Ways to Sleep Better Naturally
Few things are worse than poor sleep. While we all have bad nights now and again, it can be as demoralising as tiring when they are frequent.
Thankfully, there are several ways to sleep better at night. Your home remedy could be as simple as replacing a lumpy old mattress or as intimate as listening to sounds that make you feel relaxed and content.
This article will uncover eight ways to sleep better at night, starting with a crucial point: if poor sleep affects your life.
1. Speak to your GP
If poor sleep affects your life, speaking with your GP is a first. They might prescribe something to help you sleep, like a mild antidepressant such as mirtazapine, or refer you to a sleep clinic for further investigation.
Sometimes, poor sleep can signify another health condition or a disorder like anxiety and depression. It’s worth getting it checked out. Rest assured that poor sleep does not waste your GP’s time!
2. Consider buying a more comfortable mattress
If you struggle to get comfortable in bed, upgrading your mattress could do wonders for your sleep. An uncomfortable mattress will make you toss and turn and give you aches and pains, so it’s worth upgrading for your sleep and health.
Start with our award-winning mattresses and refine your search for your budget. You can pick up some great mattresses for under £400!
3. Upgrade your bedding
Your duvet should keep you warm without making you sweat, and your pillow should support your head and neck in multiple positions.
Duvets come in a wide range of materials. The best all-rounder is a cotton duvet with a hollow fibre filling or a microfibre filling to mimic down. Down and feather duvets can be noisy, and ethical concerns must be considered.
4. Banish your smartphone in bed
The worst thing you can do is be on your smartphone in bed. Not only will online content stimulate you and make you stay up later than you should, but the display emits blue light (even with a blue light filter), which stimulates your brain.
It’s best to turn your smartphone off when you go to bed. By all means, keep it beside your bed, but don’t turn it on for any reason.
5. Read a book
Reading a book is an easy way to make yourself tired. Reading in bed can make your eyes heavy, and the focused content on the page won’t make your mind race like the content on YouTube or Instagram, helping reduce anxiety.
Read anything you are interested in, and when you turn off the lights, think about what will happen next. This exercise will help you nod off.
6. Rise at the same time every day
The most straightforward trick in the book to sleep better at night is to rise at the same time every day to have a predictable body clock.
By rising at the same time every day, your body clock will adjust, and you will get tired at night, helping you fall asleep faster.
7. Relax with aromatherapy
Aromatherapy uses essential oils to unlock relaxant qualities. The idea is that essential oils can help you sleep and unwind naturally. All you need is an essential relaxing oil and an electronic diffuser to fill your room with the scent.
Lavender, peppermint, lemon, bergamot, and orange are good choices, or you might like a warming scent like cinnamon.
8. Drift off with therapeutic sounds
Some sounds can help you sleep, like white noise, crashing waves, rainfall, and whale songs. You can get mobile apps that play therapeutic sounds, but it’s better to use an intelligent speaker hub like Amazon Alexa so you don’t use your phone.
Some people also have good results with earphones in bed, although earphones might dig into your ear canal, so we’d stick to a speaker.
Optimize Your Sleep Environment
- Dark, quiet, and cool: Ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool for optimal sleep.
- Comfortable bedding: Invest in a comfortable mattress, pillows, and bedding that suit your preferences.