These techniques can be divided into 2 sections
- How your lifestyle affects your sleep
- How your preparation for bedtime affects your sleep
How your lifestyle affects your sleep
- Coffee/Caffeine – Caffeine is a stimulant which makes you more alert (it is not recommended to drink coffee within the 4 hours of going to bed, it will just keep you awake for longer)
- Smoking - Smoking is also a stimulant, and is also best to avoid before going to bed
- Alcohol – lowers the quality of your sleep and can make you dehydrated during the night
- Diet – Eating a heavy meal close to bedtime can affect your sleep as your body is digesting the food as you try and fall off to sleep. Similarly eating ‘noisy’ foods such as spicy foods late at night will disrupt your sleep.
- Exercise – is good for your physical and mental health, however leaving it until late at night can mean that you have too much adrenalin to be able to drift off (exercising in the early evening is better).
- Shift Work – anyone coming off a week of working nights will need to give their body time to readjust to their new ‘awake/sleep’ time.
How your preparation for bedtime affects your sleep
- Noise – Is your bedroom too noisy, too quiet? What are you used to?
- Temperature of the room – Is your bedroom too hot, too cold? What temperature are you most comfortable with? 18 degrees is the recommended temperature.
- Temperature of your body – If your core body temperature is too warm, it will be difficult to sleep. After a hot bath your body temperature can rise and will need time to cool before going to bed. Taking a bath a few hours before bedtime is good as it can help you to relax.
- Air Quality – Is the room too stuffy? You may want to open a window to let the air circulate
- Lighting – Is your bedroom too dark, too light? What are you used to?
- Mattress/Pillows – Old pillows and matresses will not be as comfortable as new ones, is it time to replace them?
