People are taught from an early age about the health benefits they can derive from getting the requisite amount of sleep each night.
An average of eight hours of sleep is widely believed to be the sweet spot, although the ideal amount is very much an individual thing.
Some people can function properly on just seven hours per night, while others may need nine hours to avoid feeling groggy the following day.
Many experts believe that one of the most important factors in getting a good night’s sleep is undertaking a relaxing pre-bedtime routine.
With that in mind, we take a look at five relaxing techniques you can use to boost your chances of getting good quality sleep.
Meditation
A recent study found that meditating for 30 minutes before bedtime is the best way to ensure top-quality shuteye every night.
Participants who meditated spent an average of just 12 minutes per night awake, the lowest amount of any of the 14 pre-bedtime activities included in the study.
Meditation is traditionally used to reduce stress and anxiety, which explains why it is beneficial in helping people get a good night’s sleep.
Wearing a sleep mask
Numerous factors result in a lack of quality sleep, but external light is undoubtedly the most disruptive to our sleeping patterns.
On that basis, it comes as no surprise to find that wearing a sleep mask is another excellent way to improve your chances of sleeping well at night.
Wearing a sleep mask blocks out light that prevents you from falling asleep, and boosts your melatonin level which will speed up the entire process.
Watching a comedy film
Many sleep experts advise against watching television in the run-up to bedtime as this can serve to make the mind much more alert.
However, an exception to the rule is watching a comedy film, which ranks third in the list of best pre-bedtime activities to undertake.
The light-hearted nature of the content in comedy movies undoubtedly plays a key role in helping to make people feel chilled out before sleep.
Listening to music
Spending time listening to music before bedtime is another activity that can improve sleep, although the advice does come with a caveat.
Generally speaking, the music you listen to should be fairly relaxing. On that basis, half an hour of blasting Metallica into your eardrums is unlikely to achieve this.
Most online streaming services have created relaxing playlists designed to get you in the right frame of mind for getting a good night’s sleep.
Cleaning your bedroom
Rounding off the top five pre-bedtime activities for getting quality sleep is spending half an hour cleaning your bedroom.
While we are generally advised to avoid undertaking any strenuous activities before bed, people who tidy their bedrooms enjoyed solid sleep in the aforementioned study.
The reasoning behind this will likely be linked to the sense of achievement and positive feelings generated by getting your bedroom ship-shaped.
