From lighting to bedding – 11 ways to get the best night’s sleep and turn your bedroom into a place of calm – The Sun

YOUR bedroom should be reserved for only sleep and sex. The environment you create for your bedroom can make or break your forty winks.

People who struggle to nod off tend to become hypersensitive to anything that poses a threat to kip.

Whether this be a ticking clock, heaps of laundry or the stand-by light on electrical equipment such as TVs or mobile phones, it does not take much for these to become the focus of attention when we’re trying to sleep.

Even little things that seem insignificant during the day can become your focus, such as a crack in the wall which may have been the subject of conversation with your partner about home improvements. So follow my guide to creating your own sleep oasis.

Visualise your oasis

LOOK into your bedroom and see clean and clear surfaces, smoothed bed linen and a plumped duvet and pillows.  Your bedside table has nothing on it but a reading lamp and possibly a book and scented candle.

You know that your wardrobes and space under the bed are clean, tidy and organised, clear of clutter. The room feels cool and airy. At night, the room is completely dark. The room is scented with the relaxing fragrance of lavender.

Mess=stress

DECLUTTERING your bedroom environment is the first thing to start with when creating the perfect sleep oasis. This helps to quieten the effects of “visual noise”.

Knowing everything is in its place and organised can create a sense of calm and relieve anxiety.

Start to declutter

DON’T leave anything out, other than the clothes you plan to wear the following day. This can help relieve some of the anxiety you may feel when you wake up in the night.

Dirty laundry spilling over a linen basket, or on to the floor, is not going to create a sense of organisation.

Stick to essentials

TAKE some time to organise your wardrobes and, if it helps to free space, remove items of clothing you know you are not going to wear in the coming months — such as winter coats in summer.

Store these items in large, sealed boxes under the bed.

Space under bed

IDEALLY, having nothing under the bed would be great, but this is not realistic if you live in a small space. Invest in proper boxes that can be stored down there but easily accessed if needed.  Anything that is not necessary in the bedroom can lead to distraction.

Too many pictures on the wall, or photos lined up on dressing tables, may not help if you’re trying to get off to sleep. A bedroom overcluttered with furniture may also feel slightly claustrophobic, so stick to the basics of bed, bedside table, lamp, wardrobe and chest of drawers.

Best bedding

YOU should invest in the best bedding to fit in with your budget — you spend a lot of time in bed so it needs to feel comfy.  The sales are often the best time to buy, but you don’t need lots.

Choose cotton sheeting, which is breathable and will keep your body temperature nice and stable at night.  Opt for hypoallergenic bedding, to avoid allergies which can disrupt your sleep and encourage snoring.

Select the right weight of duvet for the season, again to better regulate your body temperature. Try one that is two different togs clipped together, to see you through the seasons.  The perfect togs are 13.5 for the winter months and 4.5 in summer — although if it gets really hot, you may want to use just a sheet.

Weighted or gravity blankets may help you sleep because they offer comfort and can relieve anxiety. You may also want to invest in two ­separate duvets if you and your partner battle over a single one at night.

FACT

Lavender and bergamot can help relaxation. 

Keep it clean

NOTHING invites you to sleep better than fresh bed linen. How often you choose to change your bedding is up to you, but at least once a week is best.

A strategy often used by professional sports people is to have fresh linen each and every night.

The right scent

USE the right bedroom scents, and scented pillow sprays, to help create a fresh and calming environment. Lavender is much used to help with relaxation and sleep.

You can even buy lavender packs that heat up in the microwave for you to rest your head near at night for quality kip.

Blackout light

LIGHT is a powerful cue when it comes to shut-eye — darkness encourages the release of melatonin, which is the hormone that regulates our sleep cycle. Creating a completely dark environment will help you to get to sleep initially and, again, if you wake up during the night.

Use curtains or blackout blinds to keep out light, and make sure they fit well because even small rays of light can be really distracting. If you want to read before bed, choose soft, incandescent lighting for table lamps, to lessen the impact on your melatonin production.

FACT

Light suppresses melatonin which promotes tiredness.

You can also invest in night lights that plug into the wall and give just enough illumination to guide you to the bathroom if you need to get up at some point.

