Shutterstock / TataSerg©Our Health writer, Yvonne, has picked up some tips to improve your sleep if you’re struggling.
We may be famed for talking about the weather, but another hot topic of discussion is sleep — or lack of, to be precise. It’s certainly a daily conversation in our house, along with “what’s for dinner?”.
Suffice to say my other half and I have not been sleeping well. It’s just been too warm — yes, even in Scotland! The fan I use only helps while it’s on but I need to stay awake to remember to switch it off . . .
I have, however, picked up 10 tips worth trying. The secret lies in not selecting just one but adopting as many as possible to increase your chances of a restful night’s sleep:
10 Ways To Improve Your Sleep
1. Invest in black out curtains.
Not only are they great for sleep-inducing darkness, but if you close them early enough, it should prevent the room from warming up too much before bedtime.
2. Stick to a regular routine.
Your body clock works best when it can stick to structured timings — even at weekends.
3. Avoid that last-minute check on social media before lights out.
It’s also wise to switch off from scary movies or any other adrenaline-pumping TV viewing a good hour or two before bed. While reading in bed works for me, it doesn’t for my other half. His favourite genre is thrillers — too thrilling to put down it turns out.
4. Clear your mind
If you close your eyes and you have a jumble of to-do thoughts careering about your head — take bins out; pick up prescription; what ARE we having for dinner…? — just jot them down on a beside notepad. It helps move it from your head and onto the pad, to be dealt with in daylight hours.
5. Avoid eating late at night.
The body can’t rest with all that digestion still to be done! Avoid alcohol or even a cuppa too close to bedtime.
6. Mattress matters
Is your mattress too soft or too hard? Be more Goldilocks — ensure your mattress is “just right” for you. Use lightweight bedding during summer months and opt for cooling cotton bedsheets.
We have great health advice each week in “The People’s Friend”, and our August 13 issue covers the fascinating topic of sleep paralysis. Scary as this may sound, don’t lose sleep over it! The magazine is available at most major supermarkets and newsagents.
Features Ed Alex, also looked at why we sleep, take a peek here.
To make sure you never miss our health advice, take a look at a subscription to “The People’s Friend”.
Yvonne McKenzie I work on the Features team and admit to being nosy, so I love looking after the Between Friends letters and finding out all about our lovely readers. I also look after our health copy and enjoy writing about inspiring people that help make the articles in the magazine so interesting.
