Everyone knows how important quality sleep is to health and well-being. However, too many of us are going through life completely sleep deprived. Many people have difficulty in getting to sleep in the first place, while other wake constantly during the night. Others wake up every morning feeling overworked and like a zombie. Research has shown that over half of all people struggle to sleep in one way or another, and getting quality rest feels like an unachievable dream. Yet it needn’t be. 

There are lots of ways that you can improve your sleep quality, so here are four expert tips that will help you to get the best night’s sleep that you’ve ever had. 

1.Avoid Using Screens At Night

Evidence has proven that if you are exposed to screens at night, the blue light they emit makes falling asleep difficult while also reducing sleep quality dramatically. Blue light is emitted from a wide range of devices including your television, computer screen and smart phone as well as fluorescent lighting. If your idea of settling down for the evening is browsing through your Facebook messages or watching a favorite TV show, this isn’t the right approach to get you a good night’s sleep. Your body clock will be disrupted and this will affect your sleep patterns. Blue light comes from sunlight too. Therefore, if you expose yourself to it in the evening, your body thinks it’s day and melatonin production is suppressed. Melatonin is a vital hormone which makes you feel sleepy. The very best way of avoiding blue light and its negative impact on sleep is to go for a few hours before bedtime with no electronic devices. Try reading a book or listening to music instead to prepare yourself for sleep.

2.Develop A Sleeping Routine

Doctors advise that you develop a routine for sleeping and waking that is consistent and effective. In brief, this means trying to sleep then wake at roughly the same hour each day, even during the weekend and on vacation. This allows your body to adapt biochemically to the routine. If you start to operate outside that sleep/wake routine, the result is extreme fatigue and poor quality sleep. This is the effect you notice if you’re jet lagged due to crossing time zones. Keeping your sleep/wake routine as consistent as possible is key, so you should establish a set bedtime and waking time for yourself and stick to it daily.

3.Make Lifestyle Changes

The lifestyles that many of us have these days aren’t preparing us properly for sleep. For a start, we don’t tend to get sufficient exercise – a vital factor in quality sleep. Exercise regulates circadian rhythms, ensuring you feel awake in the daytime and sleep more effectively at night. Low impact forms of exercise like walking reduce stress levels, thus improving sleep for insomniacs, so taking a stroll in the evening can be beneficial. Eating and drinking the right foods at night also makes a different to your sleep quality. You shouldn’t consume any meat, fatty foods, caffeine or alcohol immediately before bed, and avoid drinking large amounts of water too.

4.Improve Your Bed Comfort

One obvious reason for struggling to get to sleep is because your bed is uncomfortable. There are lots of ways to improve this. If your mattress is older than eight years, it’s time to get rid of it and replace it with a new one. Older mattresses can’t support your body properly and could contain dust mites and other unpleasant bacteria which are impacting on your sleep quality. There are lots of mattress types available to choose from, and not all suit every individual. You need to find the best one to suit your preferences to get a good night’s sleep. You can check here for more information about how to select the best mattress for your unique needs. If you can’t afford a new mattress, a luxury mattress topper could help in the short term. This will help to make your bed more comfortable and cosy, promoting better quality sleep. 

Take these four steps and you’re sure to find that you get a better night’s sleep.