Eye masks may also be a useful way to help block out the light, especially if your partners stays awake to read in bed while you are trying to nod off.

Electricals

ELECTRICAL equipment not only clutters the bedroom, but the standby lights on TVs and even the light on alarm clocks can be really distracting if you are trying to drift off. When turned on, electrical equipment emits a blue light which interferes with melatonin production.

Try to avoid watching TV or using your laptop or phone close to bedtime. Instead, observe a sort of digital detox.

There is an increasing problem of insomnia among children and teenagers because they will often stay awake until late, using their mobile phones and laptops. This has also been linked to feelings of depression and anxiety.

Make it quiet

CITY life, in particular, can be really noisy because sound travels from the traffic, and people taking to the streets, late at night and very early in the morning. Double glazing will help but not ­everyone has this luxury. Using heavy curtains can block out some sound, too.

Snoring is another issue and is one of the leading causes of sleep deprivation. Invest in a good set of earplugs to help block out this disturbance. Earplugs can also help you to focus on your breathing, which can be quite meditative.

DREAM GEAR

Duck-down feather mattress topper, £34.99, wayfair.co.uk: This will treat you to added comfort at night and can give a tired mattress a new lease of life, if necessary.

Duck-down feather toppers are the best options, in my opinion.

Genesis black-out luxe blind, from £8.86, swiftdirectblinds.co.uk: This good- value blind does exactly what it says on the tin. It is quick and easy to put up and will keep your bedroom lovely and dark.

BioEars soft silicone earplugs, £5.50, boots.com: If you are a sensitive sleeper, then you might find wearing a good pair of earplugs at night will help improve the quality of your shut-eye significantly.

Sleep Scent One candle, £30, naturalmat.co.uk: Unlike cheaper candles, this one uses 100 per cent natural essential oils and smells great because of it. It lasts an age and the hand-crafted pot can be reused once the candle is spent.

Aromatherapy Blend – Night Time, £15.50, nealsyardremedies.com: The combination of lavender, vetiver and rose scents will help prepare your body and mind for a restful night. To use, just pop a few drops into a diffuser.

Deep-sleep pillow spray, £19.50, thisworks.com: Containing lavender, vetiver and camomile, this pillow spray is the ideal thing to use every evening and will soothe your senses, as well as improve sleep.

Wax melt bar, £2.75, sassyshopwax.com: These ingenious wax bars are similar to candles, but without the wick. You simply add a cube of wax to your burner, then a tea light underneath, and enjoy the gorgeous scent.

Valerian sleep aid, £15.45, healthspan.co.uk: A herbal sleep remedy made from valerian root, these tablets can be used to help with the temporary relief of sleep disturbances.

Snoreeze throat spray, £9.99, snoreeze.com: If your airways narrow too much while you sleep, the air you breathe is then pulled through them faster.

This causes the soft tissue in the back of your throat to dehydrate and vibrate, causing the sound you hear as snoring. The spray may help to ease this type of problem.

Dodow night light, £49, menkind.co.uk: This handy night light sends out gentle, soothing, blue light pulses that you can synchronise your breathing with. The idea is to slow down your breaths and help you drift off into a calm, natural sleep.

The Dodow has eight or 20-minute cycles and even turns itself off.

Sleep Breezy teabags, £4.99 for a box of 12, offblak.com: This chamomile and peach herbal tea is a super- relaxing, zero-caffeine fruit drink — perfect for when you need to unwind and get ready for sleep.

Neal’s Yard Beauty sleep foaming bath, £15.50, nealsyardremedies.com: Treat yourself to a luxurious foaming bath before bedtime. This one is infused with a calming blend of ylang-ylang, patchouli and clary sage essential oils — which are all known for their relaxing properties.

Weighted blanket, £149, gravityblankets.co.uk: Blankets such as these have been developed for the purpose of relieving stress and anxiety.
While using them, you feel as though you are being hugged.

Studies have shown this increases your serotonin and melatonin levels, as well as reducing the stress hormone cortisol. This will, in turn, help you to achieve a restful sleep throughout the night, improving your mood.

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