Sleep Better This Winter
Sleep Better This Winter
The 2019 Australian Winter has well and truly settled in. The days are shorter, the mornings are darker and everything has begun to look and feel a little bit dull.
Getting out of bed in the morning fast becomes a strenuous task not only because it still looks like it’s night-time, but the chilly night air actually affects our quality of sleep too! Here are our top tips and a few Easy Rest solutions to get better sleep during the Winter months.
Stay active!
So important for overall health but for better sleep health as well! As hard as it is to get motivated when it is so cold in the mornings and so dark in the afternoons, make sure you move your body. Even spending 10 minutes a day doing aerobic exercise will improve the quality of your sleep.
Rug up in the mornings if you can and get your body moving! Spend 10 minutes on your lunch break walking around the block – to clear your head, get you outside and help you sleep better!
Expose yourself to sunlight (safely) if you can!
Opening your curtains or getting outside in the morning sunlight is more important than you realise in order to achieve a good night’s sleep! During our winter months it is not unusual for some people not to see the sun at all. We leave for work in the dark and start to head home in the dark as well.
Our sleep-wake cycle is dependent on the hormone melatonin. Vitamin D from the sun is important for our overall health but also to ensure optimum levels of melatonin are produced at the right times. During the Winter months, we can sometimes produce too much melatonin as there is not enough sunlight (Vitamin D) to suppress it. This is a very simple explanation as to why we feel more tired during the day when compared with the Summer months.
Try to get outside and enjoy what sunlight you can during the Winter months but as always, please practice sun safety! Cancer Council Australia (http://www.cancer.org.au/preventing-cancer/sun-protection/vitamin-d/) has some great advice on how to boost your Vitamin D intake whilst ensuring you are both sun smart and safe.
Don’t overheat your house!
We know it’s cold and we know ducted heating makes everything feel warm and snuggly but funnily enough, this will actually make your good night’sleep, a bad one!
Your body temperature will naturally lower as you prepare for sleep, so please consider turning your temperature back down below 20°C. Hot, dry air will also make you more susceptible to cold and flu symptoms and we’re sure we don’t need to tell you how much harder it is to fall asleep with a blocked nose.
Keep your utility bills down and improve your sleep by investing in an Australian Made Easy Rest 100% Wool Quilt, a Reversible Wool Underlay, and pair either (or both) with an Australian Made Luxury Woolblend Pillow. All three are proudly made with Natural Australian Downs Wool. They are not only breathable but also temperature regulating, meaning you will be comfortable all year round! Plus, you will still get that soft, snuggly feeling you search for during Winter.
Practice good sleep hygiene!
You may have heard this term before and not been 100% sure of what it means…don’t worry, you are not alone. Basically, sleep hygiene is a variety of different habits that reiterate your sleep quality and daytime motivation. Generally, these are things we all know we should be doing but realistically don’t.
- Avoid stimulants before bed-time – Particularly caffeine and nicotine and ensure to limit alcohol consumption as well.
- Exercise! – So important we’re mentioning it twice.
- Be aware of the effects of food – heavy and rich foods, fatty and fried meals, carbonated drinks. These can all trigger indigestion and disrupt sleep. Try instead for foods with higher levels of magnesium and a herbal blend tea which promote a relaxing sleep environment.
- Turn off your (blue) lights – TV’s, mobile phones, kindles and even lamps. Your brain needs to switch off so make sure you disconnect around an hour before bed.
Design an inviting sleep environment!
This may seem like a trivial one but having a bedroom that you want to retreat to is key to getting the best night’s sleep. Colour is a bigger part of this than most people realise. You can’t go wrong with crisp whites and pastel blues during the Summer months. Though, in Winter when we just we want to be warm and rugged up consider redesigning with reds and oranges, deep chocolates or greys. Don’t forget to layer in some of your favourites whether that’s pastel pink, deep navy blue or comforting teal. Create the bedroom you can relax and take pride in.
Whilst aesthetics are always important, we cannot stress enough the need for bedding that will last you all year round and that suits you personally! Here at Easy Rest we pride ourselves on understanding just how valuable a good night’s sleep is to our customers. That’s why we have developed our very own guide to choosing the perfect bedding, so you can enjoy the perfect night’s sleep every night. Make sure to read our previous blogs on how to know which pillow is right for you and choosing the perfect quilt too!
Routine, Routine, Routine!
Create a regular bedtime routine! Evaluate what you’re doing now and rethink your night-time habits because making just a few simple changes could improve your sleep quality tenfold. Set a time to turn off your phone and TV and stick to it. Do something relaxing for the hour before you fall asleep. Whether this is reading a book, meditating or writing make sure you set aside the time to do something for you.
Our exclusive Easy Rest SLEEP Infusions Lavender Relax, Breath and Wellbeing pillows are proudly Australian Made and infused with natural essential oils to create a healthy sleep environment without the need for a burner. They are each designed to work effortlessly to calm nerves, improve your mood and promote a relaxing night’s sleep.
We would love to hear from you! Leave comments or reviews, reach out on our socials and let us know your Winter Sleep Hacks! Here at Easy Rest we know how important it is to get a good night’s sleep. We can’t wait to give you more tips and tricks on how to achieve it and hope that we can help you sleep better with Easy Rest, knowing you are receiving quality and luxury you can trust.
