Sleep Awareness Week 2015

Sleep Awareness Week is a campaign in the US to raise awareness of the importance of sleep. To help this campaign here are 10 top tips from SleepHero:

1. Develop a regular winding down routine that allows your body to expect when to sleep. This programmes the brain and body clock to get the most out of sleep. Routines work just as well for adults as kids.

2. Modern life is creating a phenomenon called “social jet lag”. A feeling of “jet lag” results when people sleep in on weekends, then try to get back to a normal work schedule on Mondays. So try to keep regular sleeping hours whether it’s the weekend or the working week.

3. Don’t watch TV in bed. Bedrooms are for sleeping – and possibly sex. Unlike most vigorous physical activity, sex makes us sleepy. This has evolved in humans over thousands of years.

4. Get a comfortable bed.

5. Sleep in a cool, dark, tidy bedroom.

6. Don’t drink caffeine after 2pm. Caffeine stays in your system for hours.

7. Reading a book relaxes the mind.

8. Writing a “to do” list can organise the mind and clear distractions.

9. Relaxation exercises such as light yoga stretches help to relax your muscles.

10. If your children wake you up in the night then try the SleepHero app. This helps you and your children get a better night’s sleep.

Sweet dreams!