A sleep expert has revealed the key to kicking off a good night’s sleep in just under five minutes.
Rosie Osmun from eachnight.com has explained a range of ways to get yourself back into a solid sleep routine and drift off that little bit easier at night.
This includes getting your sleep patterns into something more consistent while consider banning electronic devices from your room.
And there is one particular technique that is proven to get you to nod off that little bit quicker at night.
The technique is called progression muscle relaxation (PMR), which can help your body relax before bedtime.
It aims to ease your muscles by adding a brief bit of tension followed by a period of relaxation.
- Close your eyes and breathe slowly
- Tense your entire face (eyes, mouth, nose, jaw and lips) for roughly 10 seconds, then breathe deeply and relax your muscles
- Repeat this procedure of tensing and relaxing muscles down your body, from your shoulders and neck, all the way down to your calves and feet.
- As your tensed muscles become relaxed, you will feel them become relaxed as they should be in order to nod off for the night.
Other changes to consider
Consistency is the key to a good night’s rest as a fluctuating sleep schedule can be confusing for your body clock, Rosie explains.
She advised that Scots sleep and wake up at the same time every day, which eventually makes it easier to fall asleep quicker.
You should also stop taking long naps during the daytime - but if you’re in desperate need, try and limit them to just half an hour.
Prior to going to bed, keep your eyes off the clock as obsessing over time may cause stress, which will make it much harder to get to sleep.
You should also try and keep electronic devices out of your bedroom as much as possible to avoid a disrupted sleep - the blue light from TVs, phones and laptops can make it harder to nod off for the night.
Scots should consider replacing the phone for a book or focus on a skincare routine or any other task that is relaxing enough to wind down before bed time.
If your room temperature is too warm, then this can contribute to an increase in body temperature which will make it harder to drift off.
You should consider cooling down before bed and avoid using heavy and thick blankets, especially on the warmer nights.
The optimum room temperature to fall asleep is between 15 and 19 degree celsius.
Another one to avoid before bedtime is salty, fatty and spicy meals - you should instead opt for healthier options, such as fruit and vegetables.
