Sleep is vital for your physical health for many reasons. That is why we are recommended to get a certain number of hours of shut-eye. In an ideal world, we would all be sleeping 8 hours but let’s face it: our lives are so busy that in reality this rarely happens. Don’t worry though, we have your back, so we compiled a go-to guide for how to sleep smarter.
Whilst most of us are juggling studying, working and socialising, it is crucial your body gets at least 7 hours of sleep. Failing that, the sleep you are getting should be quality sleep.
Quality sleep, or restful sleep, means that you fall asleep in half an hour or less, sleep throughout the night without waking up more than once and if you do, are able to fall asleep again in a 20 minute.
Good quality sleep will help your body get the amount of rest it deserves in more efficient time as well as improve your mood. We have broken it down into different categories so you can see which is most suitable for you.
1 | SLEEPY SCHED
Did you know that going to bed and waking up at the same time every day actually helps reinforce your body clock? Just make sure that on weekends, you try to only vary the times by maximum 1 hour either side. Write down your sleep schedule to help yourself reinforce it. Make it achievable but realistic.
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
| Wake Up | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 10:00 | 9:00 |
| Sleep Time | 23:00 | 23:00 | 23:00 | 23:00 | 1:00 | 1:00 | 22:00 |
*Already dreading waking up on Monday morning to the sound of iPhone’s Radar?*
2 | TURN OFF THE LIGHTS
It’s simple - let there be light, but not at night.
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone in your body, which is controlled by exposure to light. It regulates your sleep-wake cycle. The darker it is, the more melatonin, which means the more sleepy you feel. The lighter it is, the less your body produces melatonin, and therefore the more alert you feel.
That is why you should avoid looking at light-emitting screens for long periods of time close to bedtime and avoid having lights on when you go to sleep. Unless of course, you watched a really scary movie...we’ve all been there.
3 | TIME TO COOL OFF
No, seriously, just cool down. The ideal temperature for an adult to have an optimal night’s sleep is between 15.5 and 19.5 degrees Celsius. The reasoning is that when you try to sleep, your body temperature drops to initiate sleep - these ideal temperatures facilitate this function. We guess the next gas bill will not quite be the dreaded nightmare it is usually, right?
4 | NO JUMPING ON THE BED
Remember when you always used to get told off for doing your homework while laying on your bed, or for taking your dinner up to your bedroom? Whilst your parents’ motives may have been different, there is still a good reason for this. Try your best to keep everything that can be done in other rooms of the house, such as anything to do with work, or anything else that makes you anxious. The bedroom, and particularly the bed, should be reserved for more relaxing activities. This will help strengthen the association in your brain between your bed and sleep, thus achieving better quality sleep. Is it Netflix and Chill time yet?
5 | HAVE A CUPPA
Many teas, due to the properties of their ingredients, have been linked to providing better sleep. For chamomile, it seems that this amazing effect is due to the abundance of an antioxidant called apigenin, which decreases anxiety and helps your body drift to sleep.
Did you know: we have a whole range of multipurpose Caff Free teas, which can also help you get a better night’s sleep?
Our Caff Free range of teas do not contain caffeine, a stimulant that keeps you alert, but rather a blend of herbs, spices and fruit. Moreover, it is said that the act of having a cup of tea itself is calming, which can result in better sleep. We cannot wait to find out which blend is your favourite.
Sweet Dreams!
Sources
https://www.sleep.org/articles/sleep-quantity-different-sleep-quality/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/getting-better-sleep.htm
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/teas-that-help-you-sleep#section1
https://www.tuck.com/teas-improve-sleep/
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/healthy-sleep-tips
https://unsplash.com/photos/Y4D8chSoqP0
https://unsplash.com/photos/YyZFSb_U6N4
https://unsplash.com/photos/D4g64YUacLA
https://unsplash.com/photos/aQfhbxailCs
https://unsplash.com/photos/B4rEJ09-Puo
https://unsplash.com/photos/F2WkASk1ELE
https://myslumberyard.com/blog/back-to-school-bedtime-during-covid/
