January health advice: 8 tips to improve your night’s sleep
As I write this, my husband is asleep next to me. It’s just past 12am – how did that happen? I’m up in a few hours for a long day of catering. Midnight might not seem late for some but I am usually in bed by 10pm…
Are you also reading this while trying to fall asleep? When did something as simple as drifting off get so hard? Despite an exhausting day, my brain is suddenly wide awake: did I double lock the front door? Have I replied to my father-in-law about dinner next week? And I must remember whether or not I ordered my daughter’s new school shoes…
Most nights I’ve found a bedtime routine that helps me fall asleep straight away, but sometimes, on nights like these, when your mind is going at 100mph and you’ve got a million things on your to-do list, you just can’t close your eyes without your brain pinging you an endless stream of notifications. It’s ironic that we can spend the day rushing around, cramming things in and then, when we finally get a moment to ourselves in the quiet of the night, our minds throw a party to which we definitely weren’t invited.
It’s not just me – so many of us are sleeping badly right now. We are scrolling later, working later, worrying more, expecting our nervous systems to magically switch off the second our head hits the pillow. According to Mental Health UK, one in five of us aren’t getting enough sleep, and that statistic makes complete sense when you look around. Everyone’s tired. Everyone’s wired. Everyone’s running on caffeine, adrenaline and good intentions.
This matters. Sleep is one of the pillars of health, up there with diet and movement but it’s also one of the biggest indicators of longevity. This is when your body does the quiet, unglamorous work: repairing cells, balancing hormones, lowering inflammation, supporting your immune system and clearing out all the mental clutter from the day. Bad sleep doesn’t just make you feel groggy, it shows up as stress, anxiety, cravings, brain fog, low mood, bad skin… The list goes on. And when it becomes a pattern, it chips away at how resilient you feel, and how well you age.
I used to run on five or six hours of sleep a night, especially when I was a new mother (more like two or three hours some nights). Or when I crammed in loads of work when I was supposed to be resting (hello freelancing!). I wore it like a badge of honour, as if being exhausted meant I was being productive. But it started affecting my day-to-day: my patience, my energy, my ability to think clearly. I realised I needed to take sleep seriously.
I’m not about to tell you to become a monk, meditate for 45 minutes, or transform your bedroom into a silent wellness cave full of sleep tracking gadgets. These are practical, doable tweaks that have genuinely helped me fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and wake up feeling more human.
Digital detox
The irony that I’m up late staring at a screen writing this is not lost on me – but you really need to ditch the devices before bed. Blue light emitted from phones, laptops, TV’s and tablets has been proven to disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm (the thing that regulates sleep-wake cycles), signalling to our brain that it’s daytime. Ideally, you should switch off at least an hour before you sleep. As a family we leave our phones in another room at 8:30pm.
Scandi dinners
I grew up in Sweden where dinnertime is around 5 or 6pm and it’s a habit I love. It gives my body a good few hours to digest before hitting the hay and makes a massive difference. Going to bed feeling stuffed is a recipe for restless sleep and potential heartburn. Think lighter, earlier meals and your sleep will thank you for it.
Magnesium is your bedside table BFF
I’m really into supplements and magnesium is one that I can’t live without. I’ve experimented with both sprays and powders: sprays are convenient – just spritz on your body (usually feet but any parts that are aching) and massage in. If you normally have a glass of water before bed, stir in some magnesium powder. This helps to calm the nervous system, relax muscles and generally tells your body to chill the eff out. I also take a mixture of mushrooms (not the magic kind): reishi, chaga and maitake are particularly good for sleep.
Teas with intention
I love a cuppa before bed. Not a builder’s brew but a soothing herbal tea. Chamomile is a classic: it has a mild sedative effect and a slightly sweet and floral taste. Valerian root is my other go-to, with a stronger taste that’s quite earthy and woodsy. A warm cup of either of these about an hour before bed signals to my body that it’s time to slow down and prepare for sleep.
Spritz and snooze
I always thought pillow mists were a bit of a fad. Whether it’s lavender-, chamomile- or vetiver-scented, spritzing a mist over your pillows and bed linens creates a sensory environment that tells your brain it’s time to snooze. It’s a small thing, but that scent association really helps me to relax and drift off. There are also some great magnesium creams that I use for the soles of my feet.
The brain dump
If my mind is doing the ‘did I lock the door?’ dance, I grab a notebook and do a quick brain dump. Write a messy list of everything on your mind: admin, life stuff, tiny worries, big worries. It’s like telling my brain: I hear you, it’s written down, you can stop shouting now.
Cool, dark, cave vibes
I’m fussy about the bedroom. I want it cool, dark and quiet. It doesn’t need to be fancy: make sure the curtains block out the light and dim the lights before bed. I try to create “cave energy” so my body gets the message it’s night time.
Same-ish sleep and wake times
Even when life is chaotic, I try to keep my sleep and wake times consistent. When I do, I fall asleep faster and I wake up less in the night. When I don’t… well, here I am, tapping away at midnight. I hope you’re not reading this article past your bedtime… Sweet dreams.