5 Things that can impact your sleep.

 "The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to."- F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

Sleep! Some of us can do it anywhere, some of use can do it any time, but some of us have difficulties. This post is all about putting steps into place to help give you a better nights sleep. I often struggle with sleep myself, I can go through patches where I won't sleep all night, or fall asleep at 4am knowing I am up at 7. But on the opposite I can be asleep by 10 and away at 6, lots of different factors impact our sleep. 

Sleep is like a plant, it required certain conditions to get it just right and while it will grow in different conditions it is never quiet as good. 

When I refer to sleep I don't mean naps unless I specifically say naps, this is for the bedtime sleeping. 

- Where you sleep:

 Now this is obvious, most of us sleep in a bed, but there are things to think about with regards to where we sleep. What side of the bed do you sleep on? Sleeping in a double bed I have the luxury of picking or even star fishing in the middle but having a side you feel most comfortable and relaxed on will definitely benefit you. The feeling of the sheets and even pillow position can all impact your sleep. Which way your bed is facing, is it by the window? Facing the door? 

- When you sleep:

This is funny one and something I have only recently learnt about myself. Your body will tell you when you need sleep. If you are wide away at 2am and cannot get to sleep the worse thing you can do is lay there and toss 'n' turn, get up grab yourself a drink or even sit in the living room and pop the tv on for 15 minutes, these things will give your brain something else to think about and should help you get to sleep. Also trying to fix your sleep routine to specific times will take a while but be persistent and you will get there. 

Naps! If you have just some home from a long day and really need a nap don't nap in your clothes, get undressed and ready for bed to take your nap. You can always re-dress and continue on for the day if necessary. 

-What you sleep in:

Pyjamas, underwear or even just a pair of socks. Finding what your body feels most comfortable in again helps you to sleep. Changing it can impact how well you sleep, but I know sometimes we need to alter what we sleep in in certain situations. Having something that you find comfortable to sleep in is critical when improving your sleep. 

-Why you sleep: 

Some of you are probably thinking...WTF? But what I mean by this is...are you sleeping because the clock says its 9.30pm and you have to be up by 6am? So you are sleeping because you have to, or are you sleeping because you are genuinely tired and need to rest? Trying to force yourself to sleep when your body is not ready will only end up in you not sleeping at all, or sleeping later than usual. If you actually need to sleep earlier try implementing some steps that will induce sleepiness or help you to relax more. 

-What you do before you sleep: 

This is essentially a sleep or bedtime routine. As we have already had a bedtime routine post by Imaan I won't be going into too much detail but building a routine and understanding what makes you sleepy will help you to improve your sleep. For me, when I have been struggling to sleep warm milk before bed and a warm/scolding hot shower often work, the warm milk helps me to feel sleepy and sleep easier while the shower leads to me drying my hair with a hairdryer and that warm soft hair feeling make me feel cosy and sets me off to sleep. 

Additional advice:

If you find it hard to stay off your phone before bed (I know I do) see if your phone as a night light setting that removes or at least lessens the blue light coming from your phone. It is this light that stimulates the brain and keeps you awake. 

A good nights sleep can be seen as a form of self-care as it is time with yourself and allows you to re-set your batteries, we cannot run on empty, we need to recharge and recentre ourselves. 

What things help you sleep? I would love to know some of your tips and tricks. 

Kisses 

Katie xx