Do you struggle to wind down for bed or find yourself waking up and checking the clock throughout the night? Many factors contribute to the quality of your sleep and things like too much stress, a poor environment or an unusual sleeping pattern could be costing you a poor night’s sleep.

Continuously getting a bad night of sleep can be detrimental to your health, but don’t worry, it often only takes a few small changes to get you sleeping soundly. One of the best ways to improve your quality of sleep is by boosting your sleep hygiene. 

Sleep hygiene is just your sleeping habits – the better they are, the better you sleep! It isn’t all about hygiene and cleanliness either, it’s about turning your bedroom into a relaxing and soothing environment which is free from distraction. 

The key to worry-free and uninterrupted sleep is practising healthy routines. Here are five ways you can boost sleep hygiene in your bedroom.

Make Your Bedroom Sleep-Friendly

Start by clearing away any clutter. You may not even know it’s affecting you, but clutter can increase anxiety, reduce your ability to focus and fuel poor quality sleep. Try removing unnecessary items or incorporating some smart storage solutions to help keep your bedroom clutter-free. 

If you spend a lot of time in your bedroom, it’s a good idea to have designated spaces for different activities. For example, sit at a desk if you’re working from home or chill out in a comfy armchair or sofa instead of spending too much time in your bed during the day. This way, when you get into bed at night your body will understand that it’s time to wind down for sleep. 

Create A Sleep Routine

Developing a sleep routine is one of the best ways to boost your sleep hygiene! It will likely be a gradual process, but the goal is to go sleep and wake up at the same time every day. How much sleep people need is different for everyone and will vary depending on your lifestyle. On average, adults should aim for seven to eight hours between nine pm and nine am. 

The key to training your internal body clock is to stick to your sleep routine so that it becomes second nature. As your quality of sleep improves, you’ll feel more awake and energised during the day and you may even experience long-term health benefits!

Use Light To Your Advantage

Bright light is a proven way to wake your body up and stimulate your mind, so try to expose yourself to as much natural light in the morning as you can. 

In contrast, you should try to avoid bright light before you go to sleep. When you’re getting ready for bed, use softer lighting like a bedside lamp or string lights instead of your main light. Blinds or blackout curtains are also a great way to block out any external distractions. 

Ditch The Electronics & Wind Down For Bed

You should begin winding down for bed about thirty minutes before you want to go to sleep. Turn off any electronics that could stimulate or distract you – this means don’t scroll social media or watch TV until you fall asleep – try reading or meditating instead! 

If you struggle not to check your phone, put it on the other side of the room or don’t bring it into your bedroom at night. 

Add Relaxing Scents

You can add calming scents to your evening routine to help you relax when you are feeling particularly tired or stressed. Light a candle in your bedroom for around fifteen minutes before you go to sleep. Soothing scents like lavender or matcha tea and bergamot work well. 

You could also try diffusing essential oils (peppermint and lavender are great!) or even rub them on your temples as you prepare to go to sleep. 

By making small changes like this to boost your sleep hygiene you’ll soon find winding down for bed is less of a struggle and your quality of sleep will greatly improve!

We know how important it is to take care of your bedroom. For storage, furniture, finishing touches, and more, view our range.