Sleep is an essential component to our lives. It’s when the body recharges itself and gets ready for the next day. Here are six tips to help you achieve a better nights sleep:
* Say goodbye to technology. Go to bed with a good old fashioned book or magazine. Electronics can keep your brain active when you’re trying to wind down for the night. The brightness of computers and electronic devices can also reduce the production of the hormone melatonin which is responsible for inducing sleep.
* Alcohol can interfere with the overall quality of your sleep making you feel worse the next morning. Caffeine in coffee, tea and soft drinks and nicotine in cigarettes all act as a stimulant, making it harder for you to get off to sleep.
* If you find that you are needing to sleep in the day, try limiting this to a 30 minute Nanna nap. Any nap should be more than four hours before you plan on going to bed for the night.
* How’s your pillow? The size and type of your pillow should be suited to your sleeping style. Side sleepers may benefit from using a higher pillow. Your neck should be in a neutral position. If your head is bent too far back you may be more likely to snore, which may affect the quality of your sleep.
* Keep your bedroom well ventilated. A temperature of around 18 degrees Celsius is ideal. Try sleeping with your window slightly open for fresh air. A room that is too hot or too cold will influence the quality of your sleep
* Sleep at the right time. The best quality sleep occurs when you are into bed and sleeping between 9pm and midnight. Night owls may miss out on the best hours of quality sleep by staying up later, even if they get eight hours of sleep in total. Try to get up at the same time on most days to keep your body clock in rhythm.