Insomnia? Here are a few things to help you fall asleep.
Restful and invigorating, a good night of sleep not only helps keeps you from yawning your way through the day, good sleep also have a positive impact on your physical health, your mental clarity and your overall sense of well-being. Although falling asleep and staying asleep can sometimes seem like things that are out of our control, there are several things that you can do to create a restful sleep space and encourage peaceful and restorative sleep.
In addition to choosing a mattress, bedding and a sleep atmosphere that can create peaceful dreams, it’s also important to examine your day time habits. What you do during the day can affect whether or not you sleep at night.
It’s all about timing: Try to go to bed and rise in the morning and the same times each day. This means not sleeping in on the weekends! Keeping a set schedule helps you fall asleep faster and have more restful nights. Avoid naps if possible. If you must snooze, keep naps to no more than 15 to 20 minutes early in the afternoon. And fight the post-dinner drowsiness. If you end up taking an after-supper siesta, your sleep may be wrecked for the night. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule with set awake times and set sleep times to help your body stay on track.
Be mindful of light exposure: Natural light and screen time play powerful roles in our waking and sleeping cycles. Natural light and sunlight are important during the day. Expose yourself to sunlight early in the day to help yourself wake up. Spend time outdoors daily, no matter the weather. Allow natural light into your workspace, if possible. In the evening, avoid your phone, computer, tablet, TV and other screens for at least one to two hours before bedtime. Blue light, backlit screens, and stimulating TV shows all suppress sleep-inducing melatonin, making it harder for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. Keep sleep spaces as dark as safely possible, using heavy curtains to block outside light and only dim nightlights to highlight traffic areas, if needed.
Get moving: Daily exercise leads to better sleep at night. Some say the more vigorous the exercise, the better the sleep, but even a brisk 10 minute walk daily will yield better sleep. Just be sure to complete all exercise at least three hours before bedtime to allow your body time to relax before you head to bed.
You are what you eat: The foods you eat can play a big role in sleep disruption. It’s wise to limit stimulating caffeine and nicotine, to avoid big meals late at night, to avoid alcohol and excessive liquids before bed and to limit consumption of sugary foods and refined carbohydrates. All of these can wreak havoc on your sleep cycle, leaving you tossing and turning.
Take time to wind down: At the end of the day, it is important to allow your body and your mind time to unwind and prepare for rest. Practice meditation or deep breathing. Record action items or recap the day’s events in a journal or notebook. Take a warm bath. Enjoy a few chapters of a good book.
Create a restful sleep space: Carefully create a restful sleep space that is a haven for you by combining a good mattress, supportive pillows, smooth linens, a plush duvet and furniture, lighting and decorative items that are beautiful to you in your bedroom. Keep the temperature cool (between 60 and 67 degrees), as this promotes good rest. Block outside noise with a fan or white noise machine.
After you’ve examined your diet, your health, the atmosphere of your sleep space and other factors, don’t forget to take a moment to take a closer look at your bedding. Replacing and updating your linens may be a quick way to ensure that you enjoy a restful night’s sleep in a serene, comfortable and luxurious sleep space.
Wonderful sheets can be combined with luxury pillows, a fabulous mattress and a duvets to create a classic and comfortable sleep space that provides a place for restorative sleep. Invest in the best mattress, sheets and bedding that you can afford. Choose materials, textures and colors that are beautiful and comfortable to you. Consider the fabric of your sheets and pillowcases and also your duvet. Careful attention to detail will create a luxury bedding collection that you will cherish for years to come.
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