Sleep. Just the mention of the word and I start to feel all warm and cozy and start to think of bedtime. As a child, we would resist it at every opportunity. We would think up elaborate plans to stretch bedtime later and later. We would sulk in the summer when we had to go to bed before the sun had. And naps were something for babies and old people.
Fast forward many years and I look forward to climbing into bed before the sun does and actual bedtime can never be too early for me. Oh and naps, oh the holy grail of getting older, you get to have naps and no one can tell you off.
That all said I am rather fussy about it all. I can’t just curl up and have a nap with any old blanket. I am true and faithful to my grey chunky knit blanket that drapes across the sofa ready and waiting for any nap possibilities.
I am just as fussy with my bed too. All this fussiness isn’t just whimsical though there is solid reasoning behind it. I know how good for you sleep is. My youngest would wake 5 times a night from birth till he was 2. Nothing worked in those two years and I suffered. And now I have M.E the importance of a solid night’s sleep makes the difference in the morning. Rubbish night sleep and I crawl out of bed, literally, and will be in pain for days. If I have a couple of night of bad sleep…well you can imagine. Good sleep is important. It helps every inch of your body and how you funstion the following day. But the quality of sleep is overlooked as we think any old sleep will do. It might do but its only short term.
So my top tips for getting a good night sleep are, in no particular order:
The right temperature: I can’t sleep if I am too warm. Get those windows open, the heating off or lower your duvet tog. Besides half the point of being in bed is snuggling into the duvet, you can’t do that when you’re hot.
A bed that fits your needs: Why people sleep in a bed that isn’t right for them is beyond me. If you’re like me and spread out, get a bigger bed. If you need an adjustablebeds.co.uk/
Love your room: Your bedroom is somewhere you will probably spend a lot of time in. Yes, some of the time you’re snoring your head off but when your trying to doze off and when you first wake up you should be surrounded by loveliness. People often decorate their lounges and kitchens to how they want but then leave the bedroom a mismatch of furniture and riot of designs. Have you ever stayed in a hotel and was amazed how well or badly you slept? Some of it is down to the design of the room.
No electrics: yeah I know that ideally, the bedroom should be electronics free. So no tv, laptop etc. I admit I fail miserably at this one. I have a tv, and a laptop and actually have a computer in mine too but my excuse is I have a spare room as none of the darlings have flown the nest. I do though make sure all are turned off. And the neon bright led display from the alarm clock also has something over it at night.
Lastly, give it a smell: Yes I know this sounds odd but bear with me a minute. I have an oil burner in my room which I put lavender drops in. I light it when I am ready to go to sleep. Not only does the smell of lavender helps with sleep but the habit of lighting it as I go to sleep triggers my brain to know it’s sleep time. If I forget to light it I always take longer to fall asleep.
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