Top tips for a good night’s sleep
Stick to a sleep schedule
Go to bed and wake up at a similar time each day, even at the weekend. This helps to regulate your body’s clock and could help you fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.
Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual
A relaxing routine before bed conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that would otherwise stimulate your brain and keep you awake. Your body needs time to shift into sleep mode, so spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as taking a bath and/or reading a book. Listen to relaxing music, an audio book or podcast to help you switch off.
iPamper recommends these products to use before bedtime to aid relaxation and sleep, All are available to purchase in our online shop.
Eve Taylor Aroma Wax Massage Candles ( Available in a choice of beautiful fragrances) To burn in your bathroom or Bedroom and massage into Hands, Neck, Feet before bed.
Absolute Aromas Goodnight Aroma Roll. Apply to pulse points, across the forehead and temples before bed.
Absolute Aromas Good Night Essential Oil Blend. This versatile oil can be used in an oil burner, mixed into a bath, added to a carrier oil for massage or a few drops on your pillow.
If you have trouble sleeping, avoid naps, especially in the afternoon
Power napping may help you get through the day, but if you find that you can’t fall asleep at bedtime, eliminating even short catnaps may help.
Exercise daily
Even light exercise is better than no activity, and try to get outside for some fresh air.
Your bedroom should be cool, between 15 – 20 degrees and free from any noise. Consider using blackout curtains, eye masks, ear plugs, white noise machines, humidifiers, fans and other devices as you see necessary. But be mindful about needing too many props to fall asleep as you don’t want to rely on these always for a good night’s sleep.
Make sure your mattress is comfortable and supportive. The one you have been using for years may have exceeded its life expectancy (about 9 or 10 years for most good quality mattresses). Have comfortable pillows and make the room attractive and inviting for sleep.
Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and heavy meals in the evening.
Alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine can disrupt sleep. Eating big or spicy meals can cause discomfort from indigestion that can make it hard to sleep. If you can, avoid eating large meals for two to three hours before bedtime, but if you do get hungry, try a light snack 45 minutes before bed.
If you can’t sleep, go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel tired
It is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the bedroom. Use your bed only for sleep to strengthen the association with sleeping.
If you’re still having trouble sleeping, don’t hesitate to speak with your doctor or to find a sleep professional. You may also benefit from recording your sleep patterns in a sleep diary to help you better evaluate common patterns or issues you may see with your sleep or sleeping habits. Diaries can be paper based or using an app such as Sleep Cycle.