The Art of Sleeping Well

There’s no escaping the fact that Sleep Hygiene has become a hot topic recently. New products that claim to aid sleep appear on our radar every day. But what can you do to ensure you get the best sleep for you? We look at the art of sleeping well, from tips to products.

When we talk about Wellness, we think we have it covered. Eating healthily, check. Exercising regularly, check. Meditating, check. We’ve always known that getting enough sleep is crucial to our health. But did you know that the amount and quality of the sleep you get is directly linked not only to your mental wellbeing but also your physical health? We look at some practical tips to help you master the art of sleeping well.

The Vendeur Recommends:

  • Keep yourself regular – going to bed and getting up at the same time each day is crucial for allowing you to get good quality sleep. Keeping regular hours allows your brain to programme your body clock, meaning it will know when to sleep and when to rise.
  • It’s’ not about quantity, it’s about quality – the NHS recommends adults get 6-9 hours sleep a night. But it’s getting enough REM or deep sleep that matters. This is because during deep sleep, your body emits hormones that aid growth, mental development and memory retention.
  • Keep your bedroom for sleeping – that means no TV’s, electrical equipment or mess. And definitely no working in bed! Your brain should associate your bed and bedroom with relaxation and sleep. Doing other activities (apart from sex) in here confuses your brain making it harder to drop off.  
  • Kick the caffeine – caffeine is a natural stimulant that promotes alertness. It has a half life of 3-5 hours in your body, meaning that 50% of the caffeine you drink lingers in your body for more than 5 hours. Try to only drink decaffeinated coffee or tea after 3pm. For ideas on caffeine free herbal infusions check out our Herbal Tea guide
  • No screens before bed – the blue LED light emitted from your phone, laptop or tablet is known to disrupt our circadian rhythm. This is basically your body clock – it tells your body when to sleep and when to rise. If this is compromised, getting off to sleep is harder. So be strict, don’t look at your phone or laptop around an hour before bed. And don’t be tempted to check them if you wake in the night as it will make it harder to get back to sleep.
  • Spend the hour before bed relaxing – reading a book or listening to music is thought to help relax the mind and prepare it for sleep. If you need some more ideas, check out our weekly Offline Moments. Or treat yourself to a massage. Bamford’s b-Silent treatment is ideal for this. 
  • Having a warm bath can also help – this helps your body reach a temperature optimal for relaxation. We love adding a soothing scent to increase the effects. A few drops of lavender essential oil in your bath, or burning a calming candle both do the trick.

As well as these practical tips, there are lots of products availabl to aid rest and relaxation. Here are the Vendeur’s favourites.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is for general advice only and should not be used as a substitute for professional healthcare or beauty advice. We make every effort to ensure we only recommend safe products however you should always do a patch test when trying new products.