AD | “Sleep is the golden chain that binds health and our bodies together.” So wrote the Elizabethan dramatist and writer, Thomas Dekker. And he was right, it’s so important to practise effective sleeping habits to help you stay healthy. Research shows that a poor night’s sleep can not only have a negative impact on your hormones, but also your performance on daily tasks. As well as this, it can cause weight gain, and increase the risk of diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes.
6 effective sleeping habits to help you stay healthy
Unfortunately, many people regularly get a poor night’s sleep. Practising good sleep hygiene is key but there are other things you can do too. Here are some effective sleeping tips to help you sleep better and wake up feeling healthier and more refreshed.
Prepare for an early night
You can’t expect to go to bed early with an active mind and sleep well. Your preparation for a good night’s sleep should be made well in advance. Why not relax with a warm (not hot) bath and try some lavender drops which can help promote peace and well being. Or try another combination of essential oils if you prefer a more personal blend. Meditation can help you to get in the right frame of mind to sleep too, as this will help you to release tension and emotion from the day. All of which is key to helping you relax well enough to get some proper sleep.
Aim for 8 hours of sleep per night
Next, make sure you have enough time to sleep. The optimum amount of sleep for a human is around eight hours. However, experts believe that having an hour of sleep before midnight has the same effect of having two hours sleep after midnight. So that’s why you’re likely to feel tired after a late night, even if you have a lie in the next day. Your body needs time to replenish energy – it’s not called beauty sleep for nothing. Try to get to bed an hour or two before midnight whenever possible.
Prepare your space
You’ll also want to ensure your bed is comfortable enough. In fact, this is one of the most effective sleeping habits you can practise, and you won’t go far wrong with a classic wooden bed. Experts also recommend changing your mattress every few years. But you can turn it over in the meantime as well, to avoid it sagging and becoming uncomfortable. Make sure that you have a comfortable blanket and pillow, and that the room is the right temperature for you. Too hot or too cold and you’ll most likely find yourself waking up in the night.
Eliminate blue light
It’s a good idea to eliminate blue light from your bedroom as this disturbs your sleep pattern by making your brain think that it’s daytime. And it won’t produce enough sleep hormones to help you get a restful night’s sleep. So remove all electronic devices such as your i-Pad, Kindle, or mobile phone from your bedroom. And if you want to read before you go to sleep, choose some soft LED lighting to read a traditional book by rather than an e-Reader device.
Consider the use of sleep aids
There are many sleep aids you can use to help improve the quality of your sleep. For example, a sleep mask or a made to measure window blind can help to block out the light and lull you into a deeper slumber. You may also opt for some natural and organic sleep aid options too, such as a calming sleep tonic to help relax both body and mind at the end of the day. Thanks to Dragonfruit and Acerola, both packed with antioxidant-rich Vitamin C, it’s the perfect way to wind down, reset, and make the most of your beauty sleep.
One of the most effective sleeping tips, if you find snoring disturbs you, is to look for anti-snoring devices. Some people have even started taping their mouths at night. This increases the amount of nitric oxide circulating in your blood and helps you to breathe through your nose properly. And this in turn helps increase your heart function and reduce snoring for a better night’s sleep.
Sleep aid devices, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines and nasal or full-face CPAP masks, also help alleviate snoring and breathing problems during sleep. An estimated 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, which causes breathing pauses during sleep. Sleep apnea can severely affect a person’s sleep quality and even cause complications when left untreated. Signs such as breathing pauses during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, and waking with a headache, dry mouth, or sore throat, can be a sign of sleep apnea. It’s a good idea to consult your health-care provider if you experience these symptoms.
Regular exercise
Regular exercise has many health benefits, and one of these is that it promotes a good night’s sleep. But it’s best not to exercise too late in the evening. Try going for an early evening work out to help you to relax and unwind after a hard day’s work. Exercise will also increase your heart and lung capacity, which will help promote a more restful night’s sleep too.
So there we are, 6 great tips for effective sleeping habits to help you get a good night’s sleep. And not only will they help you feel more rested, you’ll see benefits in both your mental and physical health too. Because as our national poet, William Shakespeare, put it so well, “Sleep… knits up the ravelled sleave of care… Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course. Chief nourisher in life’s feast.”
