Did you know that 35 to 44-year-olds are the ones who struggle the most to get a good night’s sleep, with less than 21% achieving the dream of eight hours sleep a night?
If you’re a parent like me (41) who falls into that age range the UK sleep statistic probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The million-dollar question is: what can we do about it?
The good news is it seems we’re not alone: apparently one in three Brits regularly complain of a bad night’s sleep and only 6% of us actually get a full eight hours a night.
And as elusive as eight hours sleep a night may seem when you’ve got little people in the house, there are things we can do to try and achieve it.
This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you buy something after clicking on a link, I’ll earn a few pennies to help me keep creating posts like this, at no extra cost to you!
To coincide with World Sleep Day and National Sleep Awareness Week we’ve teamed up with Columbia Care, the leading producer of cannabis plant-based therapies in the U.S. to bring you five simple ways to get a better night’s sleep.
5 simple ways to get a better night’s sleep
1. Establish a regular night-time routine
Experts agree there are several things we can do to help ourselves sleep better, including having a regular night-time routine. Our brain quickly recognises a habit, and a ‘wind down’ routine before bed is a good habit to form. If you have good sleep and good sleep habits it helps your body to remain healthy. Without enough sleep, the brain cannot function properly which can impact on our ability to concentrate, think clearly and process memories.
2. Set a bedtime alarm
That’s right, an alarm to remind you to go to sleep! It may sound silly, but after we’ve finally got the kids down, eaten dinner and flopped on the sofa it can be almost 10 o’clock in the evening, and once we’ve turned on the TV time can easily run away us. Setting a bedtime alarm can act as a reminder that’s it’s time to start thinking about your night-time routine.
3. Go tech-free
Experts also agree it’s important to go ‘tech-free’ at least one hour before going to sleep and to avoid caffeine or alcohol. “Quality sleep is essential for a healthy mind and body,” says Dr Marion Sloan, a GP from Sheffield. “Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to get a good night’s sleep but there are things we can do to give ourselves the best chance of sleeping well and properly recharging.”
4. Consider CBD as part of your routine
“CBD modulates the homeostasis in the body providing relaxation and therefore sleep,” says Rosemary Mazanet, MD, PhD, and Chief Scientific Officer at Columbia Care, which has three CBD products to choose from: Columbia Care Platinum Broad Spectrum Unflavoured CBD Oil (10%), Columbia Care Platinum Broad Spectrum Peppermint CBD Oil (10%), and Columbia Care Platinum Broad Spectrum SoftGel Capsules (10%).
She explains it’s not a sleeping pill, but can have a beneficial effect if used as part of your routine. “It is not a tactical tool to be used if you are wound up and can’t sleep,” says Rosemary. “While some people might have an immediate improvement in sleep, CBD needs to be part of your regime, people feel that after a week it definitely has an effect.”
5. Don’t get stressed out about it!
I don’t know about you but the more stressed out I get about lack of sleep, the less sleep I get because I’m so wound up about not getting any. Which is a catch 22 situation! Try to avoid getting het up about getting a good night’s sleep and if you’re a sleep-deprived mama like me, know you’re not alone!
Do you have any top tips for getting a good night’s sleep? I’d love to know what they are!
I was gifted a Columbia Care Platinum Sleep Kit in exchange for this post. Columbia Care Platinum CBD products are available in the UK at www.bettercbd.co.uk. Columbia Care Platinum has launched its own Sleep Challenge to coincide with National Sleep Awareness Week. The challenge involves keeping a ‘sleep diary’ for seven to 14 days while trying some of their recommendations for getting a better night’s sleep and documenting the results. You can download your own sleep diary at www.bettercbd.co.uk/sleepdiary
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