Simple ways to get a good night’s sleep
It might seem like a pipe dream, but a good night’s sleep is vital when faced with stressful times. And there are simple strategies parents and their kids can use to ensure they’re well-rested.
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Sleep requires a strategy for most people in stressful times and in this era of coronavirus it is a popular topic — are you sleeping ok and how about the kids?
It is a well-studied area because a good night’s sleep is nothing but a pipe dream for many people, inhibiting their ability to think clearly and cope emotionally the following day.
So with the uncertainty of COVID-19 in mind, sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo has created a seven step routine for sleep which she said guarantees superior slumber on comfy sheets.
“It’s about recognising that the key challenge in sleep is having increased anxiety,” Ms Arezzolo said. “And being able to remedy anxiety doesn’t just help you relax more in the day, it feeds into evening sleep as well.
“There are lesser known signs of anxiety that people might take as normal such as being unable to remember key points of information, digestive issues, feeling unmotivated and having lacklustre energy.
“There’s no capacity for your brain to experience any more anxiety so you feel overwhelmed and completely exhausted while also still being wired.”
Quality sleep is crucial not only for emotional and mental stability but also for the immune system — something we are all keen to protect.
“When you’re not sleeping sufficiently your likelihood of having a virus increases by four times because your immunity is affected,” Ms Arezzolo said.
Mother-of-three Jax Gilson said sticking to bedtime routines has been trickier in isolation.
“They are up far later than normal and it’s hard to get them up as usual in the morning,” Ms Gilson said, adding that it has been difficult mimicking the environment of a school setting at home, leading to scattered learning periods and later bedtimes.
“We’ve been trying to keep the routine real, but in reality, without school stimulation and interaction it becomes more difficult,” she said.
“School holidays were especially hard in isolation.”
But there are plenty of ways to address poor sleep quality, beginning as the working day ends.
The head of Tempur mattresses Jason Nicholas said there are strong links between sleep quality and mental health. Maintaining the normal routine at this time was crucial to a good night’s sleep.
“Set the room temperature to 19C and go to bed at the same time to have a minimum of eight-and-a-half hours sleep,” Mr Nicholas said.
He recommends a soft flat pillow for people who sleep on their stomachs, a firm to extra firm pillow if you sleep on your side and if you sleep on your back you need a medium to firm pillow. If you sleep on a soft mattress, you sink lower into the bed so need a thinner pillow.
“Hygiene is crucial for a good night’s sleep and to maintain immunity so you should use pillow protectors and wash them weekly with your bedding, wash your mattress protector monthly and air or wash your doona seasonally. Most doonas need to be dry cleaned annually and change your pillows every year,” he said.
Originally published as Simple ways to get a good night’s sleep