March is National Bed Month, an awareness month launched by The Sleep Council in association with The Sleep Charity and Bed Advice UK. It aims to help us to get more, and better quality, sleep.
Providing a great night’s sleep is part of what we do here at The Gresham. So we thought that this would be the perfect excuse for us to share some of our top tips for great sleep:
First and foremost, a comfortable bed is a must for getting those quality zzz’s in. In 1988, a groundbreaking study found that by switching an uncomfortable old bed to a new one meant an extra 42 minutes sleep. The Gresham opened in November and is Leicester’s newest aparthotel so you can rest assured that it is full of brand new, ultra-comfortable beds. In fact, the specialist brand of beds that we use are optimized for extra comfort and a great night’s sleep!
Keep a regular sleep schedule. Where possible, our bodies love the consistency of waking at the same time each morning and going to bed at the same time each evening - it promotes feelings of sleepiness and drowsiness when your body is ready for sleep.
Get out in natural light as soon as possible in the morning. This can help reset our body clock and makes us feel more alert and less groggy when we have just woken up.
Exercise! It promotes the quantity and quality of your sleep, making it deeper and more refreshing. However, exercising too close to bedtime can prevent sleep so try to leave a window of at least two hours before you’re due to go to sleep. The Gresham has a fitness suite available for all guests to use for free so be sure to check it out during your stay.
Avoid caffeine for 8 hours before bedtime.
Don’t go to bed hungry or thirsty - eating at regular times helps to strengthen your internal body clock. But try to avoid eating or drinking too much too close to bedtime as this increases the chances of us having to get up through the night. Striking a balance is key. At The Gresham, all of our rooms include their own kitchenette, giving you greater flexibility to eat and drink as you please throughout your stay.
Avoid using electronic devices before bedtime - the blue light from these devices can prevent us from producing the hormones that make us sleepy. The activities that we use our devices for can also keep us awake and alert, which is not what we want at bedtime.
Avoid too much alcohol. Whilst it’s a sedative, it can make our sleep light and fragile which impacts the quality and quantity of our sleep.
Avoid nicotine before bed. It’s actually a short-acting stimulant so it can keep you awake.
Ensure your room is cool, dark and quiet. Heat, light and noise can really impact a good night’s sleep. The ideal temperature for a good night’s sleep is 16 - 18 degrees celsius. Temperatures over 24 degrees celsius can cause restlessness whilst temperatures below 12 degrees celsius and make it hard to drop off. All of our rooms at The Gresham have temperature control and black-out curtains to help you get a great night’s sleep.
Invest in a great pillow. A good pillow should hold your head in the correct alignment - the same relation to your shoulders and spine as if you were standing upright with the correct posture. A pillow that is too soft will allow the head to flop, curving the neck. One that is too hard will give you a crick in the neck. Rest assured, The Gresham has invested in excellent, high quality pillows, which are optimized for a great night’s sleep.
Keep your bedroom tidy! Research has shown that a messy, cluttered bedroom can lead to a poor night’s sleep and increased anxiety. One advantage of staying away from home is that you tend to just bring along the things that you need, so you escape the clutter that you collect around your home.
Create a sanctuary. When you enter your bedroom do you have good thoughts. Does it make you want to crawl into bed? The rooms at The Gresham certainly do! They’ve been designed with sleep in mind. The Gresham’s stylish interiors have a high quality, boutique and upmarket feel making it the perfect place to rest your head for a great night’s sleep!
We hope you have found these tips for better sleep useful. A good night’s sleep is proven to make you happier and healthier. It can also reduce your risk of developing a range of physical health issues including diabetes and heart disease so it’s really important to find time to relax and switch off a little more - something our guests regularly tell us they are able to do at The Gresham.
