Most adults need between seven to nine hours of sleep per night. It may sound a lot but it is the result of an actual study made by the US National Center for Biotechnology Information, showing that sleeping below this average significantly reduce our cognitive skills. Keeping that in mind, our main concern should be how do we make the most of these crucial hours? Today, we want to go through the list of few items that could help you to fall asleep easily moving forward.
Clothing can provide enough insulation to cause overheating.
Our second tip is to sleep nude and stop buying pajamas! Body temperature is one of the major key component of a good night. Ideally, your bedroom should never be warmer than 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t like being naked in bed, your go to pajama should be made of silk (silk is a thermoregulatory, it keeps cool when you’re hot and warm when you’re cold). You also have the casual 100% cotton option, to keep you cool and non-clammy. The best pick will be a pajama that is comfortable for you.
A good mattress is good but don’t underestimate the power of bed sheets and pillow cases.
When buying new bedding, don’t take a higher thread count for granted. It may sounds like you’re buying a luxurious product but as Ariel Kaye (CEO of the Parachute Bedding company) mentioned, “Anything that’s over 400 is a manipulation of fabric or thread”. In terms of raw material, cotton or Egyptian cotton are the best choices versus synthetic fabrics. You’ll certainly get a more uncomfortable sleep experience with synthetics: they have a tendency to wrap heat.Quick reminder, you must always wash new bed sheets before using them: so many irritants could transfer from the packaging to the fabric. Bedding must be tossed to the laundry basket every week: the more you’re active, the sooner you should wash them.
Free bonus item: get as much natural lighting exposure as you can!
Did you know that exposure to more light during the day and less light at night is critical for healthy sleep patterns? Light exposure affects our cortisol patterns, melatonin production and our sleep/wake cycles. One solution to improve your sleep is to make sure to expose yourself to natural lighting during the day and before bed. If you’re working in an office 9 to 5, we know it’s a challenge but you must find a way to “look out a window, seek light during the day, especially during the morning or go out during lunch time” as advised by Mariana Figueiro, Director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Keep in mind however, that simply buying new pajamas and bedding or relax in the sun will never be the only things that will help you sleep well at night. Following a sleep schedule and obeying proper sleep hygiene rules are both essential to a good night’s sleep.
Sweet dreams!
