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How to increase your chances of having a restful night in bed

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Image: Getty
Image: Getty

While a cup of coffee will perk you up, and grabbing a balanced breakfast will help fuel your day, these are just short-term answers to help ease a lack of slumber.

After a poll found that 77 per cent of Brits fail to get a proper night's sleep, we decided to speak to sleep expert Holly Housby, from mattress brand Sealy, to find out how we can increase our chance of having a restful night in bed.

Stick to your sleep patterns

It’s important to get up at the same time as you usually would as well as ensuring you go to bed an hour earlier. Routine is vital when it comes to your body clock – and yes that means on weekends too!

Get your duvet right

It’s highly important to get your head around duvet tog ratings – the higher the tog rating, the warmer the duvet will be. In the summer months, a 2.5-7 tog is perfect, whereas a 13.5-15 tog duvet would be better in winter.

Be drink aware

We all know that drinking too much caffeine before bed can cause a restless night’s sleep, but did you know that alcohol rapidly reduces REM sleep, so think twice when you go for those after work drinks.

Get fit and healthy

Take advantage of warm weather by getting outside and doing some exercise, which will keep your energy levels high in the day and also help you feel more tired by the evening. Maintaining a good diet is also important in helping your overall energy levels, so make sure you enjoy a diet rich in energy boosting foods such as fruits, vegetables and nuts as well as plenty of water.

Become a morning person

Why not adopt a ‘seize the day’ attitude in the mornings?. Many people are kept awake at night consumed with busy thoughts, but by preparing yourself for the next day the night before, you will enjoy a stress-free sleep and avoid that early morning panic. Write a list of all your morning jobs, get your work bag ready, or pack your lunch all in preparation for that inevitable morning rush.

Avoid napping

This may seem like an obvious one but try to avoid naps during the day to enjoy a fuller night’s sleep. If you do feel the need to get some shut-eye though make sure you just limit it to just 10-20 minutes.

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