According to research, the average healthy person needs between 7-9 hours of sleep per night to be able to function to the best of their ability throughout the day.
We spend a third of our lives asleep, which is a huge proportion on reflection, but something we can’t live without. However, not everyone sleeps seamlessly throughout the night, many of us wake up at least once, if not multiple times per night, or struggle to mentally switch off to be able to fall asleep in the first place.
To help, I’ve constructed a list of 5 tips to help improve your quality of sleep based on research I have done, or my own personal experience.
- Invest in good quality bed linen
Many of us just look for a colour or pattern to compliment our bedrooms when shopping for bed linen, however, there is nothing worse than putting on new bed sheets, only to discover they are made from scratchy cheap fabric, making sleeping in it a horrible experience. This is why it’s important to invest in good bed linen.
I was recently offered some beautiful bed linen to review from a fantastic company called Secret Linen Store. After browsing their website multiple times and umming and arring over which set to choose, I finally decided on the ‘Tiny stripe charcoal‘ in super king size. I like the fact that overall it looks grey but up close you can see that it’s striped, which in my opinion is a really nice subtle way to add pattern and texture in to your room.
When my bedding arrived it was beautifully packaged and I could tell as soon as I opened it that it was premium quality. Once it was on the bed, the first thing I noticed was how nice it felt. My children immediately jumped on the bed and started doing star fish movements, complimenting the bedding, saying how soft it was.
Once bedtime arrived, my husband got in and in his words said “this new bedding is a bit of me” to which I agreed and I have to say, I’ve had some of the most comfortable nights sleep since I put it on our bed.
Check out everything Secret Linen Store has to offer here.
2. Size isn’t everything (or is it?)
I have to say, I think size is everything when it comes to your bed.
After the birth of our eldest son, we soon realised that a king size bed wasn’t going to cut it and we upgraded to a super king bed with a memory foam mattress.
I strongly believe that investing in the biggest bed and the most comfortable mattress you can afford/have space for, is vital when it comes to a good nights sleep.
3. Switch off
Now I’m a huge hypocrite by saying this, but switching off from the digital world at least an hour before you go to bed does wonders for your quality of sleep. I am guilty of staring at my phone until my eyes can’t take anymore, but ironically, if I didn’t look at my phone before bed, i’d probably be able to drift off to sleep more easily.
Blue light that we receive from our smart phones, TV’s and laptops has an effect on your brain and tricks it in to thinking its still daytime. There are procedures you can take to reduce the blue light, however, activities like reading a book, will stimulate your mind, during the evening without impacting your sleep.
4. Essential oils
A few drops of lavender oil on your pillow will have a calming effect on your active brain.
Vanilla oil in your bath before bed is said to help relieve anxiety and stress.
According to studies, Jasmine oil has been proven to reduce restlessness throughout the night.
5. Finding the right duvets and pillows for you
This might seem like an obvious one, but many of us have the same duvets throughout the year, potentially causing you to be either too hot or too cold during one season or another.
Pillows are something I always struggle with, because I worry that once I have committed to buying new ones, I won’t find them comfortable. I think the important bit, is to discover the type of pillow that you find most pleasant and start there.
Secret Linen Store offer a a great selection of pillow, duvets, and duvet protectors to ensure your nights sleep is a quality one.
Now i’m not sure about anyone else, but all this talk of sleep and comfortable bed linen, has made me want to snuggle up in my bed.
Sweet dreams
Hayley x
*This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Secret Linen Store, however all views and opinions are my own.
