Top Tips To Sleep And Wake Beautifully

At Hypnos we believe we know a thing or two about how to get the best night's sleep possible, thanks to over 100 years' experience of creating the perfect sleeping environment.

There are three key areas that will help you sleep well;

1. Creating the right bedroom environment.
2. Avoiding certain things before bed.
3. Creating new bedtime habits.

Here are the best ways to make sure you're doing all you can in each of those three areas:

Creating the right bedroom environment:

The first step to creating the right bedroom environment is to make sure your room is cool, quiet and dark., keeping the room at a temperature of around 16-18°C is ideal. Another nifty tip is to dim the lights two to three hours before bedtime. By doing so, the circadian cycle is triggered thus causing the brain to release melatonin, a hormone that aids sleep. As previously said, darkness is an important component to a good night's sleep. Where possible try to block any light from entering the room. Consider installing black-out blinds, thicker curtains or indeed a face mask like the ones you may find on an aeroplane. One more idea that you may find helpful, is simply purchasing a new bed!! If you mattress isn't comfortable, we can help! See our range of beds here.

Things to avoid in the hours before bed:

Exercise during the day will help certainly help you get a good night's sleep, but be careful. Exercising to close to bedtime can be a big no-no. Exercise increases the heart rate, and doing so a few hours before bed will certainly make falling asleep a little trickier.

Don't eat stimulating foods within three hours of trying to fall asleep.
Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine. Tea and even some vitamin supplements and headache tablets contain caffeine. Avoid drinking two hours before bed, as getting up to urinate disrupts sleep and can make falling asleep again difficult.

Create new bedtime habits:

Save waking activities such as watching TV, for outside the bedroom. Reading is an exception as it helps relax the mind. Going to bed at a regular time so your body gets into the habit of knowing when to sleep.
If you can't sleep after 15 to 20 minutes in bed, get up and do something else until you feel tired, but avoid light where possible.
Start to wind down 90 minutes before bed. A warm bath or reading a book can help relax your mind and body.