Most of us will struggle with falling or staying asleep at some point in our lives (the 3am doom scroll is real!) While sleep issues usually resolve on their own, chronically disturbed sleep is a real problem with potentially serious consequences. Sleep is critical to our mental and physical wellbeing, and getting enough quality sleep makes all the difference to how well you cope with your day.
So how do you set that sleep ship right? Here are our top 10 tips for solving common sleep problems so you can get a better night’s sleep.
Make sure you’re sleeping in the right bed. Queen size medium-feel pocket spring beds may be the most popular among Kiwis, but that doesn’t automatically make them right for you. Since you spend around a third of your life in bed, investing in the right mattress is the single best thing you can do to improve your sleep. Try our Sleep Selector for help finding the right mattress for your body and sleep style, then head into a store and try a few options out.
Turn off TVs, tablets, phones, and computers at least half an hour before you go to bed. The blue light from backlit devices stimulates your brain and prevents you from falling into a deep sleep quickly, so try taking a book to bed or meditating to wind down from the busy day. If you have to use a device – your e-book reader for example – turn on night mode to reduce the amount of blue light it emits.
Caffeine can stay in your body for up to eight hours after you consume it, so limit your overall caffeine intake and try not to drink any after lunch time. Switch to caffeine-free alternatives in the afternoon and evening, and make sure you’re drinking enough water through the day.
This isn’t strictly true of course: cheese is not the enemy. But you do want to avoid eating heavy meals – especially anything greasy or sugary – just before bed. Aim to eat your main meal before 7 pm, so you have time to digest your food before you hop into bed. And be mindful about snacking too close to bedtime as this can cause indigestion and discomfort.
If you’re a sensitive sleeper, make sure that your mattress and pillows aren’t triggering your allergies. Cluttered rooms and old bedding accumulate allergens including dust mites, pollen, bacteria, mould, and mildew. If your pillows are more than a couple of years old, or your mattress is older than 10, it’s probably time to look into replacements. If you are really struggling with sensitivities, consider investing in hypoallergenic alternatives like natural latex or Fresh Protect treated bedding.
Napping too much during the day can disrupt your sleep at night. If you have to nap to survive (and we’ve all been there!) set a timer so that your nap is either less than 30 minutes or more than 90. You want to avoid waking up in the middle of a deep sleep and feeling even worse than before. If you’re napping too much or too often, take a close look at your night time sleep patterns and see where you need to make changes to improve your sleep quality.
The ambient temperature influences our ability to fall and stay asleep. That’s because body temperature drops in preparation for sleep, decreases through the night and reaches its lowest at about 3am. So while your room may feel perfectly cosy during the day, it may be too warm to allow your body temperature to drop sufficiently at night. Your sleep will likely be restless, and you’ll feel fatigued the next day. Open a window or turn a fan on to start with, but if that doesn’t help, consider a mattress designed to help regulate your body temperature. The KülKōte in Sleepyhead mattresses cleverly stores and releases excess heat, regulating your temperature for a more comfortable sleep. Discover the benefits of KülKōte.
We should all be engaging in at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per day. While this is important for general well-being, it also helps with sleep quality. If you prefer strenuous exercise, make sure you complete it well before bedtime to give your body time to relax for sleep. If you just can’t face activity earlier in the day, then stretching, yoga, or even simply walking are good gentle exercise options that won’t get your body worked up right when it should be winding down.
Healthy morning habits like getting natural light, eating a good breakfast and exercising are important for boosting our wellbeing and productivity. In addition, sticking to a regular wakeup time, even on the weekends, can ensure our sleep gets into a healthy rhythm. It’s not always that easy: sometimes that snooze button magically presses itself! But consistency is important, so set your bedtime and morning alarms at the same time every day until your circadian rhythm gets the memo and you naturally find yourself sleeping and waking at the right time.
Stop multitasking while in bed! Try not to linger in bed doing anything that invigorates your mind and keeps you awake. No pillow fights, no spicy food, no gaming. Instead, train your brain that your bed is where sleep happens, so that when you lie down each night you don’t have to fight to get it to power down. Obviously there may be one or two exceptions to this rule, but, most of the time, bed should = sleep.