Do you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep? Have you tried any of these effective sleeping habits? What sleeping tips can you share to help us all stay healthy, both in mind and body?
* This is a contributed post and has affiliate links (please see my Disclaimer).
These are some really helpful tips. I was struggling earlier in the year but since I’ve made a conscious effort to make sure I get enough sleep, I’ve noticed such a difference.
Thank you, Kelly – I’m so glad to hear you’re sleeping better now.
This is great advice Lisa. Although I’ve never heard of taping your mouth, that would make me panic I think.
I love sleep and I feel so much better now I go to bed earlier x
TBH, it’s not something I’d want to try either but apparently it works! And yes, going to bed a little earlier does seem to make a real difference x
These are all great points Lisa! The ones that resonate with me the most is trying to get 8 hours of sleep, eliminating blue light and preparing for an early night. I have never tried sleep aids but I might give them a try. I am so guilty of not getting up to 8 hours sleep but I’ll definitely correct that and I love your ideas for preparing for an early night. Preparing for an early night helps me get the most out of sleeping. Great post x!.
Eliminating blue light is such a strange one – I had no idea it was so bad for sleep but banning phones from our bedroom has made such a difference. I do aim for 8 hours but don’t always achieve them! x
My sleep has gone mental recently. Why is that when I don’t have work the following day, I sleep like a log. As soon as it’s the night before work, I can’t settle. Also, I can snooze on the sofa in seconds but as soon as my head hits my pillow upstairs, nothing!?
The pandemic and stress has messed with my sleeping but it’s time to get it back in control. Thank you for sharing this!
Rosie
I’m so guilty of falling asleep in front of the television – at around 8.30pm I can feel my eyelids coming down like roller shutters! I’m glad you found these tips helpful, Rosie, I hope your sleep pattern improves in 2021!
I find preparing my room for bedtime is really important, I make sure we change the sheets every Saturday and turning the heating on for about 30 mins before we get into bed so our room is nice a warm, especially in the winter. Thanks for sharing x
Ooooh, that’s a good tip about heating for 30 minutes before bed, thank you! x
If only I didn’t have a toddler who wakes 600x a night!! I’ll give your tips a try in a hope I’ll get a couple hours of decent sleep! Lol
Rachael x
Ah, I’ve been there, it’s a challenge for sure! We ended up going for blackout blinds, they worked a treat 🙂 x
This is such a great post! I need to get back into the habit of switching off before bed because there’s nothing worse than trying to sleep when you’re still switched on xx
Hannah | https://luxuryblush.co.uk/
Thank you – yes, winding down is key, I always read a paperback for 20 minutes before lights out, it really helps! x
Such an interesting post, I will admit that I have been struggling to get a good nights sleep recently. I do need to start removing devices from my room as I’m terrible if I wake up during the night and go on my phone. However, I might try increasing to a more regular exercise routine as well.
Banning phones from our bedroom really did make a huge difference to our sleep quality – it’s probably the best thing we did that I can recommend!
Great tips to getting a good night’s sleep. I’ve been utilizing all of these tips and agree it’s important to plan ahead and stick to a sleep schedule as much as possible. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Jodie, I’m glad they were helpful!
These are all great tips. The one that I can currently most vouch for is the exercise one. I sleep so much better after a decent workout or just a good walk!
Thank you – yes, I find if I’ve been out for a walk during the day I do sleep a lot better at night too!
I try to aim to get 8 hours of sleep a night, it really does help me function for the rest of the day! I exercise everyday and that definitely contributes to a good night’s sleep, a great post Lisa x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Thank you, Lucy – I aim for 8 but usually manage 6, although more if I can get to bed before midnight! x
I’ve been desperately trying to stick to a sleep schedule since I went Freelance but it hasn’t worked! So I should really try some of these tips. Not sure how I feel about the tape though x
I know, I’ve seen your tweets about blogging at 4.00am! Hopefully some of these tips will help 🙂 x
Sleep is one thing that I’ve always struggled with but I find that it takes SO much work to try to slow my mind down, so I don’t usually follow through on your first point. I think I’m going to have to make this a priority as we move forward. Hopefully, it will make the difference!
I don’t always follow my first point either, haha, but the main thing is winding down – often I can do that just by reading a book in bed for 30 minutes though 🙂
Love these tips for an effective sleep! So important to eliminate any sort of light. I stopped using a night light and it helped so much! Totally agree with having regular exercise. That way, it helps you become tired and sleep better. Thanks for sharing these tips!! Totally agree with them.
