Shhh… sleep better this winter with our restful tips

We love love love bedtime... what could be better than falling into a cosy bed stacked with fluffy cushions and throws after a long day? From piling on your lovely layers and the slow ritual of getting ready for bed, to those blissful moments when you’re just on the edge of sleep, we'd say it’s the best part of the day. Yet considering we spend almost a third of our lives sleeping, why do so many of us struggle to get a good night’s sleep?

Everyone deserves to feel good about sleep and wake with a spring in their step, so we’ve pulled together some of our cosiest top tips on how to sleep better at night and wake up feeling fresh as a daisy.

There’s just something about this winter that’s made catching forty winks that bit harder. Getting out in daylight is important, but most of us aren't too keen to go outside in the freezing cold... it's just very wet and darker for longer – so it’s natural to want to spend more time snuggled at home...

Try and start a habit of throwing your curtains wide open first thing and maximise the amount of natural light in all your rooms throughout the day. If you can, get out of the house for a burst of fresh air – even if that’s just a quick ten-minute walk. Daylight is essential for our brains to produce the key ingredient for sleep: melatonin.

Some people feel like shorter days make them want to sleep more, whether that’s an extra nap here and there or staying in bed for longer, but we’d suggest trying to stick to your normal bedtime routine. Too much change might cause disruption to your body clock and affect sleeping at night even more.

It might sound obvious, but your bedroom should be a place that you associate with sleep, so it’s important to transform it into a place that you want to snuggle down into – and what could be better than piling your bed high with plump pillows and cosy cushions, or layers of warm blankets and throws?

Don't forget, temperature makes a big difference too, so you might struggle to drift off at night if you’re too warm or too chilly. This makes having the right duvet for different times of the year an absolute must. Try our super springy Big Softie duvet, a freshly hand-filled duvet that stays evenly distributed and prevents any cold spots.

At the end of a long day, all you want is to do is climb into bed. With so many people working from home now, you might find it’s all too easy for the boundaries of your home spaces to blur and those late nights to get even later when you’re stuck into streaming a good box set.

It’s all about creating a sense of routine, so your body can tune in and prepare for sleep. Think about a ‘cut-off point’ for TV and other electronics as a way of kicking it off. We like to start the wind-down with a nice cup of herbal tea (something soothing like chamomile and lavender), before moving onto an evening skincare routine and, finally, pulling on our favourite pyjamas. Some people find a nice warm bath gets them ready for bed and makes for a better night’s rest, whilst a hot milky drink on those chillier evenings can help signal to your body that it’s time to drift off.

Once you’re snuggled up in your nest of blankets, leave the gadgets out of the room and focus instead on things that make you feel sleepy, whether that’s reading a few chapters of a good book or closing your eyes to listen to a podcast.

We love some of the sleepcasts on the Headspace app, with gentle voices and ambience to bring an extra sense of tranquillity to your room, whilst guided meditations and breathing exercises can be useful if your mind is still in need of some help winding down.

If you find yourself waking up often and struggling to get back to sleep, try not to overthink it; the more you worry, the more awake you’ll feel. You might find some of the guided exercises mentioned above calming or, if you’re really struggling to fall back asleep, sometimes it can be easier to get up for a little while, grab glass of water, and climb back into bed when you’re ready.

Sleeping with an eyemask can keep natural light from waking you up too early, whilst blackout curtains are a great option for controlling the light.

We hope these tips help you create a healthier routine and lead to getting a good night’s sleep. For more of our sleeping tips, have a look at the guides on our blog.

To start creating your dreamy bedroom environment, have a look at our bed linen sets and cosy duvets and pillows for inspiration.