The Glasshouse
1.Avoid caffeine and alcohol at least three hours before bed
If you enjoy a glass of wine in the evening after a stressful day at work, that’s fine, but perhaps refrain from drinking too late. Experts recommend avoiding alcohol and caffeinated beverages at least three hours before you’re due to sleep as it will keep your mind awake and make drifting off a tricky task. Alternatively, you could swap your caffeine fix for a decaffeinated option and your glass of wine for a non-alcoholic variant. There are plenty of alternatives which can be just as tasty, and ultimately, you’ll be getting a better night’s sleep!
2.Avoid eating a big meal 2-3 hours before bed
The second of our tips for falling asleep is to give your body the time to digest your evening meal. It is advised that you avoid eating a large dinner 2-3 hours before bed. Allow your stomach to settle before you sink into the pillows and you should notice that your sleep becomes less disturbed.
3.Fix yourself a routine
It is no secret that humans thrive off routine, and this shouldn’t be limited to during the day alone. When you’re struggling to achieve a restful night, it’s a good idea to look at your evening routine – or lack thereof. The first thing to do is to establish how many hours of sleep you’d like to get, and for most adults, it is suggested between 7-9 hours per night. With this awareness, you can then start to build your evening routine and decide what time you want to be in bed for. For the hours leading up to your chosen bedtime, make them as relaxing as possible. Reading, journaling, meditation and listening to music are all great ways to prepare the mind and body for a peaceful night’s sleep.
4.Create a comfortable environment
This is one detail that a lot of people tend to overlook, but it plays a crucial role in the quality of our sleep at night. To feel well-rested in the morning, you need to make sure that your bedroom environment is suitable for sleep. This can be achieved by ensuring that the room is dark and quiet, and removing any unnecessary clutter from the floor and furniture. Perhaps you could invest in a comfortable memory-foam mattress or some blackout curtains? Aromatherapy is another solution that can help soothe the mind and body, so why not look at acquiring some atmosphere mists to spray around the room and on your pillow?
If this sounds like pure bliss, pop over to the Sequoia, where our therapists will be happy to talk to you about aromatherapy in more detail. We hope these ways to help you sleep are useful!
