8 Things For A Better Night's Sleep

How I haven't hit insanity yet I do not know. I tend to sit very close to the line, but as yet I haven't stumbled over it. This post isn't directly about my mental health though, although the contents does eventually start to contribute.

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This time I'm on about good old fashioned sleep... forty-winks, hitting the sack, zonking out.

I remember the days where I'd come home feeling a little tired, sit myself down to relax and almost instantly fall asleep. I'd sleep from 6pm to 6am, bounce out of bed and feel like I'd kicked my body back into gear. These days though that isn't how that scenario goes.

Anywhere from 7pm-11pm I'll go to bed and lay there for an hour or so before actually managing to fall asleep. I'll then toss and turn all night, waking up each time, before the alarm goes off at 6.15. Then anytime from 9am I'll start yawning and wishing I was still in bed.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults between the ages of 26 and 64 get 7-9 hours of sleep, although anywhere from 6-10 hours may be appropriate. [Some of you are crying a little right now... me too.]

I'm sure a lot of you have tried apps and things to monitor your sleep just like I have. These days I use my FitBit to track my sleep, but honestly, sometimes I wonder if it doesn't do more harm than good. Before I was just tired, now I'm tired and really annoyed about it.

Things that suffer when you have short-term sleep problems:

• Alertness
• Health
• Memory
• Mood
• Motivation
• Stress levels
• Weight

The most annoying thing about that list is that one leads to another. And you really don't need to have missed a great deal of sleep to start feeling any of them.

How can you help yourself when it comes to sleep?

The trouble with sleep and the above list is that it's a vicious circle. So what can you do to try and help yourself along to the land of nod?

Don't nap

If you can manage not to nap you'll be better off when it comes to bedtime. If you're in a bit of a lull, take a quick walk, drink a glass of water, or do something that will wake your brain up a bit.

Limit your intake of stimulants

Caffeine and nicotine are going to affect your sleeping habits. Try and avoid any stimulants too close to bedtime, that includes: fizzy drinks, coffee, chocolate, alcohol, cigarettes. A good cut off time is around mid-afternoon.

Don't exercise too close to bedtime

Same goes for exercise. You get a buzz after a workout, you feel that bit of extra energy, close to bedtime that's going to keep you from falling asleep. Leave major workouts to morning or afternoon routines.

Don't eat too much

Heavy meals near bedtime can leave you feeling uncomfortable and bloated, that'll have you tossing and turning trying to sleep.

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Drink a glass of water

This one I'm a bit on the fence about... drinking a glass of water before bed is supposed to help the body get rid of toxins. However, too much water before bed could make you wake up in the night needing the toilet... so I'm going to leave that decision up to your own body.

Power down

Both you, and your electronics. Take an hour before bed to wind down. Read a book, listen to some soothing music, put that pile of clothes away that are sitting somewhere in your flat/house. But don't use your computer, phone or TV. Screens suppress the production of melatonin, this means it'll be more difficult to fall asleep.

I've read several different suggestions regarding electronics that say from 30 minutes to 4 hours, but realistically for the majority of modern people I think that an hour is about the best we can hope for these days.

Optimal sleeping environment

Dark room, cool environment, clear bed, no noise. If like me you've got neighbours who come and go at all hours of the day and night then it might be an idea to get some ear plugs.

Manage your sleep cycles

Your sleep cycles are about 90 minutes long, so you should calculate times to go to sleep that roughly coincide with these based on when you need to wake up. Try this Sleep Calculator to see when your optimal bedtime is.

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Doing a couple of these things together might help you get better sleep over time. If you've got the will power to do them all, then I applaud you and hope they lead you to a long and well deserved 8 hours of sleep.

But everyone is different, ultimately some general cleaner living will help you in all sorts of ways. Feel free to add any other tips you've got about getting a better night's sleep below in the comments and let's see if we can all get a good 8 hours for a change.