Lifestyle

This is why a good night’s sleep is so important


Getting a good night’s sleep is vital for your health (Picture: Getty)

‘Did I reply to that email?’, ‘Have I put the snacks in the lunchboxes?’, ‘I need to order that birthday present. No, seriously, I need to order it by the end of the week.’ It’s hard to pull the plug to unwind and relax and slip effortlessly into the land of Nod. The stresses of life can weigh heavy on your mind.

Emails, texts, streaming and videos calls; sometimes you feel there’s no way to stop the avalanche that comes crashing through to your phone, tablet or computer and that keeps you wired.

Waking up after a night of scattered sleep is miserable. More often than not, a night without sufficient rest can leave you feeling stressed, irritable and unable to concentrate. Not the makings of a great day. But if this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Bensons’ Sleep Wellness Survey found that 75% of Brits often survive on just four hours sleep, and even then it feels like just a few moments. Most people feel like they need seven hours, but in reality get only around 5.8 hours. It’s no wonder we feel short-changed.

There are many factors in not being able to get a good night’s sleep, from not being able to switch off, to a snoring partner, a newborn baby or an uncomfortable mattress. Bensons for Beds Sleep expert, Stephanie Romiszewski, urges people to get back to basics and stick to a routine to improve sleep and suggests that technology is one factor that plays a role in people’s struggle with enough shut-eye.

‘The world that we live in now incorporates technology into everything we do which does have an impact on our sleep,’ she says.

‘All of this only makes us less likely to stick to simple healthy routines and to be consistent. There is almost too much choice and stuff going on these days, that we forget about the basics. This only seems to make loneliness and anxiety worse, which also lead to sleep problems.’

BodiTrak technology helps find your perfect mattress for your sleep style

It’s a dramatic transformation when you hit that sweet spot of sleep, you can burst out of bed feeling energised and fully armoured to take on the day’s challenges. Exactly what you need when life is moving at 110mph. According to Bensons’ Sleep Wellness Survey 45% of people feel less anxious after a good night’s kip, while 43% have more energy and feel more productive. With punishing schedules, pressured jobs and demanding children, it’s not hard to see why we crave the relaxing sanctuary of bed, and why it’s bitterly disappointing if your longed-for sleep doesn’t appear instantly.

But don’t let one difficult night get you down.

‘One poor night’s sleep isn’t going to impact your sleep cycle and life significantly, and that’s really good to know because the worry that people have around this is growing, which only increases anxiety which leads to worse sleep,’ Romiszewski says.

Science has proven that sleep helps to give your body a fighting chance against sickness, diabetes, heart disease and better mental health. When you’re well rested you stand more of a chance of maintaining a healthy weight and even better relationships by eradicating your tiredness.

Sleep problems are more likely to arise after a disruption, but Romiszewski says that we usually have good recovery modes to bring our body clocks back in check. But if issues continue, it’s human behaviours that’s the cause.

‘Things like going to bed early, lying in, cancelling social and exercise activities to “cope”…all this adaptation actually makes things worse because your body has no pattern or rhythm to follow anymore,’ she explains.

Ongoing issues can have serious consequences on health, from higher risk of stroke, diabetes and heart conditions to weight gain and can be damaging to your mental wellbeing.

But the sleep expert warns against worrying about not sleeping as this can only make it worse. Instead, she has a few tips that need to be follow consistently.



Top five tips from Stephanie Romiszewski, Bensons for Beds Sleep Expert

  1. Give yourself permission to go to bed later if you’re not sleepy. It really is ok. Quality sleep is much more important than quantity. And besides, that will come eventually.
  2. Get up at the same time every day, seven days a week, even if you have slept badly. If this is a terrifying notion it’s probably an indicator of how unregulated your current sleep is. It does get easier, I promise!
  3. Get more light in the day! Light is not the enemy. Yet we are simply told to avoid it at night. Yes, be sensible in the evenings, but why are we getting ready in the dark? Light is the most influential external factor on our sleep/wake cycles and lifts our mood. Artificial is ok too.
  4. Napping has become fashionable. And yes, short naps ‘G’ you up. But that’s just it, they have literally stolen some of your sleep ‘fuel’. Therefore you need to regain it again if you still expect to sleep a solid eight hours of quality sleep. Get rid of the naps or, reduce your nightly expectations.
  5. Once you start this routine, then try some anxiety reduction and relaxation techniques. Mindfulness and anxiety reduction isn’t designed to make you sleep instantly, yet we seem to have that expectation (and are thoroughly disappointed when they don’t). It’s designed to help you avoid stress, and therefore sleep problems in the future. It is a proactive tool, not a reactive one.

To prepare for a good night’s sleep, eating the right foods, exercising and making sure your bedroom is comfortable are also vital.

Bensons has developed new technology where you can get the perfect mattress for you, using the BodiTrak system. From how a type of pillow changes your sleeping position to the firmness of the mattress, SleepPRO will analyse the way you sleep, where you need support, and give you a personalised sleep profile so you can find the perfect mattress for you, for a perfect night’s sleep.

For more information about your nearest store visit bensonsforbeds.co.uk/sleeppro.

Discover the SleepPro range today at Bensons for Beds





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