Your Ultimate Guide to the Best Sleep Ever

Sleeping should be the easiest, most natural thing in the world for us. Yet, more than 100 Million people in the U.S. alone suffer from poor sleeping cycles, meaning they struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep and suffer with long-term sleeping disorders.

Recent studies show that both sleep quality and quantity have declined over the past few decades. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 33% of American adults do not get the recommended 7 hours of sleep compared to 10% just 70 years ago.

Sleep is necessary for our bodies to function properly. Think about what an occasional night without sleep makes you feel the next day. Most people feel grumpy, irritable, rundown, and exhausted.

Adequate sleep is a necessary human function that affects our immune system, brain function, ability to lose weight, cardiovascular health, and productivity.

How do you get the best nights sleep ever?

· Cultivate soothing pre-sleep routine
Cultivating a pre-bed routine is the best way to wind slow down your body and prime it for sleep. With the routine, you will establish a clear association between certain habits and sleep – this lets your brain and muscles know that it’s time to decompress.

Think about the things you do before you turn in for the night. If you’re doing overly stimulating things, you might have more trouble falling asleep. Instead, find a relaxing activity and set at least 30 minutes aside before bed. This may include; reading, listening to relaxing music and deep breathing exercises or even knitting. Follow with other usual pre-bed activities such as washing your face/bathing, nightwear and brushing your teeth.

·Progressive muscle relaxation
This is a simple exercise which involves tightening and relaxing one muscle group at a time. Lie on your bed to increase your chances of falling asleep. Start with your feet and work your way towards your neck- tensing and releasing each muscle. You should be able to feel your muscles relax and become loose. By the time you get to your neck, your body and mind will be relaxed enough to fall into your best nights sleep ever.

·Block out distractions
Decluttering your mind is an absolute prerequisite for sleep. Mental chatter such as worries over money and time make it hard for you to fall asleep. Engage your mind in repetitive mental exercises such as counting down from 100, alphabetizing and reciting your favorite quotes or lyrics. This will quiet your mind and help you sleep faster.

· Practice Journaling
Write down your thoughts, feelings, and worries before sleep. According to a study conducted by Journal of Experimental Psychology, writing in a journal 15 minutes before bed helps you to worry less at bedtime and achieve better sleep. In addition, writing down your sleep quality such as dreams and length of sleep and how well you rested also helps the quality of sleep you get. A sleep diary will help you recognize patterns in your sleep that need improving. How can I sleep better at night naturally?

·Find the underlying cause
There are many reasons that could be wrecking your sleep including; high-stress levels, relationship stress, illness, pain, over-reliance on technology, depression and more. Finding out what might be causing your sleep problems is the first step to a better nights sleep.

·Stick to a sleep schedule
Your body has a regulatory system called the circadian rhythm. It’s like an internal clock which helps your body feel energized and drowsy around the same times every day. Having the same sleeping habits such as a set bedtime ritual,where bedtime and wake up time is the same helps regulates your internal clock and stay asleep for the night.

·Relaxation techniques take steps to manage stress
The right amount of stress helps us to do our best, keep alert and be energetic. However, too much stress during the day can cause sleepless nights. Stress, anxiety, and depression which are the most common causes of insomnia.
For you to have better sleep at night, it is important to learn how to sort out worries, anxiety, and concerns. Practicing mindfulness, meditation, light yoga and pirate stretches can help you reduce stress before bed and sleep better.

·Pro-sleep foods
There are many foods that contain naturally occurring substances which relax your muscles and encourage sleeping better. Consider adding having some of the following foods and drinks before bed; almonds, whole grain crackers, salmon, bananas, cherries and, passionflower tea, and low-fat warm milk. It is also important to watch what you eat before we sleep. Avoid spicy foods, fried foods, sugary cereal, hot sauce, coffee and soda before bed as they make it a lot harder for you to fall asleep.

·Exercise
Recent studies show that physical activity improves the sleep of people with chronic insomnia and sleep apnea. Regular exercise reduces stress levels and improves anxiety disorder- common causes of sleep problems.

Exercising in the afternoon is particularly helpful. Exercise increases your body temperature and the temperature drop after exercising will help you fall asleep at night. Studies have also shown that exercise increases the time you spend in deep sleep.

It is important to note that vigorous exercises before bed and overtraining can lead to sleep difficulties. You can perform moderate aerobic exercises before you go to sleep. Mind-body exercises such as stretching and yoga contribute to more restful sleep by helping you to relax.

What are the best conditions to improve your sleeping?

