeping environment with these 6 steps. Learn how to set up for better sleep, every night.

1. Set your surroundings

Dimming the lights in your bedroom two hours before bed can optimise your melatonin production. Melatonin is the hormone responsible for a good night’s sleep. Create a relaxing and calm atmosphere with soothing music and set your aircon to room temperature.

2. Block out the light

Minimising noise and light is key to creating an ideal sleeping environment. Draw the curtains tightly closed to keep the light out. If you prefer you can use an eye mask. Street noise is hard to avoid but you can use a good pair of earplugs or download a white noise app. Calm, for example, has a white noise option along with natural sounds like thunderstorms, rain, birds or the ocean.”

3. Invest in a good mattress

A good mattress is critical to a good night sleep. It can impact a person’s sleep dramatically. We spend about a third of every day in bed, whether that time is spent blissfully slumbering or tossing and turning comes down to finding the right mattress for you.

4. Choose the right pillows

Once you got the right mattress, the next step is to choose the right pillow for you. Aim for neck support and the rest falls on personal preference – firm, medium or soft.

5. Switch off from screens

Looking at screens in the evening can inhibit our melatonin production keeping our brains alert when we should be asleep.
Avoid checking your electronic devices a couple hours before sleep. The blue night interferes with the production of melatonin. In the settings of your phone, you can turn the blue light off.

6. Have a bedtime routine

Having a calming bedtime routine can be helpful for allowing our minds to rest. A good wind-down routine can help us shift gears and activate our sleep mode.
Stretching or yoga before sleep can help quieten the mind and ease our bodies to sleep. Combining this with a bedtime routine such as keeping to the same sleep time as often as possible. Or getting in the routine of taking a shower and reading a book can signal to your mind that your body is preparing for bed.

Sleep is essentially our reset button, a chance for our mind and bodies to recalibrate. Giving us a chance to start every morning fresh and apt for another busy day.

Feature image: Freepik