5 Tips For A Better Nights Sleep

Sleeplessness is something that around one third of the world experience regularly, so it’s most likely something you’ve had to deal with at some stage in your life.

It’s proven that irregular sleeping patterns and insomnia can result in health issues, which gives us a strong message that sleepless nights are about so much more than dark circles and early morning caffeine. 

And with more research proving that sleep is absolutely essential for optimum physical and mental performance, why are Australians finding it so hard to get their 40 winks at night?

Luckily, there are some very simple ways to tackle the issue of sleeplessness (unless you have a more serious sleep problem or health issue).

Here are six tried and tested ways to ensure that you are getting all the zzz’s that you need:

1. Get into a time routine

Routines are incredibly boring. We all know this. Everyday seems to be one routine after the next, and thus we understand why it can be a little underwhelming to go to bed and wake up at the same time day…after…day.

However, it’s very important for your sleep habits and if you stick to a good routine, your body will soon learn when it should be shutting down and starting up. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with a fun night out on the town every now and then; life should be lived to the fullest after all.

2. Exercise

Ah exercise! It’s something that everyone should do, but something that most of us are guilty of neglecting from time-to-time.

Adding just 30 minutes of exercise to your day will not only help you sleep, it will also help your overall well-being. You don’t have to run in the next Sydney City2Surf marathon. It can be as simple as going for a nice walk with a friend. The benefits are immense and include staying mentally sharp, physical health and fitness, self-confidence, losing weight and, of course, sleeping well so you are recharged and ready to take on the new day.

3. Create a comfy sleeping environment

You should not underestimate the importance of creating a comfy bedroom environment that actually promotes sleep. It may be the single most important thing that’s preventing you from getting enough deep sleep (essential for body restoration) and REM sleep (essential for brain restoration).

Factors such as temperature, lighting, noise, and your mattress and bedding selections are all of utmost importance when creating your perfect sleeping environment.

• Australians optimum sleeping preferences are quite varied. Factors such as climate, individual body temperature and partners’ body temperatures are just a few that come into play. It’s all about finding what temperature works for you and doing your best to optimise your sleeping environment to suit, which takes us to our next point…
• Choosing the right bedding will go a long way to helping you get your body temperature and comfort level where it needs to be to promote a good night’s sleep. Many of us don’t actually realise that we are not getting a good nights’ sleep until our sleeping conditions improve then the light bulb moment hits. There is a hint of catch 22 involved in this scenario.
• If you think you may not be sleeping as well as you could be, consider factors such as tossing and turning, waking up hot or cold during the night, sheets and doonas being displaced throughout the night, noises and/or light that may be interrupting your sleeping pattern and the feeling that you are only sleeping lightly for most of the night and therefore not getting the physical and mental restorative sleep that your body and brain requires.
• And most importantly – if you feel you have had a sufficient nights’ sleep but still feel tired from day to day, there is a good chance that it’s due to a poor sleeping pattern. We encourage you to do a little research as to why this happening. You will thank yourself later!      

4. Have a relaxing bedtime routine

As tempting as it is to watch cat videos, or to check your work emails – it’s important to get into a relaxing routine before you go to bed.

Try and avoid electronics for at least one hour before hitting the hay and do something like reading, writing, yoga, meditation or take a bath instead. Your body will start to associate going to sleep with these activities and it will help you fall asleep faster.

5. Manage your worries

One of the most common causes of sleeplessness is stress and, unfortunately, it’s very easy to think about that bill you have to pay next month, or that business meeting you have when lying there staring at the ceiling at 3am in the morning!

Many of us will replay scenarios of both upcoming and past events in our minds and this can include worst case scenarios of situations and events. Worst case scenarios cause us to stress which in turn causes sleeplessness. 

To combat his, make a plan of action for the worries that you can do something about now. If you are a procrastinator by day, this can have a negative flow on effect to when you are lying in bed with only your thoughts to keep you company at night. If there is an action you can take throughout the day to prevent these concerns, take action and it will negate the night time worry!     

If there is nothing you can do to prevent the worries in your head, try to put them in a vault for the night and come back to them when there is something you can do. For most of us, this is easier said than done. If you can’t stop thinking about these concerns, ensure that you replay positive scenarios where the situation works out favourably for you and everyone involved. Allow your mind to direct the best case scenario. This can help your brain to relax and in-turn shut down for the night.    

We encourage you to try any or all of the above tips. We want you to say hello to waking up feeling energised and wave good-bye to those dark circles and all day caffeine fixes. Well, you might want to keep the caffeine flowing, we all love a nice coffee. Our point is, you won’t be depending on multiple caffeine hits to get you through your day!

Sleep Well! 

The Halcyon Dreams Team