By BR Amelia
Hygiene isn’t the loveliest of words. Sleep hygiene doesn’t sound all that lovely either. But if you work on your sleep hygiene you can find yourself looking… lovelier. Feeling it too.
So what the heck are we going on about? Sleep hygiene is the practice of doing certain things before you go to bed in order to get a better night’s sleep. So if you find yourself tossing and turning , counting sheep, watching the clock tick closer and closer to the time your alarm goes off, this article is for you.
First things first, look around your bedroom. Is there a television in there? Get rid of it. The bedroom should be for two things only… the two s-words. One is sleep… and the other? A form of horizontal exercise, which can be rather relaxing in itself. Working from bed is out. Even reading from bed is out. As for that smart phone you use for an alarm? You can keep it there, but don’t pick it up unless it’s to swipe ‘stop’ before you spring out of bed in the morning.
Next, find the right temperature for you and maintain it – too cold and you’ll wake up shaking in your sheets, too hot and you’ll wake up drenched in sweat gasping for some water. But when it’s just right? You can almost hear those soft little snores now…
Another important step to creating good sleep is setting up a sleeping pattern, which basically means going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Yes, even on the weekends. Tempted to sleep in? Don’t, but do feel free to take a nap earlier in the day, just try and keep it to under an hour.
Those are the basics, but there are even more things you can do to ensure a better beauty sleep. Quit the caffeine at least six hours before your head hits the pillow – that means tea, coffee, and *sigh* coke. Avoid alcohol and nicotine, or at best, cut down. And try not to think a few more drinks will make you sleep more soundly, if anything it’ll wake you up in the middle of the night, mind racing, throat dry and with a desperate need to go to the toilet. Also try to avoid drinking too much of anything before bed, the last thing you want is to wake up in the early hours with a full bladder.
If it’s your racing mind waking you up or keeping you awake, learn some tips for relaxation like deep breathing, meditation, or try this trick a drama teacher taught me – when you’re lying down tense your body up, every muscle, as tight as you can. Then slowly start to release the muscles from your toes upwards, bit by bit. You might be surprised to find how well that can work.
So there you have, some basics for better beauty sleep. Are you a reluctant night owl? Or have you got your sleep hygiene sorted? Do you have any tips or tricks to share? Chat away…
I am a reluctant night owl, but to be honest I do a lot of work in the evenings once the kids are in bed... uninterrupted time and if I am not working then I am having a bit of 'Me' time. I know I need more sleep, but it is a small sacrifice as long as it's not all-night/every-night. I admit I don't stay up as late (or rather as early) now as I used to. I do however refuse to take laptop/phone or books to bed (with exception to a sudoku book) and what is this sleep-in you speak of??? ;)