Published: 17 December 2020

Sleep is a fundamental part of our positive wellbeing. Too little can affect how we feel emotionally and physically.

Missing out on even 1 hour of sleep isn't good for us, but if it doesn't happen very often, we can cope. If it happens consistently and consecutively - our brains struggle to function, and our mood can dip which affects our wellbeing.

Here are 8 easy tips to get your beauty sleep in:

Think about your intake

Alcohol can initially relax us, but it also dehydrates us. Inevitably we will wake up in the night because we need a drink, we’re too hot or we need to use the bathroom. All of these will disrupt our sleep, making us groggy in the morning!

Eat earlier

Our muscles have to process and digest what we eat, this takes energy from our bodies and can keep us awake for longer! Try and eat several hours before you go to bed.

Make a routine

This helps signal to our brain that we’re going to bed to sleep. Try and do the same things in the same order every night.

Avoid the caffeine

As Brits, we all love our tea but switch to decaf after 4 pm. Caffeine stays in our system for several hours and can affect our sleep. There's only a very small percentage of people that caffeine has no effect on.

Keep it cool

Make sure your room is cool enough to sleep in. If it's too hot, we tend to struggle to doze off and wake up in the night to throw the duvet off us.

Make it dark

Make sure no light is getting into your bedroom while you’re trying to sleep. Melatonin is the sleep hormone and is only released in dark environments. So, keep lights to a minimum and get blackout blinds or curtains for maximum melatonin.

Ditch the noise

If there's any noise in your room, this will stop you feeling relaxed so have all tech on silent and no ticking clocks.

Avoid the blue

Most tech now emits blue light which keeps us awake - try finding a setting to turn this off on your phone or tablet. You can also buy blue light blocking glasses online so you could keep watching TV or reading your kindle without being overstimulated.

Check out some sleep apps below which might help you nod off quicker;

• Pzizz - Uses "dreamscapes" – a mix of music, voiceovers, and sound effects designed using the latest clinical research – to help you sleep better at night or take power naps during the day.
  
  
• Sleepio -  Sleepio is an online sleep improvement programme that has been clinically proven to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep through the night, and give you more energy during the day.
  
  
• Sleep Cycle - Sleep Cycle tracks and analyses your sleep patterns. Choose your wake-up time, and the app will gently stir you from your slumber during your lightest phase of sleep to ensure that you wake up feeling rested, refreshed, and ready for the day ahead.

All apps are available for both iPhone and Android phones.

Thank you to Ellen Lapworth-Maisey for writing content