How to sleep well

By exposing yourself to sunlight, it helps your natural inbuilt body clock orientate itself which helps the body release hormones (melatonin) that help you sleep at the right time. This can improve the quality and length of your night’s sleep.

Routine is key! Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, and yes I’m afraid that even means on a weekend. This really helps to get your body into a sleep rhythm which helps improve your ability to fall asleep and the quality of your sleep. It’s also important to set a daily pre-bed routine that you follow every night which needs to include some wind-down time and relaxation so your body has the cues that it is winding down to sleep. If you can’t sleep after 20 mins, get up and start the routine again.

Blocking out as much noise and light from your sleeping environment can really aid sleep and help prevent you from waking up prematurely. It is also important not to get too hot in the night, so don’t cover yourself in all the duvets. Your core body temperature when asleep naturally drops and this helps aid sleep so if you raise your body temperature in the night it will disrupt and affect your sleep.

Caffeine and alcohol, screen time (on your laptop or phone), and large meals late at night can make getting to sleep or staying to sleep difficult and can lower the quality of the sleep you do get. It is the blue light from screens that disrupt sleep as it suppresses a natural sleep hormone called melatonin. If you want to continue the use of your laptop or phone then we recommend getting a blue light blocking filter on your devices or using blue light blocking glasses.