FSome months are gloomier than January. With the absence of a silly season looming and the reality of a new year starting to sink in, it can seem impossible to motivate yourself to do anything, let alone get a good night's sleep. It's much more tempting to dive under the covers each night to binge-watch a new Netflix series until 2am, or scroll through people's cleverly booked winter sun holidays and imagine yourself there.
These activities, of course, will only hinder the time you can sleep. And since colder climates are already putting a strain on your physical and mental well-being, it's crucial to make sure you get as much sleep as you can.
After all, studies have shown that a restful night's sleep can improve your concentration levels, keep your heart healthy, reduce stress, and boost your immune system. So how to do it? Read on for our expert tips.
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Start taking magnesium
Studies have found that taking magnesium before bed can help you sleep well and uninterrupted. This is mainly due to the effect it has on our muscles. “Magnesium's role in muscle relaxation further increases its ability to improve sleep, signaling to the nervous system that it is time to take a break,” explains Dr. Naomi Newman Beinart. She can consume magnesium through a supplement or she can get it naturally by eating leafy green legumes, nuts, and seeds.
“Or take a bath,” suggests Dr. Beinart. “Soaking in a bath with magnesium chloride flakes offers relaxation benefits and a vital health boost. Warm water opens the pores, improving the absorption rate of magnesium. Additionally, the entire body is exposed to the mineral, ensuring broad absorption.” This range of magnesium products from Better You is particularly useful.
Establish a bedtime routine and stick to it
It's easy to romanticize the perfect bedtime routine: candles, relaxing music, a whimsical trail of fairy dust swirling around the bed. However, the reality is that most of us go to bed exhausted, stressed, and on the verge of collapse. However, adjusting this is crucial to getting the sleep you need. First: Establish a regular bedtime.
“Maintaining a consistent overall bedtime and wake-up time helps sleep become a habit that the body expects,” says Dr. Ari Manuel, respiratory, sleep and ventilation consultant at Spire Healthcare. “However, flexibility is key to making sleep fit into a varied lifestyle, so if you decide to stay out later or travel, it doesn't matter once in a while, as long as you have that solid foundation.”
Once you've set a time, the best thing you can get into the habit of doing is reducing your blue light exposure (yes, that means not using your phone) and giving yourself time to relax screen-free before hitting the pillow.
“It sounds simple, but having a good attitude toward sleep—seeing it as beneficial and restorative rather than a punishment or a struggle—is particularly important in helping you relax and unwind,” adds Dr. Manuel.
Do more exercise
It's January, so chances are someone has already tried to tell you how exercise will help you get through the month. But did you know it could also help you sleep? “In addition to being essential for overall health, exercise directly impacts your need for a deep night's sleep,” says Dr. Lindsay Browning, psychologist, neuroscientist, and sleep expert at And So To Bed. “The more exercise you do, the more deep sleep you will have.”
Exercising regularly can lead to deeper sleep
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However, carefully timing your workouts is important if you want to reap the benefits of this in the bedroom. “Be sure to exercise during the day and not too close to bedtime,” adds Dr. Browning. “Evening exercise can sometimes disturb sleep due to the release of endorphins and adrenaline.”
Control your light exposure
You know the no-phone rule, but did you know that our circadian rhythm (the 24-hour internal clock in our brain that regulates our alert-sleep cycle) is primarily influenced by light exposure? “We need to expose ourselves to plenty of light (natural if possible) when we wake up to start this clock,” suggests Luke Cousins, regional physiology leader at Nuffield Health. Ideally you should do this by going for a walk outside within 30 minutes of waking up.
At night, it is best to reduce the amount of light in the bedroom as much as possible and use low-light lamps whenever possible.
Create a warm and comfortable environment.
The little things make a big difference when it comes to sleep. The look and feel of your bedroom can equal getting a good night's sleep. “The color of your bedroom can help you feel more relaxed and ready to sleep,” says Dr. Browning. “Neutral colors like earth tones and beige are more relaxing, and research has found that blue is associated with feelings of calm.” It is best to avoid stronger primary colors. “Researchers found that bedrooms decorated in red can be overstimulating for sleep, as the color red stimulates the fight or flight mechanism,” he adds.
Getting comfortable sheets (we love these from Piglet in Bed) and even more comfortable and warm pajamas can make a big difference. In winter, sleeping in warm clothes can also be useful, although you should avoid clothing that is too tight, as it could cut off circulation. These thermal garments from Uniqlo are particularly comfortable, as are these leggings from Adanola. Plus everything from Skims and TALA is especially comfortable.
Reduce alcohol consumption
This is one you may have heard before but it is no less important. While you may think that having a glass of wine before bed is what will help you relax, this is not the case.
Stopping alcohol can also help you stay asleep longer
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“Alcohol is a sedative and can help you fall asleep,” says Dr. Browning. “However, as alcohol is metabolized, it promotes wakefulness in the second half of the night, meaning you wake up frequently in the early hours. Additionally, alcohol affects the normal progression of sleep stages that we go through each night, meaning that the sleep we get is not as restful.”
If you are going to drink, it is best to do it in lower doses and not too close to bedtime. “Consuming it that way has a less disruptive effect on sleep,” says Dr. Browning.
buy an alarm clock
Most of us can use our phones to wake up in the morning, but starting and ending the day with a doomscroll is unlikely to benefit our sleep, or much more. One study found that one in five of us are kept awake by our phones. “Smartphones emit blue light, which is the same as daylight,” says Dr. Browning. “This tricks the brain into thinking it's daytime, which can make it harder to transition into sleep mode when it's time to go to bed. Instead, try reading a book or meditating before bed.”
There are a wide range of alarms on the market that include high-tech features such as sleep cycle monitors or settings to wake you up based on your cycle. This one from Lumie even mimics a real sunrise and sunset to help your body naturally adapt to day and night.