Nancy ✨
Thank you so much, Nancy – interesting about a night light, I find if it’s a full moon that disturbs my sleep pattern completely!
Lisa, great tips, many of wish I could apply right now. Well, not right now as I am typing, but when it’s nighty-night time. One, in particular, is getting at least 8 hours of quality sleep. Even though I know how important that is, I still can’t seem to get it done. I’m up all day and night trying to maximize the day. Unhealthy? For sure!
I also use a CPAP that doesn’t work as prescribed. Instead of allowing me to breathe more freely through my nose, it simply pushes air out my mouth. Therefore, every hour or so, my wife is nudging me, which means even less sleep.
Yeah, there’s a lot that you just mentioned that I should be doing. Perhaps it’s time I heed some beneficial advice and try it out for a while. What could it hurt?
Thank you, Barry. I hope some of these tips will work for you but if not, there are plenty of other alternatives out there. And I don’t think it’s worth getting too exercised over sleeping patterns, that’s just extra stress!
I love exercising in the evening as it helps me sleep better! I have also discovered that I have to start getting ready for bed at least an hour before I am actually ready to sleep; it takes time to get into the mindset and polish off the last of day’s little things. 🙂
Happy New Year!
It’s great to hear you’ve got a routine that works for you, Jaya! And Happy New Year to you too 🙂
I’m having trouble falling asleep. I try to aim for 6-8 hours of sleep, but I usually get only 4 hours. The culprits are my Kindle and I-phone. It’s a great idea to eliminate these electronic devices from the bedroom. Thanks for the tips, Happy New Year!
Oh yes, I’m sure if you ban electronic devices from your bedroom you’ll find sleep comes much more easily – good luck and Happy New Year too!
These are good tips! As a mum of two adorable but energetic little boys I agree sleep is so important, haha!
Hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and are having a happy new year 🙂
Oh yes, sleep when you have young kids is even more precious! Happy New Year, Mica 🙂
These are wonderful tips! I agree that regular exercise and removing electronic items from the bedroom helps sleep better.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Thank you so much, I’m glad they are helpful!
Great tips – sleep can be so elusive some nights!
Thank you – yes, indeed it can!
Thanks for the tips! May this year bring new happiness, new goals, new achievements, and a lot of new inspirations on your life. Wishing you a year fully loaded with happiness.
Happy New year 2021 🎇
Thank you so much, and I wish you the same 🙂
Thanks for sharing these tips, I have find it hard to sleep with aniexty, but been calm before bed helps a lot 🙂
You’re welcome – I’m glad you have something that works for you 🙂
Sleep is very important indeed. I agree with you, that a good mattress is necessary for a good sleep. We just bought a new one and it should be delivered in a week or two, as the last one was not comfortable any more.
How funny, we were thinking that we need a new mattress too – currently wondering about an Emma or a Leeza!
Thanks for sharing these tips, Lisa! Building effective sleeping habits is so important, but something which most of us can never quite master. These are all great ideas – I’ve certainly found that eliminating blue light (easier said than done with the temptation of a phone!) and trying to create a lovely environment for sleep are key to achieving the coveted 8 hours of quality sleep 🙂
Blue light is a killer for peaceful sleep – banning our phones from our bedroom really has made a huge difference – although the dream of 8 hours can still be elusive!
I always aim to have at least 8 hours of sleep every night, and it honestly makes such a difference! I also avoid drinking anything past 7pm as I end up going to the loo otherwise.
My husband is the same – although his drink curfew is closer to 9pm 🙂
This article is very useful for me as it’s my goal to sleep more this year. I need my 8 hours of sleep! Will definitely be trying lavender oil!
Liz
http://www.piecesofliz.com
Honestly, lavender is such a lovely, calming oil – I even have lavender tea 🙂
I am having real trouble sleeping and only get a couple of hours if I am lucky other times I don’t sleep at all for days. I am trying better at a new night routine and coming off my phone a lot earlier in the evening. Thank you for sharing the other tips.
Lauren
I think sleep is an issue for many of us at the moment, but I’m sorry to hear you’re only getting a couple of hours. I hope your new routine will improve things for you, Lauren x