Sleep well to live well

World Sleep Day is a fantastic opportunity to take a moment to check in on your sleep habits. With decades of experience in creating the perfect sleep experiences, we share our top tips to put a spring in your step, boosting physical, mental and social wellbeing.

It’s a well-known fact that we spend a third of our lives asleep, and the quality of our slumber can have a real impact on our mental and physical health. Yet so many of us don’t consider the importance of sleep when going about our daily lives.  If we’re sleep deprived, we’re less productive, less able to cope with stress and we lack concentration. 

To mark World Sleep Day on Friday 15th March, Catherine Morris our Managing Director, is using her many years of experience in the luxury linen industry to call on people to reset their sleeping habits and reap the health benefits this Spring.

1. Create a sleep sanctuary. Sleep is proven to have a positive effect on mental and physical wellbeing, so creating a better sleeping environment is a no-brainer. Make the sleep environment a bastion of physical and mental relaxation that has as few distractions or potential sleep disruptions as possible. 

2. Invest in quality bedlinen. Selecting quality bedding helps to create a great night’s sleep time after time. We recommend bed linen that’s made of 100% high-grade long-staple cotton. It will have a direct impact on how long bedding will last and how well you  It is not only breathable and soft, helping you maintain a perfect sleeping temperature, but it also has superior strength over polycotton or polyester alternatives. So, although it may be slightly pricier, given the right care, it will last longer and will be more cost effective in the long run. 

3. Switch tog with the seasons. A hot bedroom is bad for sleep quality - 85% of Brits suffer from sleep disturbance as a result of being the wrong temperature.  Make sure to alternate between different tog levels for your duvet throughout the year. In Spring consider changing your duvet to a lighter 4.5 tog to get a cool night’s sleep on warm  Add a soft Herringbone wool blanket for those transitional months for a touch of extra warmth and texture.

4. Invest in products that have anti-allergy properties.As hayfever season looms, opt for anti-allergy items that help prevent night-time allergies, such as the Suprelle Tencel Eco Fresh pillow and duvet which are loved by five star hotels nationwide because they are the ultimate in sustainable luxury. Crafted from recycled materials and blended with Tencel®, an award-winning botanic fibre to help keep you cool and dry as you  Thoughtfully made to ensure what’s good for the environment is just as good for your bed, the pillows’ fibres meet the highest standards of performance and environmental quality, saving 80 million plastic bottles annually going to landfill. 

5. Wash your linen regularly. Clean sheets are a fundamental factor in a healthy sleep routine. In fact the clean fresh smell has been proven to aid nodding off. A recent YouGov study found that 33% of people change their linen once a week, 35% once every fortnight and the rest… who knows?! As onerous as it might sound, we advise giving your sheets a wash at least once a fortnight, and give your duvet and pillows a professional wash at least once a year too. 

6. Drink more water. Wellness expert, Vicki Marie Cossar says that every cell in your body needs water to function and dehydration has a huge effect on brain function, mood and energy levels. Not only that, but blood is more than 90 percent water and as it’s responsible for carrying oxygen and essential nutrients to different parts of the body and removing waste products, it’s imperative that we stay hydrated. When we go to bed hydrated, our core temperate is better regulated and we are more likely to achieve a deep nourishing sleep.

7. Move more during the day. It might sound counter-productive but exercise, and movement in general, can boost energy levels and help you to sleep better. Research shows that if you can manage to stick to a low intensity running program three times a week for six weeks, you could be in for significant improvements in fatigue and sleep quality.

8. Have a routine. Going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning, even on weekends can help to improve your sleep, so you feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning because you’ve given your body enough time to rest and repair.    

9. Take a power nap. If you’re feeling zapped, don’t reach for the caffeine, instead reach for a throw and snuggle up. A 20-minute power nap is great for boosting alertness and motor learning skills. Research also shows that longer naps help boost memory and enhance creativity.

10. Quantity vs quality. We’re often told that getting eight hours sleep is the best way to wake up feeling restored and refreshed. Now experts such as Dr. Nerina Ramlakhan say quantity and quality sleep go hand in hand because the longer you sleep, the more cycles you will go through and the longer you’ll spend in the restorative zones.  

Enjoy celebrating World Sleep Day by making an investment in your health and wellbeing to give your body the best chance of a restorative and rejuvenating sleep.