Get to sleep fast and stay fast asleep with expert advice from the best in the business
There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep to leave you feeling calm, energised and ready to face the world. But for many of us, it’s not always as easy as climbing into bed and turning the lights out. Stress, diet, artificial light and noise pollution are just some of the factors that can stand between you and a blissful slumber. The average person needs between seven to nine hours of good-quality sleep a night. “A night or two of poor sleep won’t harm you,” says neuroscientist, business psychologist and change specialist Dr Lynda Shaw, “but long-term sleep deprivation will lower your quality of life and put you at risk of serious medical conditions, as well as making you feel moody, impairing your concentration and problem-solving skills and increasing your risk of depression.” We’ve rounded up the best tips for getting to the land of nod.
WAKE UP AT THE SAME TIME
Setting an alarm to wake up at the same time every day, even at weekends, could improve your sleep. “If you get up at similar times every day, your body responds with the regular release of melatonin before you get into bed, which aids restful sleep,” says sleep expert Dr Sophie Bostock.
“Haphazard sleep-wake patterns, and weekend lie-ins confuse the body clock and delay the production of melatonin, leading to lighter sleep.
KEEP IT COOL
A warm bedroom might seem cosy, but sleep behaviour and environment expert James Wilson (thesleepgeek.co.uk) says: “In order to initiate sleep, our bodies experience a drop in core temperature, meaning that a cooler bedroom environment is essential to aid the sleep process.” He recommends keeping your bedroom between 16-18 degrees to help you drop off and stay comfortable whilst asleep.
LOVE YOUR HANDS
According to Jo Foster, founder of Kiss the Moon (kissthemoon.com), our hands are a maze of reflexology pressure points which means that by adopting a simple routine, you can help relieve tension from every part of your body. “Massage also eases away tiredness and aches and pains,” adds Jo, “helps the circulation and assists our lymph system in removing toxins that have built up through the day.” Try it for yourself – the end of our fingers represent our head zone in reflexology. Apply pressure in small, slow circular motions to each fingertip in turn to help release tension you are holding from the neck upwards and calm down your mind.
GET A ROOM WITH A SLEEP VIEW
According to high-tech mattress maker Simba’s sleep psychologist Hope Bastine (simbasleep.com),
