You’ve heard it from everyone: get enough sleep and you’ll feel more alert and productive throughout the day. But even if you have the best intentions about getting to bed at a reasonable hour, it can sometimes be tough to fall asleep. Luckily, there’s a set of techniques that can help you fall asleep on time and stay asleep throughout the night, and it’s called sleep hygiene.
Just like personal hygiene, sleep hygiene is mostly about cementing some helpful habits. But there’s also a way that setting up your bed feng shui with Wamsutta PimaCott bedding can make your best attempts at sleep hygiene stick.
Keep Your Cool with Pima Cotton
One of the main reasons people wake up in the middle of the night is because they get too hot. And if you’re a sweaty mess, good luck getting back to sleep anytime soon. Which can make it much harder to get a full night’s sleep and more tempting to hit that snooze button, wrecking your perfectly designed sleep schedule.
So why do we get so hot at night? Well, your body generates heat that gets trapped between your mattress and sheets, especially if your sheets aren’t made of breathable materials like cotton. Thankfully, Wamsutta PimaCott sheets are made with 100% proven pure pima cotton, so they’re fantastic at keeping you cool and fresh throughout the night. That means less wakeful squirming and more deep, recharging shuteye.
Of course, your sheets aren’t the only factor. Here are some additional tips and tricks to get your sleep hygiene up to snuff.
Stick to a Schedule
You can train your body to get a full night’s sleep by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. That means you might just have to sacrifice your snooze button, any late-night Netflix binges, and maybe even your post-dinner cappuccino. But you’ll thank yourself in the morning.
No More Blue Screen of Death
All that blue-tinted light coming from your phone and computer tricks your brain into thinking that it’s the middle of a bright, blue, beautiful day. Thankfully, most smartphones now come with settings that change the screen color to an orange-ish hue when the sun goes down. On your computer, f.lux is a free app that does the same thing.
Time Your Wakeup Right
Over the course of a night, we cycle between light sleep and deep REM sleep. And when you wake up groggy, it’s usually because you were in deep sleep. Some smartphone apps, like Sleep Cycle, can track your cycle and try to wake you up at the peak.
Avoid the Alcohol Alarm
Alcohol might make you tired enough to fall asleep right there on couch, but it can also make it tough to get a full night’s sleep. That’s because when you drink, your metabolism kicks into high gear to try to process the alcohol. And once all the alcohol is broken down, that extra jolt of energy can feel like an unwelcome shot of espresso. So try to limit your intake to a drink or two, or give your body some time to metabolize the alcohol before you hit the hay.
Listen to You
Of course, everyone is different. You’re the only one who can figure out what’s best for your sleep hygiene, so try experimenting with different routines. Maybe your perfect night’s sleep starts with a cup of chamomile and an episode of 30 Rock. Or maybe you need twenty minutes with a book and perfect silence. Just remember: no matter how you get to sleep, breathable sheets like Wamsutta PimaCott can make a big difference in keeping you cool and comfortable throughout the night.
