I’ve always been one of those annoying people who could sleep anywhere – standing up, balancing on one leg if necessary.
But a couple of months ago I had a really stressful time at work, and it ended up spilling over into my downtime. Now, rather than dropping instantly into a deep sleep, I was tossing and turning and watching the clock ticking towards 1.30am… 2am… 2.30am… By the time my work settled down, I was so worried about not sleeping, that I was not sleeping. Yep.
So it seemed apt that I join in with Sleep Council’s bedtime initiative Sleeptember (I just scraped in!). Apparently September is one of the worst times of the year to catch a good kip, with the start of the school year, busy days and new routines all contributing to restless sleep patterns. So it turns out I’m not alone.
But what could I do about it? I knew the first thing to do was to make myself a little nighttime sanctuary – somewhere I looked forward to heading at the end of the day. That’s where SILENT NIGHT helped out, sending a Deep Sleep Duvet and two Deep Sleep pillows from their bedding range for us to try out.
I made the bed up with fresh sheets and my favourite duvet cover, then layered on my mustard yellow Urbanara bedspread. It looked so cosy the girls had to jump in and try it out – don’t they look the cutest?!
Also included in my lovely bedtime package was a book by sleep specialist, Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, packed full of tips on how to ensure a better, more restful night’s sleep, such as:
• follow a regular wind-down routine – read a book, listen to music, or have a bath. If you feel tense, don’t go to bed – keep stress out of the bedroom!
• put boundaries between work and home, and try not to let work seep into your evening. Give your mind time to unwind, and relax
• exercise as often as you can – it’s the best way to reduce stress hormone levels
• try to avoid stimulants. Coffee can take up to 10 hours to leave your body, and can adversely affect your ability to sleep. Alcohol can also affect the quality of your slumber.
I’ll be putting all of them into practise in my quest for more rest – even giving up my precious morning cup of coffee (sob!). But it will be worth it to get my sleeping patterns back on track, and to nod off the moment my head hits my Deep Sleep pillow… sweet dreams everyone!
