We are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of good sleep in our lives. We realise that good sleep makes us feel happy and easily able to deal with our day to day chores. A well-rested body has the ability to face challenging situations quickly and with ease. Conversely, lack of sleep can detrimentally affect concentration, appetite, mood and particularly our health.
Recommended sleep times vary depending on our age, with 7-10 hours per night a guideline for adults and older teenagers. It is important that we achieve good quality sleep - that includes some deep and uninterrupted snoozing to allow our body the necessary time to rest and repair overnight. While everyone will experience a bad night’s sleep from time to time, there are lots of ways we can ensure that we give ourselves the best possible opportunity to have a great night’s sleep.
Want to wake up feeling fabulous? Here are some tips for a great night’s sleep.
- Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day – even on the weekends!
- Avoid screen time for at least 30 minutes before bed.
- Don’t let worrying about having bad sleep keep you from sleeping.
- Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet (around 18OC is considered ideal).
- Avoid alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine later in the day especially near bedtime.
- Sleep cycles rely on light exposure. Bright light in the morning and dim lights at night can help trigger these.
- Exercise during the day helps tire you for night time sleep.
- Keep your work and the TV out of the bedroom – train your brain and prioritise sleep and intimacy.
For further information visit
https://headspace.org.au/assets/Factsheets/HSP225-Sleep-Fact-Sheet-DP3.pdf
