10 Ultimate Tricks To Get A Better Night’s Sleep

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I am someone who has struggled with sleep pretty much their entire adult life. While my sleep still isn’t great I have collected a few tips and tricks throughout the years that can improve my sleep and help me to relax more on the nights when I don’t sleep very well. If you’re looking to drift off into a peaceful slumber then try out these 10 ultimate tricks to get a better night’s sleep.

Keep The Temperature Down

A colder room creates a better environment for sleep for many reasons. Your core temperature naturally drops as your body prepares for sleep so keeping your bedroom cool helps to speed up this process, giving your body the signal that it’s time to sleep.

If you keep your bedroom warm it can be easier to overheat at night which leads to a more disturbed night’s sleep. Excessive warmth can cause restlessness, discomfort difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.

Obviously, if you’re room is too cold, this can also cause discomfort so you should find a comfortable balance whilst trying to keep things on the cooler side. Turning the thermostat down on your radiator during the night if you have your heating set to maintain a certain temperature can help with this.

Create An Ambient Setting

Bright lights, strong smells, noise and distractions should all be absent from your bedroom. An ambient setting allows your bedding to relax and reduce stress which will help you to prepare for sleep.

When preparing your room for sleep think about using lamps and other soft lighting sources rather than harsh ceiling lights. It would help if you kept your bedroom tidy and clutter-free and the colour scheme of the room is important too. Clean, calming colours work best as mood boosters and for helping to create that serene effect.

If you use candles, reed diffusers or oil diffusers in your bedroom think about subtle, calming scents designed to aid with sleep. Anything too overpowering can cause too much of a sensory distraction. Lavender, baby powder and spa-like scents all work well in the bedroom to keep it smelling nice but create a relaxed environment to get a better night’s sleep.

Switch Your Phone For A Book

We’re all guilty of using our phones in bed. With many of us relying on them as alarm clocks it is so easy to reach over and scroll through your phone before bed. We’re all aware of the effect blue light has on us and our sleeping patterns so I’m not going to lecture you on that. But putting the phone down on a night is super beneficial to a good night’s sleep.

Beyond blue light disrupting your circadian rhythm, using your phone can lead to endless hours of scrolling. One TikTok video turns into 50 videos. Five minutes on Instagram becomes an hour. It’s all pressure time lost when you should be unwinding and relaxing.

Time on social media before bed can have a real negative impact on your mental health. We’ve all felt feelings of comparison, jealousy or feeling like we’re not where we should be in life after seeing something on social media. If you’re overwhelming yourself with those feelings before bed then you’re mind will be racing all night.

Reading a fictional book before bed has been proven to redirect your mind away from the stresses of daily life. Reading provides a mindful distraction which is particularly helpful for individuals who tend to focus on worries or have difficulty quieting their minds before bedtime. I am one of these people and reading really does help.

Beyond that reading a calming and easy fiction book before bed can stimulate your imagination and transport you to different worlds. This imaginative engagement can be an enjoyable way to end your day, providing a mental escape from reality which will help you to get a better night’s sleep.

Don’t Clock Watch

I will hold my hands up and admit that I am the absolute worst person for clock-watching when I can’t sleep and it’s something I’ve vowed to work on this year so I’m going to be reminding myself of all the research I’ve done for this regularly!

First off clock-watching can cause heightened awareness and anxiety. Speaking from first-hand experience, I always feel worse for checking the time so I honestly don’t know why I do it to myself! Regularly checking the time when you can’t sleep further alerts you to how much time is passing by. It can create anxiety around the fact that you aren’t sleeping and around how much time is left before your alarm goes off. That is not going to ensure that you get a better night’s sleep.

If you’re a regular time checker when you can’t sleep, your brain will start to link checking the time with feelings of frustration and insomnia. This isn’t something you want and the hyperfocus can hinder your ability to relax let alone sleep.

Luckily there are ways you can change your clock-watching habit (note to self!). The simplest thing to do is move your clock or phone away from the side of your bed then you’re not tempted to look at it. If it’s within reach it’s all too easy to keep checking the time.

If you are struggling to sleep try and distract your mind with meditation, breathing techniques or a simple activity such as reading to help your body relax. Move the focus away from how much time is passing by without sleep and at least try and relax your mind to alleviate the feelings of stress and slow down your heart rate.

Invest In A Quality Mattress And Duvet

You could have the best nighttime routine in the world, but if everything about your bed is wrong, you’re still doing yourself a disservice and still won’t get a better night’s sleep. As I’ve gotten older quality has become a lot more important to me and when it comes to my bed I only want the best of the best. Now things such as mattresses and duvets don’t come cheap, I am well aware of that. When we paid for our mattress I nearly cried. But I am a firm believer that getting these things right is quite literally life-changing.

When it comes to having a good quality mattress it can make a world of difference to how you sleep. Finding a mattress that properly supports your body is key to maintaining proper spinal alignment. This will ease aches and pains and leave you feeling more rested. That support also extends to pressure relief. Our shoulders, lower back and hips can all feel extra pressure when we sleep so correct weight distribution is vital.

Your mattress should also help with things such as motion isolation and temperature regulation. If you share a bed with someone you know what it can be like when that other person moves around in bed. A high-quality mattress should minimise how much motion you feel. It should also work to regulate temperature and stop you from getting too hot.

When selecting a duvet insulation, breathability and weight are just some of the things you should consider. A good quality duvet should be able to keep you warm during the night but also allow for proper airflow to stop you from overheating. We’ve recently been trying out the Simba Hybrid Duvet and we’re pretty impressed.

