Tips to getting good sleep throughout the cooler months. As you reach for your thermostat and crank up the heating, you might find yourself flashbacking to sunnier days when you were soaking up the sun from the delights of your own back garden on a makeshift sun lounger. Now, said lounger has been exchanged for your bed, and light evening blankets have taken a back seat to the extra togged duvet. This only means one thing - summer is over and its cooler counterpart is here to stay for a while. With winter on the horizon, you might start to notice that you feel increasingly tired - it is hibernating season after all! While the shorter days and longer nights tend to wreak havoc with your body clock, there is actually a term for the host of emotions you feel throughout the cooler seasons: SAD - otherwise known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you hadn’t heard of this before, then take a look on the NHS or MIND where they go into more detail about SAD and provide advice to help you live your best life throughout winter. In the meantime, in order to make sure you feel as refreshed and energised as possible throughout the winter months, we’ve provided you with a few tips and tricks to get better sleep. If you’re like us here at OTTY, sleep means a LOT to you, and you’d do anything to make the most of it - we’re just here to help you with that. 1. Get enough hours of sleep per night The optimum amount of sleep you should get per night is 7-9 hours. If you’re currently not getting this many hours per night, it’s advisable that you adjust your sleeping routine. To ease yourself into it, maybe start going to bed an extra 30 mins earlier, then increasing this to the point where you are getting 7-9 hours sleep. 2. Create a sleeping routine Although napping in the day is tempting and you might have late night plans or early work shifts, it's important to try and stick to a sleep schedule. This way, your body gets into a pattern and its internal clock can easily register when it's bedtime. For example, you could get into a routine of going to bed at 11pm and waking up at 7am - for someone with the standard 9-5 working hours, this routine is perfect! 3. Ensure you are comfortable at night There are 3 stages of sleep: light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep. Although all stages of sleep are essential, the healthy adult should get at least 1-2 hours of deep sleep in order to feel refreshed the next day. To reach this stage, it's helpful to get a mattress that supports your body for maximised comfort, that way, it will be easier for you to drift off at night time. If you find that you often wake during the night due to discomfort and toss and time, it might be time you look into a new mattress and pillows. 4. Take a break from electronic devices Research has shown that using electronic devices such as mobile phones can have an impact on sleep as it impacts the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. A lot of us are guilty of taking our phones into the bedroom and scrolling down social media before turning the lights off, or watching an episode from your favourite series - but this can actually delay you getting to sleep and also reduce the quality of the sleep you get. Most mobile devices these days also have a night time option where it adjusts the lighting on your device - it’s worth looking into as this could help you sleep better too! 5. Exercise throughout the day Keeping fit and healthy is a general GO GO. It can work wonders for all sorts of things. By exercising throughout the day, whether it's a walk to the park, a swim in the pool or a vigorous gym session, it can help you feel more energised in the day and therefore improve your sleep at night time. 6. Be mindful of what you eat and drink Watching your diet and doing things in moderation is the general consensus. Although us Brits enjoy a cup of tea (or 10) per day, caffeine can actually have an impact on your body, thus impacting your sleep. Try switching to decaf later on in the day or drinking less caffeinated products. 7. Unwind at the end of the day The modern lifestyle often proves chaotic and people find themselves responding to emails right until their head hits the pillow - stop that. It’s important to create a balance between your work and social life, so make sure you dedicate time to leaving work behind and thinking about you. Whether you like to sit down with a book, listen to music or partake in a yoga session, taking time on you at the end of the day can really prepare you for sleep. If you are looking to enhance your sleeping environment, visit the main site for information on our range of mattresses and accessories.
