ORTHOPAEDIC MATTRESS

Help Sleeping

Although most people do not realise it, there are a number of simple things that you can do to help along the process of getting to sleep and remaining in a sleeping state.

Preparing yourself for a good night’s sleep is something that you should do very evening as a regular routine in the same way that you would loosen up before exercise or strenuous activity.

Check your mattress

• First and foremost, ensure that you have a good quality mattress that is not worn or damaged and that suits your sleeping habits. If your mattress is past its sell by date, or fails to provide the resting support that your body requires, you will not sleep very well.
• If you suffer from any kind of back, skeletal or muscular aching after sleep, you need to examine your mattress and think about replacing it.
• If you continue to have sleeping difficulties, then you should consult you doctor.

Pre sleep preparation

• Create a bedroom and sleeping environment that is comfortable and relaxing. Your bedroom should be a place reserved for, and associated wit, rest and sleep and not other active pass times.
• Keep natural light, street lighting and any other light effects out of your bedroom once you go to bed. Use black-out curtains if necessary.
• Many people wake up at night and get up to make a drink or read for a few minutes. This places the mind in active mode and makes getting back to sleep more difficult. Always resist the urge to get up during the night unless you are compelled to.
• Start preparing for sleep in the mid evening. Try not to eat within 3 hours of going to bed and do not make drinks containing caffeine. Indeed some people find that they sleep better if they avoid caffeine from the mid afternoon onwards.
• Have a regular night time routine that sees you head for bed and get up at consistent times. The body works best on routines and regular habits. This may involve a relaxing activity like reading for half an hour before you go to bed, or even listening to relaxing music. Either way, the process should constitute part of your winding down for sleep process.
• Try not to cat-knap. Taking short sleeps during the day prevents you from tiring to the point where your body easily falls asleep at night. You should feel tired when you go to bed.
• Once in bed try not to think or obsess about anything in particular. Clear your mind and focus on something like your breathing patterns and make a conscious effort to relax all of your muscles. One way of doing this is to deliberately tense up, and then relax completely whilst letting out a breath.
• Accept that your sleeping habits and required levels of sleep will be different to everyone else’s. If you only require 6 hours of sleep and feel refreshed and rested when you wake up, then enjoy those extra hours that other do not see.
• Do not expects results “overnight”. Give your new approach a couple of weeks to take effect and you will notice the difference.
• Finally, if you do have sleeping difficulties, play detective. There is usually a rational explanation behind poor sleeping patterns, but you need to look to find them and then act to find a remedy.