"Maximize Your Zzz's: 3 Top Tips for Getting Enough Sleep"

Getting enough sleep is something that is definitely close to my heart. Ask anyone and they'll tell you I can sleep like a trooper! Some people say I could sleep on a clothesline but that's just silly... and almost certainly a small exaggeration! The important thing is that quality sleep is essential for your well-being. It gives your body and mind time to do all the maintenance jobs to keep your system ticking over. It's easy to ignore just how important it is to get regular, good-quality sleep but, if you follow these tips, or develop your own then you will see a difference - I did!

1. Establish a consistent sleep schedule: Easier said than done but it really does make a difference. I've found that I sleep better because my body and brain know when it's time to sleep and when it's time to wake up and act accordingly! I've noticed that I'm not as tired during the day. I used to sometimes have a nap in the afternoon during school holidays and I was still always tired. But, since making and sticking to a sleep schedule, I'm not tired during the day. We know that the experts tell us we need between 7 and 9 hours. It's a helpful starting point but where do we go from there? Start with considering what time you need to get up (allowing for your morning routine) and count backwards to find your bedtime if you were going to have 7 hours, 8 hours or 9 hours of sleep. With this information in hand think about how this fits in with that part of your day and decide what bedtime you are going to start with. Remember, nothing is set in stone and you can adjust the time as you go along to find what works best. The first thing I tried was to set a bedtime of 10 o'clock. I was going to stick to this time come hell or high water! Didn't work - my partner doesn't live with me all the time and sometimes he doesn't turn up until half past nine! So I discovered that it's important to take your life into account - you probably have a certain time you need to be up by, you may have other things to consider when coming up with your sleep schedule. The important thing is that you need to make it personal to you and what you can manage but balance this with getting the amount of sleep you need. We're all different but I've found that for me, it's the routine that makes the difference. The experts also tell us that we should stick to the same schedule during the weekend - fair enough but frankly I don't want to! It feels unfair and being the stubborn person some people think I am (rude!) I decided I wasn't going to stick to this rule. I still go to bed at the same time but I trust my brain and body to wake me up when they are ready. I'm no expert but this works for me. I feel like it gives me a chance to catch up on sleep if I need to and it doesn't seem to undo any of the good work done during the week. I generally find that I don't sleep much later anyway and I feel better about being able to have a lie in at the weekend (even if it's only a little one!).

2. Develop a bedtime routine: When deciding on my bedtime routine I did what I always do and reached for google. It's generally the same stuff - set a bedtime, turn off electronic devices, avoid caffeine, have a light snack, use aromatherapy, take a warm bath, stretch, breathe, relax, meditate, yoga, read a book, write a journal, avoid screens, dim the lights, block out noise - frankly it's a miracle if you have time to go to bed when you've done all that! Of course, it's important to do what works for you. This is what works for me - In the evening I use lamps rather than overhead lights and try to avoid using bright lights where I can. The lamp in my bedroom has a low watt amber bulb as apparently, warm lights like red or amber are better to help you sleep as they cause your brain to release the sleep hormone melatonin. I get ready for bed without rushing following my routine to put my jammies on and brush my teeth. I have an Alexa routine set up which lowers the volume, turns off my lamp and plays rain sounds for sleep. I would recommend choosing a sleep sound as I've found it helps me to relax. Then I have a gentle stretch just for a minute or so. Here are some yoga poses you can do in bed to help you sleep. I generally do the happy baby pose and the butterfly. After that I lie on my back and take some deep breaths making sure I breath in through my nose, fill my lungs and breath out through my mouth. I spend a minute checking that my whole body is relaxed and then let my breathing go back to normal in it's own time. I've found that I get really relaxed when I do this and when I'm ready I turn on to my side and I'm out like a light!

3. Develop a morning routine: A consistent morning routine can reduce stress and help you be more productive. Yet again I reached for google (or 'gave it a googs' as my brother would say) and was presented with enough good habits with which to fill my morning that it would leave little room to actually fit in the rest of the day! While I have no doubt that a lot of the advice online is incredibly useful and would make a difference I decided it was time to distill it into something I could reasonably use! First of all I made sure that I changed my alarm to a sound that didn't make me jump out of my skin! I also found out I could change it so the sound gets louder gradually - if you can do this I would highly recommend it. I found that this more gradual 'coming round' made it a bit less tempting to hit the snooze button. Which means that I get up when I had intended to get up and not half an hour later. Snooze buttons are very tempting but not really conducive to a calm morning. When I was a student I literally got up at 7.55am to catch the bus at 8am and was to be found hurtling down the street at 7.58am every morning after somehow managing to have a wash, brush my teeth and get dressed in the intervening 3 minutes (true story) - I'm far too old for those shenanigans now. I like to come round at a civilised pace! When I get up I have a drink of water. I'm not good at staying hydrated and this gets me off to good start. I've found that if you keep a cup of water next to your bed and drink it as soon as you get out of bed it easily becomes part of your routine. As soon as I get out of bed I make my bed (less of the groaning thank you!). It's a good habit to have - not only does it instantly make your room look tidier it is less tempting to get back into bed when you've been for a wee. The next thing I do is have a stretch. I have a short yoga routine I do most mornings but, if I'm really not in the mood I still spend a couple of minutes stretching. I don't know about you but when I have a good stretch I can literally feel the energy flowing into my muscles. After stretching I open my bedroom window for a dose of natural light and fresh air. Getting some natural light (or a bright artificial light if necessary) helps your body and brain realise that it's time to be awake and on the case. Then it's time to stroll downstairs for breakfast and stopping the rabbit nicking my toast!

There's lots of good advice out there for getting better sleep and it can be hard to know where to start. The best thing you can do is think about what you would like to try and how it can fit into your day. I would recommend thinking about those three things - a sleep schedule, a bedtime routine and a morning routine. You can decide which advice you want to try. For me it was yoga and meditation, for you it might be a morning run (each to their own!) but the important thing is to establish a routine, adjust it until you are happy with it, and stick to it - it will make a difference!

One last thing - while it is important to stick to your routine it's also important not to beat yourself up if you slip. Just get back into your routine and carry on from there. Have fun finding what works for you - here's to great sleep!