Beauty Sleep Matters: Effective Ways to Improve Your Sleep

We're using World Sleep Day to offer some effective ways to improve sleep and help you catch more Z’s on an evening.

What Can You Do to Improve Your Sleep?

1. Put your phone down earlier to reduce blue light exposure

Many of us are guilty of scrolling down the newsfeeds on our phone long into the evening, but the truth is, this isn’t helping you to improve your sleep. Blue light exposure has a number of side effects, such as blurred vision and eye strain, which can lead to headaches, and is also linked to issues with sleep.

The bright light from your phone, laptop and tablet screens trick your body into thinking it’s daytime and thus, definitely not time to sleep. To avoid this from happening and help yourself fall into a deep slumber instead, try to take some time away from the screens before going to bed. Why not swap the technology for a book?

2. Say 'no' to that last cup of coffee

Caffeine addicts, it’s time to cut back! The wakening effects of caffeine can last for as long as 6 hours, so caffeine in the afternoon can significantly impair your ability to sleep at night. If you’re guilty of drinking a lot of caffeine, sleep experts recommend making the effort to try and cut down. Try to drink an alternative, such as decaffeinated tea, coffee, or herbal teas, so you don’t feel as though you're depriving yourself of too much!

3. Establish a relaxing evening routine to wind down to

Winding down is a must! A great way to improve sleep is to settle into a great nighttime routine designed to help you wind down on an evening. Find activities that help you to relax, such as taking a soak in the bath and having a pamper. Changing out of your daytime clothes and into some evening loungewear and pyjamas also helps with the wind down process. Psssst, especially when they’re cashmere…

Time away from technology also helps you to wind down!

4. Try stretch exercises to relax your muscles

It’s clear by this point that relaxation is the key to helping you improve your sleep, and relaxation exercises can also be an effective activity! The likes of yoga, or simple body stretches, really help to relax your muscles before going to bed. You might be pleased to know that you shouldn’t exercise too hard though, as this can have the opposite effect.

5. Make sure your bedroom is dark enough

The bedroom environment naturally plays a huge role in the quality and length of your sleep, and darkness is important. As we previously mentioned, light can trick your body into thinking it’s time to wake up by encouraging the body to produce the hormone Melatonin. If your bedroom blinds or curtains are failing to block out enough light, an eye mask is a great addition to your sleep routine.

A cashmere eye mask is wonderfully soft and effective way of blocking out any annoying light. Perfect for helping to improve your beauty sleep.

Try some of these simple steps to help you find the solutions most effective for improving your sleep!