Taking good care of your body is a first step to a good night´s sleep. Here are a few suggestions to help you fall asleep easily and enjoy a restorative rest…

Sleep patterns

Sunlight regulates our biological clock. For a deeper sleep, choose a dark environment. Darkness facilitates our production of melatonin, a sleep hormone. Maintain a regular sleep schedule, including week-ends, and avoid sleeping in, which will upset your next night´s sleep pattern

Choose your pillow carefully

The quality of your sleep has a lot to do with choosing the right pillow: if it does not adjust well to your shape and position, you may end up feeling sore in the neck and in the shoulders. Also, remember to wash and change your pillow regularly: its life span is about three years.

Sleep positions

Sleeping on one´s side, knees bent up is the least stressful position for the back. If you prefer to sleep on your back, choose a well-balanced pillow to avoid neck constraint. If you like to sleep on your stomach, choose a soft pillow.

Food and sleep

Have a light dinner, but don´t fast. In fact, stomach activity due to too much food (or lack of food) affects sleep quality. Eat starchy foods, cooked vegetables, dairy products or fish, and leave aside fried foods, sauces and sweet foods that may ruin your sleep. Drinking little at night is best, preferably something hot, avoiding vitamin C, coffee, tea, chocolate and orange juice: try having a herbal tea instead.

Bedtime routines

The quality of your sleep also depends on those last things you do before going to bed: try to establish a routine of brushing your teeth, using the bathroom, putting on your pyjamas, etc. Working out before bedtime is not advisable: it is stimulating and increases body temperature. Pay attention to your body’s sleep signs (yawning for example), as they only last for an hour or two.