If you’re like me, and have been ravaged by parenthood, then you probably look forward to bed time. I love sleep and hate the thought of anything getting in the way of good night’s sleep. A mediocre sleep will not do at all and anything less than a great sleep is just not worth having.
That’s why I thought I’d share my essential ingredients for a great night’s sleep. They’re really simple to follow and they’ll ensure you finally get some of the rest you deserve.
My simple tips for a great night’s sleep
Please be aware these tips cannot compete with crying babies, children’s bad dreams or toddlers that need a wee at 3a.m.
Have a caffeine curfew
At the risk of sounding like a proper old lady, I need to admit something about my caffeine habits. I can’t cope with any caffeine at all after about 7pm. I used to enjoy a regular stream of cosy cuppas all evening through ’til bed time, but once I hit thirty, it all had to change.
Now I have to switch to something non-caffeinated in the hours before bed or I find it hard to drift off and even harder to stay asleep. Chamomile is meant to be the tea of the evening, but I much prefer peppermint tea, or whatever fruit tea catches my eye in Tesco.
Create the perfect setting for a great night’s sleep
Declutter your room, buy soft sheets, install a blackout blind. Do whatever you can to make your bedroom the perfect setting for a great night’s sleep. Your bed should seem inviting and you should look forward to collapsing into it at the end of the day.
I think buying a bed and a mattress is something you should never be afraid to spend money on. When it comes to mattresses, you really do get what you pay for, so do your research into the kind of mattress you want, then plump for the best one you can afford. Mattresses from Bed Guru come in all shapes and sizes, so they’re bound to have something that meets your needs and helps your reach a deep and regenerating slumber.
Hygiene Genie
Everyone knows a bath before bed is meant to help you drift off, but that’s not the only hygienic hack that works. Change your sheets every few days (nothing beats clean sheets, right?). Take off your makeup before bed every night and make sure you don’t use any face creams that will transfer onto your pillow case.
Going to bed clean is a great way to make sure you relax. It’s the last job you can tick off your list before bed and you can nod off with zero items on your to-do list and a clear head for the next day.
About 70 million adults in the United States have sleeping disorders, according to Cleveland Clinic. If you’re one of them, you probably use an assistive machine to help you sleep at night. People with sleep apnea, for example, need continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines to breathe while they sleep. If you have one, make sure to regularly clean and disinfect your CPAP machine with a safe cleaner and sanitizer as part of your bedtime hygiene routine.
Wear the right PJs
This one sounds a little silly but if you’re constantly waking because you’re too hot or too cold, you’ll never get that perfect sleep. Similarly, if you not off in something sultry that you’re tangled up in by 2 a.m. then it’s probably best if you go pyjama shopping.
It might also help to sleep in a plait. I have really long hair and before I used to plait it at night, I would get woken every once in a while when my husband rolled onto it and made me feel like it was being ripped from my scalp!
If you follow all of these tips (or even just a few), you should find that you enter a peaceful slumber and wake up feeling refreshed. Good luck!
If you like it, share it or pin it!
