Out of This World – how to sleep better
AD – in partnership with TEMPUR®
Creating a healthy sleep routine is something I’ve paid a lot of attention to during the most recent lockdown. Whereas previously I might have stayed up late watching TV, overdosing on news and endlessly scrolling on my phone, over the past few months I’ve deliberately focused on activities that help reduce my stress and anxiety levels and prioritise my well-being.
Having a good night’s sleep won’t make all your worries magically melt away, but it will ensure you wake up feeling refreshed, more energised and ready for the day ahead. Importantly, establishing a healthy sleep pattern on a regular basis will also help support your immune system.
I firmly believe we often underestimate just how important good sleep is to our overall well-being, so for National Sleep Awareness Week I’ve teamed up with TEMPUR® to share some simple practices that will help you sleep better, deeper and longer. I also have an exclusive TEMPUR® discount code you can use if you’d like to try out a TEMPUR® mattress or pillow for yourself.
Out of this World – TEMPUR®’s NASA technology
TEMPUR®’s products have their origins in NASA technology. Their renowned memory foam mattress material was originally developed by scientists in the late 70s to absorb G force pressure during space flight. Their mattresses and pillows work by conforming to your body, eliminating pressure points and distributing your weight more evenly, all of which helps you to a comfortable night’s sleep.
5 Tips for a better night’s sleep
If sleeping well is something you’ve found yourself struggling with recently here are a few ideas you might like to try, all of which I have personally found helpful.
1. Make your bedroom a sanctuary
Cast a critical eye around your bedroom. Is it a calm, relaxing space? If not what simple steps could you take to improve it? Edit out distracting or unnecessary objects and try to create a soothing space that sets the mood for rest and sleep. Choose soft lighting to gently illuminate the space, inviting cushions and throws and artwork that help put you in the right frame of mind – a calming landscape perhaps or an abstract scene in a pleasing colour palette.
2. Unwind with a relaxing bath
If you find yourself feeling tired, stressed or anxious at the end of the day spend half an hour or so enjoying a bath just before bedtime to help you wind down. I like to add a few spoonfuls of magnesium rich Epsom salts to mine for an extra soothing effect.
3. Practise yoga or mindfulness meditation
Whereas a bath quite literally washes away the stresses and strains of the day, yoga practice can do the same thing metaphorically. I try to fit in a restorative yoga practice to relax my body and quieten my mind a few times a week before I go to bed. If you are tired or don’t have much time, then even just a few simple stretches or some mindful breathing exercises can help achieve a similar effect.
4. Banish tech from the bedroom.
Do you sleep with your phone next to your bed, checking it last thing at night and first thing in the morning? I am often guilty of this, however if we don’t switch off properly at the end of the day we fail to create the conditions in which deep, refreshing sleep will come to us most easily and naturally. Try leaving your phone in another room or put it away in a drawer so that you avoid looking at it immediately before you go to bed. You can always use that time to read a book instead.
5. Choose the right pillow
Make sure you are sleeping on a pillow that offers you the right level of support. The ultra-sensitive material in my TEMPUR® pillow responds as soon as I put my head on it, adjusting to whatever position I sleep in and helping ensure I have a comfortable night’s sleep. Like their mattresses, TEMPUR® pillows absorb motion, so if either you or your partner tend to toss or turn a lot in your sleep you are less likely to disturb one another.
Finally, I like to spray on a little pillow mist just before I turn the lights off. My favourite is one infused with calm inducing lavender and other soothing essential oils. It may seem a small thing but little rituals like this can help signal to your brain that it’s the end of the day and time to wind down and gently ease into sleep.
This post is part of a paid partnership with TEMPUR®, but as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
