World Sleep Day: Simple Tips to Help You Get More Sleep

This World Sleep Day, we’re sharing our favourite ways to make quality sleep your number one priority. At kikki.K, our purpose is to inspire and empower people the world over to live their best lives, every day, and we believe that getting more sleep is a huge part of that!

Today, we wanted to remind everyone that changing our relationship with sleep can do so much to change our lives; from giving us more energy to helping us to de-stress. In fact, studies have shown that our sleep patterns can even have a physical effect on our brains, changing the way we think. So be inspired to get enough sleep and start welcoming more creativity, productivity, and happiness into your life with these simple tips.

Find your sleep sweet spot

How much sleep we should be getting depends on the needs of our individual bodies and we are all wonderfully different. The first step to your sleep journey is to find out how much works for you. Experiment with getting 8 full hours and then try changing this amount in half-hour increments to see how you feel each day. You’ll soon be able to find the perfect amount that leaves you feeling energised and refreshed so you can work this time into your daily routine.

Create a sleep oasis

Your bedroom should feel comforting and welcoming so that you can’t wait to get to bed each night. Keeping your room organised and tidy and adding beautiful features like plants, throw pillows, blankets and a gorgeous bedside candle will help you love your sleep space. And if you check emails, work on your laptop or watch TV in your bedroom, it’s time to stop! Your bedroom should be a sleep oasis. Limiting time spent doing other tasks there means that when you settle down for the night, it signals to your brain that it’s time to sleep, not check emails.

Keep a journal BY YOUR BEDSIDE

Some of our best ideas happen when we’re relaxing before bed, or even while we’re sleeping!  Did you know that the inspiration for kikki.K started with a list of ideas, thoughts and dreams scribbled down at 3 in the morning? That’s why we love our beautiful 3am Journal, perfect for capturing any thoughts or ideas that may arise, at any moment!

Place it by your bedside and remember, putting pen to paper and getting all your thoughts and anxieties down on paper frees your mind up so you can focus on relaxing and destressing.

Cut out light and distractions

Lights from our phones, TVs and even electric lights in our homes trick our body clocks so we stay awake later than we should. Make the hour before bed your wind-down time; staying away from all electronic devices and reading a book or taking a soothing bath instead. Switch off main lights and use lamps and candles to create softer lighting that will help your body wind down for bed. Not using your devices also has the added benefit of clearing your mind so you don’t think about work or study when you’re trying to get to sleep.

Cut out caffeine and sugar in the afternoons

It might be tempting to reach for dessert, or a cup of tea after dinner but any sugar or caffeine in the evenings is going to give you energy, rather than help you unwind. Instead, switch to a calming herbal tea to help you switch off. Serve it in your favourite teapot and teacup and love incorporating this beautiful routine into your evenings.

Set a routine

We’ve already mentioned some small things we can do to signal to our brain that it’s time to sleep, but there are so many ways that changing your daily routine can help.  Things like going to bed at the same time each night, reading a book for 15 minutes or having a bath all act as indicators to stimulate sleep.

Focusing on calming, relaxing activities in the evenings will help bring a sense of peace that is essential to a good night’s sleep. If you love to exercise in the evenings, why not switch to doing this in the morning instead? The endorphins will help energise you for the day and you can use your evenings to do calming meditation or yin yoga instead.

Write a plan for the day ahead

For many of us, when life gets busy, it’s difficult to banish stress and anxiety from our minds at night. Rather than fighting this feeling, turn it into something positive by writing down any thoughts and reminders in a notebook or writing a to do list for the next day, You’ll love the calm and in control feeling that comes from knowing you have a plan in place to action everything in the morning.

When it comes to looking after yourself, remember that sleep is one of the most important elements in living a happy and healthy life. We hope these ideas help you embrace more (and better quality!) sleep each night. And if you’re looking for more ways you can look after yourself and your overall wellbeing, be dure to check out our gorgeous Self Collection.

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