5 research-backed tips to help you improve your sleep

When you’re busy, stressed and overwhelmed - what do you prioritise? Work? Time in front of the TV? Down time? Exercise? Socialising? Often sleep is right down the bottom of our list of priorities. Not only is it hard to sleep if we’re wired and overwhelmed, we can actually feel resentful if we feel like all we’re doing is working, eating and sleeping.

It may seem counterintuitive but one of the best ways to get out of this relentless cycle of busyness is to have a good night's sleep. All our problems are easier to solve when we’re well rested. Our metabolism works better, we eat better, we’re less likely to get into fights with people, our exercise is more beneficial. So really you’re sleeping more to live more.

What’s more, good quality sleep is absolutely crucial for optimal metabolic health, reducing the risk of conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and dementia.

If you’d like to know what it feels like to wake up well rested and get more out of life, follow our 5 simple tips to improve your sleep, starting tonight.

Research has shown that soaking up natural light in the morning for as little as 5 to 10 minutes improves your mood and sets your internal clock, ultimately influencing how well you sleep at night.

Exposure to daylight improves sleep duration and quality. It helps to set your circadian rhythms and supports the natural production of melatonin in the evening. This helps you fall asleep quicker.

Do you struggle to get to sleep at night? Each hour spent outdoors can help you get to sleep about 30 minutes earlier¹.

The morning commute is the best time to get a bit of light. If you travel on a train, tube, bus or car, is there a way you can park or get off your transport a 5-10 minute walk away from work and get some natural light for the rest of your commute? Even better if you work from home, try a ‘fake’ commute where you go for a walk or sit outside with your morning coffee.

Exposure to artificial light, especially blue light from screens before bedtime stops us producing melatonin. This hormone is naturally produced by the body in response to darkness and it helps signal the brain to go to sleep².

Studies have shown that device screen exposure in the 1 to 2 hours before going to bed makes it harder to get to sleep and results in reduced wakefulness in the morning^{3, 4}.

I know it’s tempting to grab your phone for a last check before sleep but I promise it’s easier to get to sleep if you can avoid looking at your phone in the 1 to 2 hours before bedtime. When it comes to actually sleeping, why not leave your phone elsewhere, charging it overnight in a different room? If this is too much, then you could try and put it away from your bedside table, somewhere hard to reach. If the phone is in your room, then at least place it “screen-side down” and use “do not disturb” features to avoid any distractions from notifications and unwanted light during the night.

Our bedroom environment has a huge impact on our sleep duration and quality. If you’re looking to get better sleep, it’s worth thinking about what changes you can make to your sleep environment.

Let’s take them one at a time:

Imagine that feeling of waking up refreshed and energised after a great night's sleep in a cosy hotel room during your holiday. The room emanates calm and tranquillity, enveloping you in a sense of peace. Now, let's shift our focus to your own bedroom. Close your eyes and visualise it. What feelings are you noticing? What can you see? Are there any distractions around?

Creating your ideal sleep sanctuary begins with removing anything that might disrupt your mental peace. Consider removing all potential distractions or cues that could trigger stress or worry you in some way.

Be creative - transform your bedroom into a dedicated space for sleep and intimacy. Maybe you want to replicate that hotel room. Exercise equipment, screens, devices, paperwork and anything else that doesn't belong in your sanctuary needs to go.

By doing this, you’ll start to associate your bedroom with relaxation and calm to help you wind down gently.

Our body temperature naturally falls a little in preparation for sleep and keeping your room too warm can make it harder to get to sleep and stay asleep. Studies suggest that the ideal bedroom temperature is 18-21°C and, although this will depend on personal preference, generally cooler temperatures are best for initiating and maintaining restful sleep⁵.

You can open the window to improve airflow or turn off the central heating. Don’t forget to pay attention to your bedding and nightwear too.

You can also “warm up to cool down”. Taking a hot bath before bed opens up your capillaries making it easier to radiate heat when you get out, helping to drop your core temperature and trigger sleep.

We’ve already talked about how artificial light in the evening can disrupt your sleep cycle. At least one hour before sleep, try to keep your home lighting as low as you can. When you’re ready to sleep, turn off ALL the lights and keep your room as dark as possible. To reduce the light from outside you can use blackout curtains or a sleep mask.

Once a restful sleep environment is set up, it's important to have a consistent relaxing bedtime routine. We do this for babies: bath, book and bed. But we will often go directly from bingeing a series on Netflix to bed with a brief stop to brush our teeth. Is it any wonder sleep can be hard to come by? If you can create a consistent, calming night-time ritual, you’ll ease into sleep and enjoy bedtime much more.

Throughout the day, stress can weigh heavily on our minds, making it difficult to unwind when bedtime arrives. Creating a wind-down routine can be the bridge between the hustle and bustle of the day and the calm of sleep.

At least an hour before bed, dim the lights and engage in calming activities that foster relaxation. Whether it's listening to soft music, doing some gentle stretches or getting lost in a good book. Think about what helps you feel calm and make it enjoyable to do before bed. The sense of smell can also be a powerful tool for association. Do you like pillow sprays or scented candles? There is early evidence that exposure to different essential oils while sleeping may actually improve brain health so it’s worth trying it out⁶.

If you're someone who struggles to switch off at night, practising mindful breathing exercises can be another great way to help you unwind in the evenings and help you get to sleep faster later on. By focusing on your breath, you’re activating your parasympathetic nervous system which is our “rest and digest” calm state.

The Box Breathing or the 4-7-8 breathing techniques are simple and powerful ways to reduce stress and remain calm. Mindfulness can also be a powerful option to add to your wind down routine. Techniques like the Body Scan or guided imagery are great ways to help you get to sleep faster.

No blog would be complete without us recommending some movement. Exercise during the day can really help you to fall asleep faster at night, improve your sleep quality and enable you to wake up feeling refreshed and energised.

Studies have shown that exercise can also help you to manage stress better and reduce insomnia^{7, 8}. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins or “happy hormones” which reduce the perception of pain and stress⁹. You’re much more likely to fall asleep faster when your mind is calm and stress-free.

However, try and avoid high-intensity exercise 2-3 hours before bedtime as it may be too stimulating and delay your sleep onset¹⁰.

To get the most out of your workouts, exercise outside in the morning - a brisk morning walk or an outdoor cycle are great options. You’ll not only gain the health benefits of exercise, but also the benefits of morning sunlight to regulate your sleep-wake cycle, fostering a better mood and mental health¹¹.

There’s a lot more to sleeping better than just these 5 tips, but they're a great place to start. Even as I write this I’m getting excited for a good night's sleep. Don’t be surprised if these tips don’t work immediately. You may find it takes a couple of days or even a week of consistently following this advice but we really hope you get a good night in soon. If you notice your sleep improving, try and pay attention to how that impacts the rest of your day, your energy levels and your enjoyment of life.