Are you getting enough REM?

Are you tossing and turning at night? Is lack of sleep playing havoc with your day? Are you grumpy, irritable and demotivated? Do you find yourself reaching for copious amounts of caffeine and sugary snacks to boost your energy levels?

If yes, check out our top tips for a great nights sleep. Why people don’t sleep well is usually down to a myriad of different reasons, often a combination of factors hinder sleep. That said there are lots of things you can do to give yourself a helping hand in the sleep department.

If it’s your other half keeping you awake, banish them to the spare room or couch for a couple of nights a week. Apparently, we Brits are the most resistant to “separate sleeping,” in Europe, its the done thing!  Securing a fabulous nights sleep now and again will definitely give your brain and body the boost it needs for optimum physical and mental health. If you want a clear picture of your sleep patterns, consider a sleep tracker like the Fitbit Charge 3. Although the Fitbit is primarily an activity tracker it doubles as a really useful way to monitor your sleep. Filling in a sleep diary may also you identify any potential triggers. The sleep council produce a useful printable tracker if that’s more your thing. 

Ask yourself the following questions, as you discover our top tips for a great nights sleep:

1. How’s your bed? Is your mattress comfortable, are your pillows supportive and is your bedding fresh? If not, perhaps your solution lies here…

2. Is your bedroom tidy? Is it a calm, relaxing oasis where you can relax and de-stress after a busy day? If not plan when a few changes will occur.

3. What’s your bedroom’s temperature? 18 degrees is optimum for great sleep.

4. Does noise keep you awake or wake you up? Consider a Sleep White Noise Machine or some
Ear Plugs.

5. Are you blinded by a light at 4 am? How about investing in some blackout curtains or a
Sleep Mask.

6. How’s your diet? Too much caffeine, sugar and heavy late-night meals will play havoc with your snooze time… apparently a Probiotic might help.

7. Are you a slave to a “screen?” Turn it off an hour before bed to normalise melatonin production

8. Is stress keeping you awake? Try transferring any “things to do” to a notebook, empty your head of clutter for a better chance of nodding off.

9. Do you move much? Apparently, even just 10 minutes of outdoor exercise promotes better sleep. Just get going!

10. Is your bedroom like Piccadilly Circus? Could you periodically ship all kids, pets and any other performers out to friends and family now and again? Or pay someone to take over while you book a hotel? Do what it takes!

So, perhaps the answer to your sleep issues lie within the top tips in this post. I hope you find them useful and something helps!

Are you a shift worker, or a frequent traveller?

For specific sleep support, visit the sleep council Here, for example, you can find advice for shift workers, parents and those who frequently cross multiple time zones. There is also a free 30 day sleep challenge and a printable sleep diary.

Suffering from night after night of sleeplessness is awful… if you’re constantly struggling with sleep, please see your doctor.

Thank you for reading this Landscape Your Life Takeaway. We hope you have found the information useful and practical. If you are interested in making positive changes to your lifestyle, take a look at our book: Landscape Your Life – Sow the Seeds of Success. Here you will discover how sowing 5 essential SEEDS will help you relax and find contentment. Learn how to be more productive, cultivate consistency, sort out your shed and deal with any slugs or weeds in your life!