·Organized, clutter-free bedroom
Having a clean, sleep hygiene, organized bedroom waiting for you makes bedtime more enticing. Get rid of all clutter in your bedroom. Clutter around where you sleep will make you stressed. A clean space also allows you to breathe more easily.
Consider rearranging the furniture and clear dirty laundry off the floor. This will create more space to put your mind at ease. While you’re at it, wash your pillows, bed sheets and clean your mattress. Do this in spring to get rid of allergens and dust mites. The result will be less sneezing, itching, and congestion and therefore, less trouble sleeping.

·Dark and quiet room
Our bodies are affected by both light and dark environments. On the one hand daylight, hours naturally power our brain signaling to us when it’s time to wake and on the other hand dark environments signal it’s time to rest.

· Create a good bedroom environment
However, modern living exposes to unnatural light sources such as bulbs, smartphones, e-readers, televisions and more. This causes our brain to repress the production of melatonin- sleep hormone and makes it harder for us to fall asleep. It is therefore important to avoid harsh lights before bedtime.

Noise is also another big distraction. Your sleep environment should be dark and quiet. Try installing low-wattage incandescent lamps or a dimmer switch in your bedroom. Get rid of any devices and technology (including T.V.) that may be keeping you awake and clear any sound or disruptions before bed.

·Optimum room temperature
Hot and cold rooms can seriously affect how you sleep- you are more likely to wake during the night if your bedroom uncomfortably hot or cold. Your body cools down when getting into sleep mode and sleeping in a cool environment will your body maintain the low temperature. The ideal sleeping temperature for adults should be 16-18C (60-65F) while young children and elderly people may require a slightly warmer environment.

How can I get deep sleep at night?
The deep sleep stage is when your body and brain waves slow down. It is an important part of the sleep cycle is the restorative sleep state where muscles receive more blood supply, body tissues are repaired and energy levels are recharged. It’s important for maintaining, repairing, and rejuvenating your body and brain. Since deep sleep is elusive, here are some ways you can achieve the deep sleep stage;

·Use Pink noise
Pink noise is a natural-sounding mix of high and low-frequency sounds. A recent study showed that pink noise significantly increased deep sleep and enhances the brain activity associated with deep sleep. Other studies have shown that pink noise also improves sleep quality and induces more stable sleep.

·Adjust your sleep position
Fetal position (side sleeping) is the best sleeping position. It allows the spine to straighten out, lowers your heart rate, increases blood flow and reduces constipation. In addition, side sleeping takes pressure off your lower back and helps you achieve the deep stage in your sleep.

·Take a warm bath before bed
A warm bath raises your body temperature and the subsequent cooling down tricks your body into thinking you have gone from daytime into night-time relaxing you for the best nights sleep. Sleep cycle follows cooling phase of your body’s temperature cycle and getting a hot bath will help you get into the deep sleep stage faster. The biggest benefits of a really good nights sleep

·Strengthens immune system
Sleep is one of the best ways to strengthen your immune system and fight off disease. Your body needs sleep to regenerate infection-fighting cells and antibodies. This is why people who don’t get enough/quality sleep are more prone to get sick after being exposed to bacteria and viruses such as the common cold virus. Furthermore, lack of sleep is associated with diabetes, heart disease, poor immune systems, and poor mental health.

·Restores energy
A good night’s sleep will restore energy and replenishes your body. The deep sleep stage dramatically recharges our energy levels in the brain regions that are normally active during waking hours. In addition, sleep decreases your energy metabolism and conserves it for when you need it the most needed.

·Enhances brain function and improves memory
Sleep triggers different changes which strengthen connections between nerve cells and the brain. Your brain consolidates learned experiences and transforms weak, short term memories time into more permanent fixtures.

·Reduces Stress
A good night’s sleep is important for lowering anxiety and stress levels in the body. Sleeping is the best way to recharge and remove your day’s stress. However, too much stress can also affect the quality of sleep you get at night.

·Promotes skin health and youthful appearance
Quality sleep and healthy sleeping is important for skin health. Poor sleep can lead to increased inflammation hurting your skin’s quality or causing skin conditions such as acne or psoriasis.

Your body’s hydration also rebalances while you are sleeping. This enables your skin to recover any lost moisture while excess water is removed. Poor water balance due to lack of sleep can lead to dry, flaky skin, and under-eye circles and more visible wrinkles.
Simply having a bedtime routine and adding a daily melatonin supplement can help with sleep deprivation and help restore the disrupted sleep you are suffering from.

On top of this a luxury bed linen like our Jersey Knit TShirt bedding can also help as luxury sleep aids.

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