The Simba Hybrid Duvet has a down-like softness and warmth but the Stratos temperature control tech stops you from becoming uncomfortably hot. One thing I really like about the Simba Hybrid duvet is the weight. I wasn’t expecting it to have a bit of weight to it, but it feels nice and comforting without being overwhelming and suffocating. It’s definitely the best quality duvet we’ve ever had and you can really feel the difference from the cheaper ones we’ve had in the past.

Do Your Skincare When You Finish Work

What has skincare got to do with sleep I hear you asking! Well, hear me out. For me, my evening skincare routine is 10 minutes to unwind, relax, and look after myself at the end of the day. It also sets me up for transitioning from work to relaxing for the evening. Something that’s really important if you work from home like I do.

Doing your skincare routine as soon as you’ve finished work or your home from work (after your bath or shower of course) tells your body that it’s time to get into your evening routine. Having an evening routine is massively helpful in preparing your body for sleep. However, there’s another important reason you shouldn’t do your evening skincare routine just before you go to bed.

So you’ve just spent 10 minutes applying all of your best serums, moisturisers and eye creams then you lay down on your pillow. Where do you think all those products are going? Straight onto your pillow, that’s where. They haven’t had a chance to sink into your skin and get to work so the whole skincare routine was pretty pointless. Plus your pillow is now full of products that can transfer to your hair, making it dirtier.

Doing your skincare routine early in the evening gives all the products a chance to sink in and work so your skin looks better, your pillows stay cleaner and you’ve got yourself into a nice little evening routine.

Keep The Bedroom Just For Sleeping

More and more people are working from home these days and it’s so tempting to have a lazy day working from your bed. Especially in winter. But the bedroom should be kept for sleeping (and one other cheeky activity) because as soon as your bedroom becomes your office, you’ll start associating the room with the stresses and worries of work.

But it’s not just work you need to keep out of the bedroom, it’s any other stimulating activities such as watching TV, playing games etc. The bedroom should be for rest, intimacy and reading. Nothing else. If you watch TV or play computer games in your bedroom then your brain is more alert, making it harder to transition into a restful state.

When your bedroom becomes a multifunctional room it can be harder to establish a proper evening routine and it may increase your anxiety. If you’re in a relationship it can also impact intimacy levels because of the negative associations you will have with the room. Keeping your bedroom for the three activities I’ve mentioned will not only help you to get a better night’s sleep but keep things good in your relationship too.

Consider Sleep Accessories

Earplugs, eye masks and your choice of sleep attire can all contribute to you getting a better night’s sleep. Being comfortable in bed and blocking out external distractions such as light and noise will ensure you can relax and drift off into a peaceful sleep.

When it comes down to what to wear in bed, it’s all about personal preference. Some people like to wear pyjamas, some people like to sleep naked. Either option is fine as long as you’re comfortable. If you do wear pyjamas to bed then light and loose materials work best. Big, fluffy pjs are the best for relaxing in on an evening but they’re not the best choice for sleeping in. Keep materials, soft, light and airy to ensure a comfortable night’s sleep.

Eye masks can provide an extra layer of light blocking that will reduce disturbances during the night. Silk or satin eye masks are best for comfort and keeping cool. If you struggle to get your bedroom completely dark or you wake easily then an eye mask can block out light, help maintain melatonin levels and support the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.

Earplugs are great if you’re a light sleeper or you live in a noisier environment such as in a large city, on a main road or with flatmates. If external noises often disrupt your sleep, using earplugs can help you maintain focus on your internal thoughts and promote a more serene atmosphere. This will make it easier for you to unwind and get a better night’s sleep.

Keep A Regular Sleeping Pattern

Keeping a regular sleeping pattern has wide-ranging benefits for physical health, mental well-being, and overall daily functioning. Establishing a consistent sleep routine and prioritising adequate sleep is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle.

Trying to sleep and wake at similar times each day can benefit you in ways you might not have even considered. A consistent sleep schedule helps regulate your body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm. This, in turn, allows you to get a better night’s sleep. Beyond that though, a regular sleeping pattern can give you a stronger immune system, improve your metabolism, improve your memory function, balance your hormones and help to reduce the risk of depression and anxiety.

So as you can see, sleep is hugely important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and goes beyond just feeling well rested!

Journal Your Thoughts And Worries

Journaling before bed can be a beneficial practice for various reasons, contributing to improved mental well-being and better sleep quality. If you don’t think journalling is for you then don’t worry, it’s not about writing a page full of text or decorating each page. It’s about processing your day. I currently have a One Line A Day Journal that lasts for 5 years and even two minutes spent filling that out can help.

Journalling before bed allows you to unload your mind. Writing down concerns, worries, or tasks can help clear your mind and reduce mental clutter, making it easier to relax and fall asleep. Expressive writing has also been shown to reduce stress.

Journalling also offers an opportunity to reflect on the positive aspects of your day and practice gratitude. Focusing on positive experiences and expressing gratitude can shift your mindset toward a more positive and content state, promoting relaxation.

Overall, engaging in a quiet, reflective activity like journaling before bed signals to your body that it’s time to wind down and it can help you to get a better night’s sleep.

Conclusion

If you want to get a better night’s sleep, these tips can be a great place to start. If you have prolonged and consistent periods of sleep difficulties though then you should speak to your doctor. A lack of sleep can have a huge effect on your physical and mental health and getting to the root cause of your sleep problems should help to come up with a plan for tackling the issue.

What sleep tips do you swear by? Share them in the comments below!