We all live in this era where we wake up early and go to bed late. we’re glued to our social media for hours. We like to fit in our hobbies and on top of all that we need to get our daily jobs done.
Washing the dishes and cooking your dinner isn’t an option. Whether we like it or not social media has almost become something that isn’t an option either and this is the reason why people visit www.tokrush.com to learn how to become a star overnight. All these factors play their part and and many of us don’t get the sleep we need anymore which can lead to low mood, exhaustion and other illnesses.
33% of Britons now sleep for only 5-6 hours a night which is less than the recommended 7-8 hours a night. According to the British sleep council.
So here is the SteelCityMiss top 5 tips to a good nights sleep:
1. Pillows for Pain
Anyone who has ever had any sort of pain knows how difficult it can be to get to sleep or once asleep stay asleep due to discomfort and pain.
Pillows for me have been a god send. I have suffered with lower back pain for a long time and having a spare pillow between your legs whilst lying on your side helps align your pelvis and spine. Thus relieving stress from your lower back.
Furthermore, having a pillow beneath your pelvis whilst sleeping on your back or directly under your tummy button whilst sleeping on your front can help ease the stress from your spine whilst asleep.
2. Remove blue light
we have all been hearing recently about this notorious ‘blue light’. Well it is true, being exposed to ‘blue light’ before bed can effect your sleep pattern.
Electronic devices such as ipads , mobiles and TVs are all known for having light which is enriched with light of shorter wavelengths. Which in turn means there is more blue light than that in natural light.
Blue light is thought to effect the sleep inducing hormone melatonin, which in turn can lead to changed in your circadian rhythm. Otherwise known as your body clock.
3. Regulate the temperature
This can be one of my biggest rest killers. Often when your sleeping conditions are too hot or too cold you are woken by being uncomfortable. Such as: needing another blanket, needing to shut the window the list could go on…
Setting your bedroom temperature to between 15-22 degrees C is the optimum. Finding out which temperature works best for you is up to you to find out. However, trying to regulate your bedroom temperature is almost certainly going to help.
4. Limit caffeine, alcohol and smoking
If you are having trouble sleeping probably one of the first things you will get asked is are you having too much Caffeine. Ideally you should limit yourself to 200 mg a day. Which is 2/3 cups of coffee or 4 cups of black tea a day. You should try to time your caffeine intake so that you try to have as little as possible 4 hours before sleep.
You’re most likely thinking alcohol makes you drowsy. Although alcohol may make you feel tired or help you fall asleep, it is known to disrupt your sleep later in the night. Causing you to awaken, have nightmares, head aches and night sweats.
Smoking has similar effects. A lot of people like to smoke just before they go to sleep; but nicotine is considered a stimulant which prevents you from falling asleep and staying a sleep. So limiting smoking before bedtime, at least 2 hours before will help with sleeping.
All of the above are highly addictive meaning if you suddenly cut these out you may suffer from headaches, tiredness and anxiety so perhaps cutting down is the better option and seek medical advice for help quitting.
5. Wind down
Winding down at the end of a long day has never hurt anyone. Try taking a bath, reading a book, write down your plan for tomorrow (this will also help relax you taking things off your mind). There are many other things you might enjoy doing before going to sleep but make sure you take the time away from your electronics and have some “me time”.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional all information is based on prior knowledge or opinion.
A constant lack of good sleep can start to affect your mental health. Ultimately leading to problems such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Find my post including some things you didn’t know about anorexia here.