Bad bedroom habits you need to break

Do you find it hard to fall asleep at night? You may be sending your body mixed signals without even realising!

Getting a good night's sleep is essential to our health and happiness. Sleep helps with memory, hormone regulation, and immunity, so when we're not getting enough, we're more susceptible to getting sick and being in a bad mood!

Many common night-time habits stimulate our brain and tell it to stay awake when we are getting ready to go to bed. How many are you guilty of?

You watch TV in bed

The light from your TV can trick your mind into thinking it's still daytime, signalling your brain to stay alert. Worse still is falling asleep with the TV on! Try to power down an hour before you head to bed by reading a book or engaging in some relaxing (tech-free!) activities.

You work in bed

Your bedroom should be a place of relaxation. It's not somewhere you want to be bringing work-related stresses. When your mind runs through spreadsheets and documents, it makes it harder to switch off and fall asleep when the lights go out. If you work on your laptop, you're getting a double dose of stimulation from your work and the glowing screen. Unplug, switch off and sleep more peacefully tonight. 

You use your phone before bed

This is a tough habit to break as many of us sleep with our phones beside us and are guilty of scrolling through social media or responding to texts or emails in bed. These types of interactive activities can prevent your brain from shutting down and can stimulate insomnia.

You sleep in a warm room

What you think is a 'comfortable' room temperature may not be the right temperature for your body. If your bedroom is too warm (above 20 degrees), it can fail to send your brain the proper sleep signals encouraging you to fall into a deeper sleep.

Our Thermal Balancing range is perfect for maintaining a comfortable sleeping temperature. It works by absorbing, storing and releasing excess body heat as you need it, keeping you (and your partner!) comfortable throughout the whole night.

You leave the lights on

We're talking hallway lights, lamps, the glow from digital alarm clocks, and blinking phone lights! All these things can disrupt a peaceful sleep pattern. When there is light in your room while you're trying to sleep it can disturb your melatonin levels - the hormone helping you fall and stay asleep.

We recommend turning off your main lighting an hour before bedtime. Instead, use a floor lamp or a table lamp to create a softer light to wind down in, before turning everything off when it's time to sleep!

You drink coffee in the afternoon

Having a cup of coffee before bed isn't going to help you get to sleep in fact it can also wreak havoc on your sleep patterns. Caffeine is also found in tea and soft drinks, and even if you have these types of drinks in the afternoon, the caffeine can stay in your system hours later. To be safe, doctors recommend avoiding these kinds of drinks at least eight hours before you hit the sack.

You like a 'nightcap.'

We can't blame you for indulging in a glass of wine with dinner, but studies suggest having alcohol before bed is a bad night-time habit many of us are guilty of. While it does make you drowsy, it also sets you up for a restless night's sleep. The recommendation -  Avoid having alcohol within 2 hours of your bedtime.

You're sleeping on the wrong pillow

The pillow that's right for you is as individual as a fingerprint (well, almost). Sleeping on the wrong type of pillow can make it harder to fall asleep as your neck and back are not correctly aligned. Check out our handy guide below to find the pillow that's right for you:

Back Sleeper – Memory Foam or Latex
Side Sleeper – Latex, Memory Foam or Posture Sleep
Stomach Sleeper – Microfibre or Bamboo
Allergy Sufferer – Microfibre, Memory Foam, Bamboo or Latex
Nursing Mother – Tri, Body or Euro
Back Pain Sufferer – Body or Knee Wedge

You have no set bedtime

Getting your body into a routine will help you to get a better night's sleep. Start powering down an hour before your actual bedtime and get all the little must-dos out of the way, like walking the dog and brushing your teeth. Spend the last 20 minutes doing something relaxing before turning off the lights. By sticking to the same bedtime, it will help to regulate your natural body clock.

Our range of quilts, pillows, protectors, underlays & toppers are bound to give you the healthy nights sleep you need! Shop our full range of bedding products here.