is now common knowledge. And we all know that stress affects your sleep quality. Or is that actually a myth? We already know a lot about sleep and the general do’s and don’ts.
Yet, there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding sleep and a proper night’s rest. Let’s take a look at what we actually know about sleep and how to achieve the perfect night's rest.
1. Rest, Cleanliness, and Routine
You’ve likely heard of the "3 R's." Especially if you have children, you’ll definitely recognize them :-) Rest, Cleanliness, and Routine. Don’t underestimate the power of the last one: Routine and what a fixed evening ritual can do for your sleep. If you follow the same pattern every night around the same time such as washing up, brushing your teeth, reading, and a quick cuddle (not necessarily in that order) you signal to your brain that it’s almost time to sleep.
2. Create a dark and quiet bedroom
In addition, a good sleep environment is vital. Light, air, sound, and temperature all influence your sleep and its quality. You achieve the best quality sleep by minimizing the stimuli around you as much as possible. Therefore, ensure your room is dark and keep noise out of your bedroom as much as possible (though, unfortunately, we have no control over the neighbor's caterwauling cat).
3. Keep your bedroom relatively cool
Temperature is also key. As humans, we don’t do very well with excessive heat in the bedroom. Too much heat is simply not conducive to a good night’s rest. Our advice: air out your bedroom in the morning so you can sleep in a pleasantly fresh bedroom at night.
You can, of course, control the temperature with your thermostat. However, we advise keeping the heat off as much as possible. The right duvet will keep you warm enough when you step into a cold bed in winter and will maintain that warmth throughout the night. The right bedding helps here too; many find a flannel fitted sheet and duvet cover wonderfully soft and not as cold when first sliding under the covers.
In the summer, conversely, it’s important to have a duvet that isn't too warm or thick and can effectively dissipate heat. For your summer bedding, choose cooler materials like cotton sateen, linen, Tencel, and silk. These fabrics will keep you feeling refreshed all night long.
4. Relaxation works wonders
Tension is a sleep-killer. The day is a mirror of the night. Many of you will recognize that after a busy or stressful day (deadlines at work, hectic times with the kids, family tensions), falling asleep isn't quite so easy. The day continues to churn through your mind, preventing you from drifting off. Furthermore, the sleep itself is often lighter and more restless. This restlessness unfortunately means sleep quality is lower, so you wake up feeling less refreshed and fit.
You can read more about how this works in our blog about the necessity of 8 hours of sleep. So, make sure to clear your head before you step into bed.
5. Treat yourself to quality sleep equipment
Take it from us: a good night’s rest works wonders. Unfortunately, this isn’t always easy for everyone to achieve. At the very least, ensure you have quality sleep equipment. With the right duvet, pillow, and bedding, you create all the necessary conditions for sleeping well and waking up happy. Not sure what the right equipment is for you? Ask us (call, email, or chat) to think along with you, and together we’ll find what makes your sleep optimal!
