How To Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Do you ever find yourself struggling to sleep at night? Today, more and more people are finding it hard to get a good night’s sleep. From late night’s spent scrolling social media to not being able to switch off after a busy day at work to being woken up by nightmares, getting a full night’s sleep can seem somewhat impossible.
Not getting your beauty sleep will likely leave you feeling tired and groggy the next day. More importantly, it can really start to take a toll on your health. Taking care of your health, be it mental, physical or emotional is a number one priority if you ask us!
Luckily, simple changes can make a huge difference so we’ve pulled together our top tips for getting a good night’s sleep and becoming Sleeping Beauty:
Get Outdoor Light in the Morning
One of the simplest things you can do to improve your sleep quality is to get outside for at least 20-30 minutes in the morning. So, why not start your day by getting up 30 minutes earlier and making time for a morning walk? Get outside to enjoy the fresh air and soak up the morning sunshine. And if it’s raining, get outside anyway and simply let the morning rain refresh and energise you for the day ahead!
Exposure to natural light in the daytime is hugely beneficial for getting a good night’s sleep. If you are struggling to sleep at night, getting outdoors early in the morning can help stimulate your energy and mood by signalling to your brain that it’s daytime, meaning it’s time to be alert.
Laugh More and Channel Positivity
Laugh more, sleep better! Laughter is the perfect stress reliever and the less stress we feel, the better we can sleep. So, if you want to get a better night’s sleep, make sure you smile and laugh lots during the day!
Not feeling perky enough to laugh? Then fake it until you make it! Apparently, even faking laughter or smiling can release endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals, which in turn helps to reduce stress.
Next time you wake up after a bad night’s sleep, try to focus on making the new day a positive one filled with laughter and smiles. Think about all the things your grateful for, watch your favourite comedy show or have a giggle with your friends to release those feel-good chemicals. Hopefully, after a day filled with laughter and positivity, you’ll be able to fall asleep happily.
Banish Evening Caffeine and Naps
I know, we can’t believe we’re saying it either but limiting your caffeine intake and banishing late-afternoon naps can do wonders for your sleeping habits!
Cut out afternoon coffees
Switching to caffeine-free drinks after 3pm can improve your chances of sleeping well. Research suggests that consuming caffeine as early as six hours before bed can disrupt your sleep quality, causing you to get one hour less sleep. By that rule, if you go to bed at 10pm, drinking coffee at 4pm will reduce your sleep by one hour.
To keep it simple, implement a “no caffeine after 3pm” rule and sleepless nights will hopefully become a thing of the past! Instead, swap to decaf, choose water or enjoy a bedtime brew that contains malt or nutmeg for a calming pre-sleep drink.
Wave goodbye to evening naps
If you are a fan of naps (…aren’t we all?), this next bit of advice is for you!
The good news is: napping is full of health benefits! If you’re feeling run-down or sleep-deprived, a nap can boost your mood, reduce stress sand help you feel recharged. But, there’s an art to napping…
A late afternoon nap might interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night. Based on this, the recommended time to nap is before 3pm and you should keep the nap short by sticking to a nap time of 20 – 30 minutes to make sure your body and brain has the energy boost it needs for the rest of the day. However tempting it may be, napping for too long could cause confusion for your sleep-wake cycle and may prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.
Unwind with a Hot Bath Before Bed
Our favourite way to ensure we get the best night’s sleep is by soaking in a long, hot bath! Your body temperature naturally dips at night which is why soaking in a hot tub helps improve your sleep.
Two hours before you plan to go to bed, enjoy a 20 – 30-minute soak in the bath. Enjoying a hot bath will raise your body temperature and the rapid cool-down period after getting out of the bath helps to relax your body, allowing you to fall into a happy, deep sleep.
To maximise the relaxation effects, pour some Violet Dreams bath salts into your tub, dim the lights and light a matching Violet Dreams scented candle for a truly calming evening bath-time.
Keep your Sleep-Wake Cycle in Sync
Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day will improve your sleep quality overall. A regular sleep-wake cycle reinforces the circadian rhythm by teaching your brain and body when it’s time to be awake and time to go to sleep.
The hardest challenge is waking up at the same time every day, especially on weekends or days off! It’s time to be brave and wave goodbye to your lazy Sunday morning lie-in in favour of better sleep.
Pick a wake-up time that works for you and make sure it’s consistent with your typical daily routine. Instead of sleeping-in at the weekend, you could enjoy a morning walk, kickstart those endorphins with a refreshing morning shower or have a slow start to the day by easing yourself into things by reading.
Similarly, going to sleep at the same time every night will reinforce this sleep-wake cycle and work to improve your sleep quality. Choose a bed time when you normally feel tired and once your settled into your routine of waking up and falling asleep at a set time, you might even find you no longer need an alarm to get up in the morning! If you find yourself still feeling tired, it might be a sign that you need an earlier bedtime.
Avoid bright screens 1-2 hours before bed
We love scrolling social media and binging Netflix as much as the next girl, but the blue light produced by your phone, tablet, laptop or TV can be seriously disruptive to your sleep quality.
We recommend powering down your devices 1-2 hours before going to bed. You can then use this time for a calming pamper session and reading to ambient light (such as candle or a dimmed warm-hue lamp) before you go to sleep.
Our collection of body butters are a wonderful pampering treat and can help you soothe daily stresses and unwind for the night. For a truly relaxing night, light the Violet Dreams scented candle whilst you’re enjoying a perfect pamper session.
Using devices such as your laptop and smart phone or watching TV supresses the release of the sleep-inducing chemical melatonin which will make it harder for you to fall asleep at night. By powering down earlier and limiting your device use before bed, you’ll soon find yourself falling asleep a lot easier than you used to.
And that’s it! Our top 5 tips for trying to improve your sleep. For a night of relaxation, discover the Violet Dreams collection for a fragrance that will help whisk you away to dreamland…
p.s. Download our Good Night’s Sleep checklist here or by clicking the image below for a fun way to prep for a night of beauty sleep…
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