Are you getting enough sleep? 

If you’re like most…there’s a high chance that you are not! Most people are seriously sleep deprived, and guess what? For those who are, it’s seriously damaging your health!

Anything less than 6 hours of quality sleep per night and you increase your chances of developing illness, hormonal imbalances, type 2 diabetes, and even Alzheimers disease. 

Whilst 6 hours should be the very minimum, most experts actually recommend 8 hours of sleep per night. 

If you are sleep deprived, or not sleeping longer than 6 hours per night, don’t worry, because in this post we’re going to share 3 Quality Sleep Tips to ensure you get better quality sleep, and lead a healthier and greater quality of life.

#1 Monitoring Your Sleep 

The first port of call is actually assessing your sleep. How long are you sleeping for each night? Most people will have a rough idea, but if you don’t, then it’s time to start tracking your sleep. 

You can do this by downloading sleep apps onto your phone, you could also just do it the old fashioned way…and get a rough time of when you fall to sleep, and then log your wake up time. There are also more advanced methods which are recommend – such as cpap machines for sleep apnea, this could be a great option for those who are really struggling, and wanting to improve their quality of sleep. 

#2 Creating The Right Environment To Switch Off

Having a nice, relaxing bedroom environment is key. To create the best environment for sleep, you want your bed to be comfy, with a firm mattress (but not too hard). It’s also wise to have nice comfy bedding – not too thick, nor too thin. 

Finally, it’s also extremely important to make your bedroom as dark as possible. Your body releases a hormone called melatonin in dark environments, which sends a signal to your brain to get ready for sleep. The darker your bedroom the easier it will be to fall asleep. You can make your bedroom dark by purchasing black out blinds, or wearing a comfy sleeping mask. 

#3 Turn Off All Electrical Appliances

Blue light which is emitted from your TV, phone, laptop, etc will interrupt your bodies ability to switch off, and go into a deep sleep. It’s recommend that you turn off all electrical appliances at least 1 hour before bed, if you can aim for 2 hours. This will allow your brain to slowly unwind, and so that your body can drift off into a deep sleep. 

We know that for many of you, in the evening, you want to relax in front of the TV, scroll through social media, and use technology to unwind. However, it will often do the opposite and sleep will suffer. 

Instead, why not go for a gentle walk a couple of hours before bed. Or one of our favourite recommendations, is to have a nice, warm, relaxing bath. A warm bath will help you relax tight muscles, caused by stress, and sitting at a desk all day. It will also help to lower your body temperature once you get out of the bath. Your body needs to cool down in order to go to sleep, so a bath is perfect for priming your body for peaceful nights sleep. 

#4 Sleep Supplements

Adding supplements into your daily routine can also aid better sleep, and may be something worth considering. For example you can use magnesium and zinc, also known as ZMA.

Both magnesium and zinc will help your muscles relax, and repair damage, both of these supplements promote high quality sleep. From my experience, I would highly recommend taking Magnesium Glycinate, and Zinc Picolinate – 1 hour before bed.

#5 Sunlight Exposure

It’s been proven that spending time outside during the day does wonders for promoting a better nights sleep. Most adults are stuck inside all day, staring at artificial lights on a computer screen, and barely experiencing any natural light. This artificial environment, and lack of sunlight will negatively impact sleep.

When possible, get outdoors during the day, and get as much natural light as possible, even if it’s just a 30 minute walk on your lunch break. Then at the weekends, when you are off work, go for long countryside walks (1-3 hours). This will not only promote better sleep, but also help you to destress, unwind and help to relax both your mind and body – again increasing the likelihood of a better nights sleep.