3 Ways to Boost your Sleep

After an entire night’s sleep, you might expect to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day. But for many of us, that’s not always the case. In fact, just 11% of Australian’s say they feel refreshed when they wake up every morning! 

If you don’t always wake up feeling refreshed, you might instead feel something a lot less desirable. Some Australian’s will:

• Feel very sleepy during the day (37%) 
• Experience a morning headache (6%) 

Having any of these symptoms may suggest you’ve had a restless night. But if they happen regularly, they could point to a sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). People with OSA experience disrupted breathing while they sleep¹.

If you have concerns about your sleep, it might be time to consult with a physician who may suggest you take a sleep test. A sleep test will check on how well you sleep and diagnose sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. It involves wearing sleep tracking equipment, which records your sleep data.

In the meantime, help give yourself a wakeover by following our top 3 tips to feel more refreshed in the morning.  

1. Eat well and exercise

Diet, exercise and sleep form the three pillars of health². But their connection is often overlooked. If one pillar is lacking, it can often impact the other two. For instance, a lack of nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, D, E, and K, is linked to shorter sleep³. 

Exercise can help reduce daytime sleepiness and the time it takes to fall asleep⁴. In fact, studies show that people who get less than one exercise session each week are more likely to experience sleep problems⁵.

Exercise can also help reduce your risk of being overweight, which can worsen the symptoms of OSA⁶. 

Keep it simple when it comes to your daily routine. Try to eat a healthy, balanced diet and exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. This will help you keep in good health and get better quality sleep.  

2. Limit your caffeine intake

Caffeine keeps us alert by blocking sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain⁷. It is also believed to affect our circadian rhythm or body clock, making it harder to fall asleep⁸. 

Caffeine doesn’t only keep you awake; it can impact your sleep length and quality. In fact, having caffeine six hours before bed can reduce your sleep time by one hour⁹. You may want to switch to a decaffeinated version of your favourite coffee, tea, energy drink and soft drink. Our Sleepy Time Tea can help you unwind caffeine-free! 

But if you really need that caffeine fix, it’s best to make yourself a rule to avoid these drinks up to six hours before bed.

3. Make your bedroom the perfect place to sleep

Follow these simple steps to ensure your bedroom is a sleep booster, not a sleep blocker.   

Remove all distractions

The first step is to remove all distractions from your room that could keep you awake. Your smartphone is an obvious sleep diversion, but your alarm clock might be one too. 

Set an optimal room temperature 

Aim for a room temperature between 16-20 degrees Celsius, which is optimal for sleep¹⁰. 

Keep your room dark 

This will tell your body it’s time to sleep by releasing the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin¹¹. If blinds or curtains to block the light won’t work for you, try an eye mask. 

Put on a bit of mood music

Music can help boost good feelings and reduce stress hormones¹². Soothing songs set at around 60 to 80 beats per minute (BPM) can help you gently fall into a deep sleep. There are many contemporary pop songs with a tempo of 60-80 BPM you can put your mind to rest to such as All My Loving by The Beatles, Chasing Pavements by Adele or Ho Hey by The Lumineers . 

You can also use a white noise machine to help you block out distracting background noises¹³. 

Wakeover wrap up

Waking up and feeling refreshed each day should not exist only in your dreams. Everyone deserves to start their day feeling energised, not tired and grumpy with a morning headache! 

With a few lifestyle changes, such as eating better and exercising more, you could be on your way to better sleep. But don’t forget that your bedroom is the endpoint for getting good sleep. It’s important to ensure this is a calming space for you to nod off. 

Want to learn more about your sleep? Take our free sleep assessment today to start your journey to better rest.