There is no better feeling than waking up in the morning feeling fresh and ready to start the day, right? When was the last time you felt this way?
It’s a well known fact that getting enough shut eye is one of the cornerstones of good health and mental wellbeing. National Sleep Foundation guidelines advise that adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night with babies and children needing even more than this to enable their growth and development.
What exactly is sleep? Sleep is an altered state of consciousness. On a physical level we have limited interaction with our environment and our bodies are quiet and still. On the flipside, our brains are working overdrive during this state of physical rest, carrying out important functions.
It’s essential to every part of the body, physically and mentally and we need it just as much as we need food and hydration. Not only does sleep help your body to fight disease, build strong immunity and improve mental functioning, but studies have shown not recharging your body and mind enough through good quality sleep puts you at a greater risk for chronic illnesses like high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and obesity.
Where do you and your family members sit with the recommendation of a minimum of 7 hours each night? Unfortunately, we know not everyone is able to achieve this which can be exhausting and frustrating. If your sleep is falling short regularly, it might be worth taking a look at your sleep-hygiene to see if you’re sabotaging your zzz’s. Here are five ways to set yourself and your family up for sleep success this World Health Day, starting in the bedroom.
Many of us have a wind-down routine for our children in the evening - it might look like a warm bath, story time and an oil diffuser with a calming scent. In the same way these routines become sleep associations for our little ones, they can be just as effective for adults too. Whether it is meditation, a scented candle, relaxing bath, calming music or a book, it will give your body and mind a chance to wind down, preparing you mentally for slumber. If you find your mind is racing and full of to-do’s for the following day, keeping a journal beside the bed to put your thoughts and lists on paper can help clear your mind.
If you can – follow these routines you’ve created around the same time each night and stick to regular bedtime and wake-up times, even on the weekends. The body’s internal clock and hormones that control sleepiness and wakefulness will remember these patterns and naturally lead you to feel tired. If you catch this window, falling asleep should come easier.
It is proven that some colours have a soothing effect on us while others can make us feel instantly anxious. White, cream, grey, blue and purple bedding are all known to create soothing and relaxing sleep spaces. We wrote a whole post on how colour can affect your mood in the bedroom here. The trick is to find the colours that make you feel calmer and use it in your bedroom, especially in your bed linen to create your own oasis.
Everyone is different when it comes to the perfect temperature for sleeping, but as a general rule a bedroom that is too hot or too cold will wake you up and make it hard to fall back asleep. Sleep experts recommend keeping the bedroom at a temperature of 18C year round- and adjust your bedding accordingly. We love Bamboo Bedding for this exact reason. Its thermoregulating properties actually assist with temperature regulation keeping you Warmer in winter and cooler in Summer.
We eat organic fruit and vegetables, avoid chemicals in our cleaning products and have filters on our tap water, but what about our bedding? Sleeping on a good mattress will support your back and the right pillow will support your neck and spine. Choosing the right linen can also have a dramatic impact on the quality (and in turn quantity) of your sleep.
Our bedding is against our skin every night, so we believe it’s very important to think about the quality of these fabrics. When comparing natural fabrics, a great indicator of quality to look out for is the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification. This certification is one of the world-leading textile standards which ensures that no harmful chemicals or substances have been used in the entire production process - so you can rest a little easier - pun intended.
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