5 Easy top tips to improve your sleep

Really try to switch off all electronic devices an hour before bed. Yes, that means getting off your smart phone, tablet and not watching TV or Netflix on your computer. The light emitting from these devices mimics natural daylight, which tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. This affects your natural sleep cycle. Plus, scrolling through social media, email, news or browsing the web, stimulates your mind and doesn’t encourage restfulness.

Read the paper or a book instead of an iPad or kindle before bed. Studies have shown those who read on an iPad before bed took longer to fall asleep and slept less deeply compared with those who read paper books at night.

Caffeine stays in your blood for hours after drinking it. Which means drinking coffee late in the afternoon can leave caffeine in your system at bedtime. This can prevent sleeping or disturb sleep quality. So, see if you can avoid caffeine later in the day.

We spend a third of our lives in bed, so your bedroom needs to be set up to help you sleep. It’s best dark and cool. We need darkness to trigger our body’s natural rhythm of sleep. Our body can detect any kind of natural or artificial light, which activates our awakening response.