AD | How To Get A Perfect Nights Sleep

Disclosure - This is a paid post in collaboration with Julian Charles

As a parent I am always talking about routines and how they are important for children especially a bedtime routine. We mastered the bedroom routine with little J and he is a really good sleeper, enjoying up to 12 hours a night. So if we know routines are good then why as adults do we not practice what we preach? I know I don't have a good bedtime routine, neither does John and that can sometimes cause us to have less than the recommend 8 hours sleep a night. This obviously effects us massively the next day with us often feeling tired and wanting to head back to bed rather than go to work. I've been thinking about ways that I can get the perfect nights sleep so I thought I would share my tips.

Having A Routine
So first of all we need to have some sort of routine in place for bedtime. This will be different for everyone but whatever your routine is it needs to be consistent. When we think of a bedtime routine for children its usually bath, story then bedtime. It's only 3 simple steps but because its consistent our body and mind learns to expect that each night.

Clear Your Mind
Once you have finished for the day or the kids are in bed, now is the time to clear your mind. If you have things that you need to do or thoughts and ideas racing through your mind, grab a piece of paper and a pen. If you write it down you don't have to worry about it all popping in your mind just as you are drifting off to sleep.

Wind Down
Both John and I have to wind down before bed. If we have been really busy all day or even if we have been out till late we still have to have that wind down time. Usually it could just be a chat with a cup of tea or watching a short programme on tv. It's just giving our bodies time to rest after being busy and active all day.

No Screen Time Before Bed
Using our screens before bed can really effect us before bedtime. I admit I go to bed at a reasonable time each night but then spend a hour scrolling through Instagram or facebook. When I decide its time to go to bed I then start thinking about things I've read or seen and I then find it harder to fall asleep. No screen time before bed is probably the hardest thing to give up for most people but if we can do it, we will definitely be on our way to a better nights sleep.

Choose The Correct Bedding
Making sure you have bedding that you feel cosy and comfortable in is so important. Firstly make sure your duvet is the correct tog for the season. There is nothing worse than feeling too hot or too cold at night. When it comes to bedding we all only like brushed cotton bedding and if it is anything else we don't feel comfortable at all. Most stores allow you to feel the bedding before you buy so you know what the cover feels like. If you are buying online from a bedding website such as Julian Charles make sure you check out what material it is made of before you buy

Clear Your Bedroom
If the bedroom is cluttered and busy it can make us feel uncomfortable and the bedroom can then be a space we don't want to spend time in. Sometimes our bedroom becomes a dumping ground for everything that doesn't have a home and I always lie in bed thinking about the clutter that's lurking in the wardrobe or the corner of the room. Try and make your bedroom a nice calm place, somewhere that you enjoy being in.

These are just a few of my tips on how to get a perfect nights sleep. Do you have any more?

Michelle

This is a collaborative post.