Struggling to sleep? We asked Gastroenterology Dietitian Dr Sammie Gill for 20 science-backed tips on how to sleep better.
- Keep your bedroom cool at night (around 18°C) to mimic the drop in body temperature than happens when you fall asleep. Use a fan or open windows at night to make the most of the breeze.
- Try and limit caffeine from mid-afternoon or opt for lower caffeine options. Try fruit teas, herbal teas such as chamomile, or hot milk with cinnamon, vanilla, or honey.
- Naps can be a double-edged sword. If you can nap for 20-30 minutes and still fall asleep at night without issues, keep on napping! If you’re napping and struggling to sleep at night, avoid napping in the day, especially long naps.
- Limit screen time (including phones, laptops and TVs) in the few hours before bed since it can disrupt the melatonin surge (sleep hormone) that signals to the body that it is time to go to sleep.
- Avoid eating too much or feeling hungry before bedtime. Try and finish eating your last meal at least a few hours before going to bed. If you’re hungry, opt for a light snack.
- Prioritise your bedding. Choose natural fabrics for sheets (such as cotton, bamboo or linen), a supportive pillow, and pyjamas that are cosy but breathable.
- Consistency is key. Try to keep to a similar sleep and wake time every day, including work and non-workdays. Try using an alarm to wake up but also to remind you to go to bed.
- Jotting down tasks for the next day can help your brain offload. This can help limit sleepless nights. It also means you’re not thinking about them whilst trying to sleep...
- Try some gentle movement before bed. This might include mindfulness, diaphragmatic breathing or stretching.
- Get into a relaxed state of mind. Try reading a couple of book chapters or listen to a podcast or music - genre isn’t important as long as it relaxes you.
- Review your medications with your GP. Some medications, such as antidepressants and beta blockers, can disrupt sleep. Discuss timing and alternatives if you’re struggling to sleep.
- Take a hot bath or shower before bed. This encourages a drop in body temperature because your blood vessels dilate and increase heat loss through the skin.
- Avoid time spent lying awake in bed for long periods hoping you’ll fall asleep. If you can’t sleep within 30 minutes, get up and do something different. It’s important for your brain to associate your bed with sleep, not wakefulness.
- Dim down the lights in your house in the few hours before bed. It’ll help to encourage sleepiness.
- Invest in sleep tools such as blackout blinds, an eye mask or eye plugs to help keep disturbances to a minimum.
- Keep your bedroom clutter-free to create a sense of calm. Clutter can affect how relaxed you feel which can impact your ability to switch-off.
- Avoid alcohol in the 4-6 hours before bedtime. Alcohol disrupts sleep quality and blocks the brain from entering ‘dream’ sleep.
- Get outdoors during the day. Sunlight exposure syncs your body clock and helps to maintain circadian rhythm regularity.
- Keep physically active at any time – mornings, afternoons, or evenings. If you prefer to exercise in the evening, try to exercise a few hours before bedtime. This is because exercise increased body temperature and it can remain elevated for a few hours post-exercise.
- Aromatherapy with essential oils (such as lavender) may have a calming effect that helps with sleep by encouraging relaxation.
Here's to a blissful night of sleep.
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Sources
Alcohol use and poor sleep quality: a longitudinal twin study across 36 years. Sleep Advances. (2022). Link.
Consistency where it counts: Sleep regularity is associated with circulating white blood cell count in young adults. Brain, Behaviour and Immunity – Health. (2021). Link.
Hot-water bathing before bedtime and shorter sleep onset latency are accompanied by a higher distal-proximal skin temperature gradient in older adults. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. (2021). Link.
The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews. (2023). Link.
The immediate effects of lavender-based essential oil inhalation on subsequent polysomnography in people with poor sleep quality. Journal of the Chinese Medical Association. (2023). Link.
The importance of residential dusk and dawn light exposure for sleep quality, health, and well-being. Sleep Medicine Reviews. (2023). Link.
