How To Get A Better Night's Sleep

Lifestyle | 31 March 2023

Here at Linen House, we know a thing or two about comfy bedding and the blissful sleep that comes with it.

Read on for some of the simplest changes you can make to achieve the world's greatest shut-eye.

Download a meditation app.

Look to apps like 1 Giant Mind, Smiling Mind and Headspace, which each offer guided meditations to help you feel relaxed and calm.

Get in the right space before bed or while you're in bed.

Experience tells us your head will hit the pillow before your meditation ends. Psyche.

Embrace the oils.

It's no secret that natural essential oils are highly effective for calming your body to achieve a restful night's sleep.

Lavender and Valerian root can be used in various ways. Before bed, pop these or your own favourite oil blends in a bath, or, apply 2-3 drops to your temples and gently massage for a few minutes.

Don't have a bath tub? Add 3-5 tiny drops to the floor of your shower and allow it to diffuse into your feet with the water's steam.

5-6 drops of essential oil in a diffuser creates a beautifully soothing mist before bedtime too.

Note: always observe the manufacturer's instructions for use with any essential oil, especially when applying directly to your skin.

Soft sheets.

They really are everything.

We only spend around 26 years asleep and 7 years trying to get to sleep – may as well make it a comfy place to catch some zzz's and hang out.

We recommend our bamboo cotton sheet ranges, Nara and Haven. Read more about this winner here.

Switch. Off.

Turn it all off an hour before you hit that bedroom.

And that's everything: your television, phone, tablet, ebook or any other device.

Blue light from these technologies makes it difficult to fall asleep, as it stimulates our receptors, making wind-down an unnecessary stretch.

Also lighting. Exposure from bright, overhead lights tells our body's clock to stay ticking and decreases melatonin, your sleep hormone – not what you want before trying to nod off.

So in the evening, switch off those stimulating bright lights around your home and embrace soft, dim lighting from lamps, candles or tea lights.

Use lights from distant rooms if you must, to give you visibility that's still dim and not overpowering.

Food.

Ever get into bed and feel full?

Eating dinner or timing your evening snack earlier will leave you feeling fresh, light and more comfortable with slipping into bed.

Find your routine.

Busy schedules make it hard to fall into healthy routines, but it's super-helpful for sleep prep.

Try to make where you sleep a personal retreat.

Read your favourite paperback book or magazine (remember, no blue light), enjoy a soothing cup of herbal tea (chamomile is great for sleep) and slip your cosiest pj's on.

Establish an evening pamper with your favourite skincare products and wash off the day's grime. Cleanse your face, tone, and give your skin some much-needed overnight moisture (it dehydrates as we sleep).

Introduce a weekly facial with a deep cleansing mask or a gentle exfoliator, to give you a renewed complexion to complement your newfound and wonderfully deep sleep.

Accompany these rituals with an all-natural, pure silk pillowcase. Silk is an ancient fibre celebrated for its extraordinary ability to improve sleep, preserve your complexion and prevent hair-tangles and skin creases.

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By establishing all the tips above, you'll not only look forward to the land of nod but you'll also enjoy the delights that come with it before you get there.

Good luck and happy sleeping (like a baby).