I am Tired Mummy of Two, the queen of lack of sleep. In fact some days I am pretty sure I only survive the day due to caffeine but when I really need sleep I know exactly what to do. Here are my 7 steps to a good nights sleep.
1 – Turn off the tech
We all know that being on your phone, laptop or tablet just before bed is bad for you, but we all seem to ignore that device. If you are not sleeping well you really should avoid the tech just before bed. It is also recommended that you don’t have it in your bedroom so why not plug it in downstairs and see if that makes a difference.
2 – Enjoy a warm relaxing bath
A nice bath before bed is a great way to relieve stress and if you can add some essential oils or a bath bomb then this can help with making your drowsy and ready for bed. The combination of the hot water and the essential oils should be just what you need but if you can add a burning candle, some relaxing music or even a good book then you will be well on your way to relaxed bliss.
3 – Make your bed comfortable
Ensuring that your bed is as comfortable as possible is the most important step to getting a good night sleep. You need to change your bedding regularly, get new pillows every six months to ensure you are comfortable and helping to prevent acne and allergies. However, the most important part of the bed is the bit that people seem to forget about, the mattress. They can be expensive but you can get a good deal with mattress sale UK. Depending on how hard or soft you want your mattress you need to choose one that suits you and whether you decide on Memory Foam, spring based or even latex. Mattresses should be replaced at least every eight years so if you haven’t changed yours recently then check out mattress sale and see if you can find your ideal mattress.
4 – Avoid stimulants before bed
Unfortunately, this means alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, chocolate and large or spicy meals. All of these items wake your body up rather than help it relax and you really should leave a good few hours between eating and going to bed.
Some people believe that a glass of wine at night helps them sleep, but it could be that this habit is actually preventing them from sleeping deeply and getting as much rest as they can.
5 – Make your room dark
Most people think that blackout blinds are just for kids but investing in decent blinds such as the VELUX blackout blinds can make a huge difference to how much sleep you get in a night.
6 – Go to bed early
Sometimes when you are not tired you end up staying up later than you should but this can cause you to become overtired and end up in a horrible cycle of not getting enough sleep. Try to ensure you go to bed early enough to get a minimum of 8 hours sleep, this means if it takes you an hour to fall asleep try to go to bed 9 hours before you need to get up.
7 – Relaxation aids
From pillow sprays to classical music there are so many relaxation aids that you can find that it is worth trying to see which ones work for you. I personally love my This Works Deep Sleep pillow spray and still use it if I am having difficulty falling asleep at night. My eldest daughter uses a Warmies plush and my youngest has a hot water bottle.
Getting enough sleep is really important and as this Tired Mummy knows you need to make time to sleep well because otherwise, everything suffers.