10 Sleep Tips For Your Best Sleep Ever

Having a consistent sleep schedule to get quality sleep can and will improve your life. Getting 7 - 9 hours of sleep a night consistently (and yes, consistency is key here) can improve your mood, mental health, physical health, help you maintain a healthy weight and improve focus. Everyone loves sleep. But we don’t all sleep well.

If you’re looking for sleep aids to help you get the sleep of your dreams, you’ve come to the right place. Here are our top 10 sleep tips to get the best sleep of your life.

1. Redo Your Bedroom

This one is a bit more of a commitment, but your sleep space can majorly impact how you sleep. Did you know that blue - navy blue, specifically - is considered to be the most relaxing colour for a bedroom? If your room is a bright green, purple, red or other warm colour, it could be impacting how you sleep at night. Cool colours light blue, soft purples and light greys are better for bedrooms.

2. Pay Attention To What You Eat

The food you consume during the day - and time of day - impacts how you sleep at night. Most people know that caffeine-rich foods can keep you up at night. But the consumption of vitamins throughout the day like magnesium, zinc, serotonin, vitamin C and D and other minerals all play a part in creating a healthy hormone balance in our brains. A balanced body will sleep better. In general, vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts and lots of water area great to help you sleep at night.

3. Embrace the Tea

Many teas have natural sleep-aids in them and can be a great addition to your bedtime routine. If you struggle to sleep at night and have a hard time falling asleep, drinking a lavender, camomile, ginger or peppermint tea before bed can help relax you before bed. The more relaxed you feel when you crawl between the sheets, the better you’ll sleep that night.

4. Get Outside During the Day

Fresh air, exercise, sunshine and nature are good for you and your sleep. Not only does rising your blood pumping and heart rate improve your heart health, mood, respiratory system and oxygen levels, but burning that energy can help you sleep at night, too. Even a 30 minute walk after dinner can make a big difference.

5. Stretch at Night

One of the biggest reasons people struggle to sleep at night is because of stress and anxiety. Going right from a busy day to laying in bed gives your body no time to slow down before bed. Stretching is a great way to slow your mind and body down, to connect with yourself and to let go some of the tension from the day.

Not sure where to start? We’ve got a full list of easy to do stretches to help you wind down at night (and why they’ll help you sleep).

6. Meditate To Calm Your Thoughts

Meditation is another great way to help calm your mind and thoughts. While stretching is more about the body and letting to of anxiety and stress, meditation is about slowing down your mind. Unlike stretching, meditation can be done while you’re in bed, laying down cozy in your blankets. Meditation is great for those who struggle with racing thoughts or busy minds while they’re trying to fall asleep at night. If you’ve never meditated before, don’t worry! There are plenty of great free guided bedtime meditations on YouTube and Spotify. Plus, if you find that meditation works well for you and you enjoy it, it’s a practise you can add to your day to help you feel more at ease while at work or while living your life!

7. Change Your Sheets

When was the last time you washed your sheets? How about the last time you changed your sheets? Your sheets act as a barrier between you, your mattress and your blankets, duvet and pets. Plus they help keep you warm and comfortable at night. They also collect skin cells, dust, bugs, dirt, sweat and hair as you sleep. As a general rule, you should wash your sheets once a week. Or, if you don’t want to wash them every week, you should change them for a fresh pair every week.

Looking to buy a new set of summer or winter? We’ve got a full guide on what to look for when buying sheets to help you buy the best pair to fit your needs.

8. Keep Your Bedroom Cold

You may want to feel warm and toasty while you sleep, but biology says otherwise. The ideal temperature for bedroom for sleeping is between 60 - 67 degrees (15 - 19 degrees). This temperature is what slows down our body and signals that it’s time to get ready to rest.

The best way to cool your room down for night is to turn off your heat before bed, keep blinds closed during the day, to use a fan, and to use breathable sheets and pjs at night.

9. Stop Hitting Snooze

We know how appealing that snooze button is but please don’t do it. Hitting snooze and going back asleep can actually make you feel sleepier and you’re more likely to be groggy during the day. Getting up when you wake up is maybe the hardest but best thing you can do for your sleep schedule.

10. Ask Your Doctor For a Sleep Study

If you’ve been struggling to sleep for a while, ask your doctor to refer you for a sleep study. They’re covered by OHIP and it really is that easy! Sleep studies can shine a light on your hidden behaviours that you may not even know about. That’s the challenge with sleep - no one knows what they do while they sleep.

If you’re struggling to sleep and wake up feeling groggy, a sleep study can help identify any sleep disorders and give you recommendations on improving your sleep.

Get Sleeping

Try out a few of these sleep tips and see for yourself! You’ll fall asleep quicker, stay asleep longer and wake up feeling rested. Just remember to stick with it - like we said at the beginning, consistency is key for sleep. If you’re looking to create a new bedtime routine to help with it, we’ve got some templates you can use here.