Daylight savings is about to come to and end, and you know what that means — we're springing forward and losing an hour of sleep. We figured this would be the perfect time to talk about how to get a good night's rest with tips from your local sleep experts at Haven Mattress Co.
We've all been there, you hit the pillow, exhausted from a long day, and sleep just doesn't come. You toss and turn, you reposition yourself to try and get comfortable, you flip your pillow back and forth in search of the cold side, but it's all for nothing — the great night's sleep you crave isn't happening.
Unfortunately, a poor sleeping experience isn't anything new. Around one-third of people ages 18 to 64 get less than seven hours of sleep on average. As a whole, the demographic averaged just 7.12 hours, barely breaking into the recommended seven to nine hours. Quality of sleep suffers as well — 43% of men and 55% of women report trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep.
So, what can you do? How can you make sure you're getting enough sleep, and getting good sleep to boot? From great sheets to a solid bedtime routine, here's what you need to know about the road to a better night's sleep.
At the end of a long day, it's tempting to turn on Netflix, scroll through Instagram or catch up on emails before hitting the pillow, but try to refrain. While this may feel like relaxing or unwinding, the light from your phone or computer screen is sending opposite signals to your brain.
Sleep studies have found that blue light from phone or laptop screens isn't calming at all — it actually inhibits melatonin production. Melatonin, a hormone produced in the pineal gland, plays a large role in regulating wakefulness, so interfering with your body's natural system can spell trouble for your sleep.
Try picking up a book or jot down notes in a journal before bed instead of jarring yourself awake with harsh sources of light. If you really must finish up work or homework late into the night, keep brightness levels as low as possible.
There's a reason sleeping feels so much better when you can snuggle in a pile of blankets — sleep is easier when it's cold. In fact, experts suggest keeping bedrooms at 70 degree Fahrenheit or cooler at night, ideally between 60 and 68. Cooler temperatures can help the body produce melatonin, leading to an easier time getting to sleep.
Consider replacing your mattress with a natural latex or cool gel foam like those sold by the local company, Haven Mattress. The better air flow the better chance your body can regulate for a cooler sleep environment.
If there's no easy way to change the physical temperature of your bedroom, consider taking a warm shower before bed to raise your body temperature slightly. When you get out, your internal temperature will experience a sizeable decrease, similar to the natural drop that occurs as the brain drifts off to sleep.
If you live near downtown, near a hospital and ambulances or by any other epicentre for noise, it's not always easy to get to sleep. And even when you're asleep, your brain may be tuning in, listening for sounds of danger. When noises in your environment change, your brain jars awake, ruining your ability to get a solid eight hours.
If you find yourself rising in the night with no explanation or struggling to fall asleep and stay that way, too much noise may be the culprit. By using a white noise machine, a fan or even a white noise YouTube video, you can drone out the honks, sirens or the comings and goings at the bar down the street, cutting down on disturbances throughout the night.
If your bedroom isn't a relaxing place, you're not alone. For many people, the bedroom serves a few different functions, providing a space to kick back and watch TV, read or get a few blissful minutes away from the kids.
It may also be a place to sort and fold laundry, store boxes that have nowhere else to go or even as a stand-in study space for students. As such, it's no surprise that the average bedroom doesn't immediately trigger feelings of relaxation.
For those who can't turn off when it's time to hit the hay, aromatherapy can be a valuable way to inspire tranquility. We experimented with scents like lavender from Okanagan Lavender and Herb farm. Lavender is said to calm the body and mind, so consider diffusing oils on nights when your mind won't slow down. This also can serve to mask many of the chemical smells and off-gassing from your furniture and bed itself.
Sleep is a highly regimented process, progressing in cycles through the night. You may think this is the only important cycle in your sleep habits, but in reality, routine matters in more ways than simply your circadian rhythm. The body likes consistency, and that means at bedtime too.
When you go to bed at radically different times every night and wake up at variable times in the morning, your body doesn't know what to expect. This lack of consistency can make it far harder to relax, settle down and get ready for bed — when your brain isn't expecting to sleep, getting into a nighttime mindset can be a challenge.
Even if you have an inconsistent schedule, do your best to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. When your body is used to getting to sleep, you'll have an easier time shuttting down and getting some shut-eye.
Do you drink coffee after 3 pm? Do you have an alcoholic drink or two or three most nights? Do you drink water immediately before bed, triggering lots of bathroom breaks? Do you fail to get plenty of exercise? All of these habits can negatively affect your sleep, leaving you tossing and turning instead of catchings Zs.
While it's fine to have the occasional night out or late afternoon coffee date, if you want a better night's sleep, you need healthy habits. Cut out excessive alcohol, nighttime coffee, liquid before bed and eat a healthy and balanced diet.
If you're not big on exercise, start experimenting until you find an option that's right for you. There are strong correlations between adequate exercise and healthy sleep, so hitting the treadmill may appear in the form of benefits to falling asleep.
Bottom line, the better your lifestyle and habits, the more likely you are to get a good night's sleep.
Think all mattress are made equal? Think again! In reality, your bed can make a huge difference in the quality of sleep you get on a daily basis.
When you invest in a great mattress, you can do right by your body, taking your bedtime experience to the next level. At Haven Mattress, we offer customizable options to give every single customer an amazing night's sleep. Priced directly to consumers (no store mark-ups) makes the luxury of better sleep attainable from only $375 to $1,399.
Haven is one of Canada's fastest growing wellness companies, opening its second production facility in Calgary last year to serve Western customers faster. Haven's secret sauce is the use of plant-based materials for a healthier night of blissful sleep.
For a limited time, Haven Mattress Co. will pick up your old mattress for free when you purchase a new 10" or 14" Haven! Just add 'old mattress disposal' to your cart and use the promo code KELOWNANOW.
From long days at work to a jam-packed social calendar, getting a good night's sleep often falls by the wayside. However, it only takes a few simple changes to step up your sleep, transforming restless nights into a full eight hours of undisturbed shut-eye. From improving the atmosphere in your bedroom to investing in a more natural mattress, taking the right steps can help you sleep better than ever before.
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