Sleep is very important for our health, mood and overall well being, a good night’s sleep is often taken for granted and under appreciated but sleep is a very important lifestyle factor.
When we sleep our body releases growth hormones and hormones that affect our mood and hunger, sleep is vitally important for body repair and to control hormone balance such as testosterone, and a good night’ sleep can even help you stay at a healthy weight.
It is recommended that adults have 7-8 hours sleep every night, this should be undisturbed sleep, of course it is not always possible to have 8 hours undisturbed sleep, especially if you have a young family but there are ways to help you get a good night’s sleep.
- Get comfy – this seems obvious but a comfy sleeping environment will help you drift off to sleep and stay asleep. Make sure you have clean bedding and a comfortable mattress, make sure you have a bed that is suitable for your height and keep your bed room clean and dust free to avoid any allergies that could keep you awake.
- Switch off – you can metaphorically switch off by trying to put all the days stresses behind you, but you should also literally switch off – all appliances like TV’s, phones or any screens that are stimulating.
- Make the bedroom exclusive – try not to bring other aspects of your life into the bedroom, don’t work in bed, your bedroom should be for sleeping and relaxing avoid doing activities such as gaming or watching TV as this will become an association with the room which should primarily be for bed related activities like sleep.
- Black out blinds or curtains – you should try to make your room as dark as possible, if you have thin curtains in the summer you may be woken early or struggle to get to sleep. Invest in some black out blinds or curtains to help make the room dark and cosy to drift off in.
- Avoid caffeine or alcohol – We are not saying you should avoid caffeine and alcohol all the time but try not to have caffeine in the late afternoons, and if you have been struggling to get your recommended sleep then cut down on the alcohol as both substances can stop you from getting a good night’s sleep.