How to get better sleep
11 ways to fall asleep faster and stay out for the count longer, plus why you shouldn't make your bed in the morning!
No amount of fancy décor will make one jot of difference to the way you sleep if you do not address what you do before you get anywhere near your bedroom. So this post is less about wallpaper, paint and headboards, than the holistic creation of the optimum sleep space (the decoration stuff is in the second section of Chapter 8 in my book).
It follows on from my How to Rest Well post because modern living has taught us that downtime is for slackers and that to achieve we must constantly do. Except you’ll actually get more done if you prioritise a good night’s sleep. The tricky bit is when your mind of full of to-dos, staying up late can enable more things crossed off the list. But, speaking from hard experience, as the evening drags on the quality of your work diminishes. It’s a counter productive cycle.
Without further ado then, 11 top tips to #sleepbetter guaranteed. Ps check my #sleepbetter Highlight on Instagram for additional helpful links.
1 Position your bed with care
The ideal is to have your bed facing something of beauty. Nothing complex. It could be a window, a picture hung on the wall, a display of treasured pots, it doesn’t really matter as long as the positioning is intentional. Thus, when you wake up, something familiar and loved is the first thing that you see — instantly soul soothing.
But never place your bed facing a door. According to Feng Shui, this is akin to lying in your coffin waiting to be taken away! I think that’s a bit dramatic, but I’d concur that a bed facing a door could make you feel subconsciously anxious as the primal part of your brain might keep your body subtly on guard in case of intruders.
2 Follow the light
As it gets dark outside, drop the lighting indoors. We have a tendency to rage against nature by blasting our homes with artificial light. And yet as warm-blooded mammals we’re hard-wired into the day/night rhythms of nature. Ditch the overheads, snap on the side lights. Invest in a salt lamp. Allow calm to descend as night approaches. Surrender to sleep.
3 Clean air, better sleep
The cleaner the air in your bedroom, the more rejuvenating your sleep. Consider a Mother-in-Laws tongue plant in your bedroom. They give out oxygen at night. If you can, always leave your window slightly ajar too to encourage a rotation of air. I have a Briiv air filter in my bedroom (sustainable and beautifully designed) which is reputedly as powerful as 3,043 air-cleansing houseplants!
4 Read before bedtime
A study conducted by the University of Sussex found that reading for just six minutes before bedtime reduced stress levels by 68 per cent. Make sure it's a physical paper book though, not a tablet. Because, no tech in the bedroom. No ipads. No TVs. No laptops. No late night phone scrolling. Ideally, no screens at all at least one hour before bedtime. Why? Because there’s a plethora of empirical scientific evidence that demonstrates just how completely injurious such activities are for the restorative capability of your sleep cycle. See point Six. Switch the wi-fi off too, see below.
5 Understand circadian rhythms
These are the pre-programmed cycles of sleep and wakefulness that every human goes through. As such, it’s entirely natural to wake at 3am. And every 90 minutes from then on. If you’re a ‘good’ sleeper you probably won’t even notice. But people who think of themselves as ‘bad’ sleepers, wake at 3am, look at the clock, internally shriek OMG I’ve got to get up in four hours, and so begins a cycle of worry and anxiety.
How different might it be if you thought instead, Yippee, another four hours in bed! Better yet, don’t reach for the clock at all. Accept that this is a natural phase of the second half of your sleep cycle not an aberrant quirk known only to you. Besides, this is the fun part where you dream.
6 Give up caffeine after 2pm
Caffeine blocks the body’s natural chemical processes that regulate your circadian rhythms. Unfortunately, night caps are counter-productive too. They sedate rather than stimulate, but the net effect is the same, broken sleep cycles.
7 Consider evening journalling
Specifically writing in a gratitude journal. It needn’t be anything elaborate or time consuming, but I cannot overstate the importance of getting errant thoughts out of your conscious mind. Getting them onto a piece of paper stops them whirring around in your subconscious all night which absolutely undermines good sleep.
Unfortunately most humans are wired towards a negative bias... which means we tend to focus on what went wrong, or dwell on the bad, and that's not a great precursor to solid snoozing. Before bed then, spend a few moments focusing on what you have to be grateful for, even if it's clean socks and a roof over your head. It’ll send you to sleep with a positive bias. Do it often enough and you’ll reprogram your brain.
8 Don’t get hung up on the ritual
If you have a few beers and forget the bath you’ll not be automatically condemned to sleep badly forever more. But go to bed guilty and for sure you’ll toss and turn. It’s better to accept and move on otherwise the ritual itself becomes the block.
But whatever you do, please never resort to sleeping pills. In Matt Walker’s seminal book Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, he references research that suggests a direct line between the use of sleeping pills, whether occasionally or frequently, and higher than average rates of mortality and cancer. Watch his TED talk here.
As with so many things in life, address the cause, don’t medicate the symptom.
9 Block out light with black out blinds
Depth of sleep is as important as length of sleep and both are enhanced by ensuring your bedroom is as dark as possible when it’s time to turn in. So fit blackout blinds (mine are white, they don’t have to be black!) in addition to curtains, or attach blackout fabric to the back of existing drapes. Not such a big deal in the winter perhaps, but come lighter summer mornings you could be roused earlier than is good for you.
And if blackout blinds are a no-go for any reason, consider an eye mask. But it needs to be one that actually works, otherwise it'll just slip off during the night and be pointless. I like the Echor Total Blackout Eye Mask because its 3D design gives your eyes room to move, and blink, rather than horribly squishing your face.
But come the morning, fling wide those curtains in the morning! It all helps to prime your brain for regular sleep/wake cycles.
10. Invest in a toxin-free mattress.
What you sleep on makes a huge difference. Firmness and size obviously, but also what it’s made of. You don’t want to be inhaling fire retardants and the other chemicals which many mattresses are commonly doused in. See How to Choose a Mattress for everything you need to know…
11. In the morning, don’t make your bed!
Well at least not straight away. Turn back the covers and give your bed a chance to air. Why? Because it retains warmth and moisture from overnight which are perfect conditions for dust mites to proliferate! Cooler air and sunlight kills them off. And no doubt you'll sleep better for knowing that your bed is more mite free.
But you can air your bed neatly! Fold back sheets and duvet to the end of the bed. And pillows can still be 'arranged'.
PS If you found this interesting, I think you’ll love my book!
