How a shower before bed can help you get a better night’s sleep

Through two years of the pandemic, Aussies’ sleep has only become worse. But one sleep expert has an easy way to remedy that.

Including a shower in your bedtime routine can help you sleep a little easier, according to one expert.

Sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, author of Bear, Lion, Wolf, said that the Covid pandemic caused the average Aussie’s sleep to get worse, with people spending hundreds each year on supplements to improve their rest.

“It’s a continuing spiral downwards – overall, anxiety and stress continue to rise, as does our incessant use of screens [phones etc] pre-bed,” Arezzolo told news.com.au.

“Similarly, our schedules are back to being overwhelmingly busy, now that we have social time thrown in the mix.

“This has been noted by the European Sleep Centre too – reporting that lockdowns were detrimental due to the loss of routine, however as most individuals adjusted to a new routine, and are now having to readapt to former routines, sleep is again suffering.”

Sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo has revealed her best tips. Picture: Supplied

A survey conducted by The Body Shop revealed a third of Aussies are sleeping less than six hours a night – despite needing at least seven each night – with one in five anxious about the amount of sleep they are having.

And women in Australia are only averaging six hours 42 minutes sleep every night.

Studies reveal sleeping less than seven hours every 24-hour cycle can lead to weight gain, depression, immune deficiency, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, weight gain, obesity, cancer, diabetes and even suicide.

Arezzolo said these results aren’t surprising and that a good night’s sleep all starts with a wind-down routine.

“It does confirm what I believe though: We need to address sleep on a national level and allocate additional funding for sleep-focused health campaigns,” she said.

First of all is shutting off technology, as blue lights from phones, laptops, tablets and televisions are known to impact sleep.

A shower before bed can help calm you before bed. Picture: iStock

The next step Arezzolo recommended was taking a shower, as it promotes melatonin when the water brings your body temperature down.

“While in the shower, I recommend integrating calming scents in your body wash, such as lavender and vetiver, as both reduce activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which can otherwise make you feel tense,” she said.

“Once you move back into the bedroom, creating a perfect sleep sanctuary with no screens, a spritz of these calming scents in a pillow spray and dabbing your pulse points with the oils too is a great place to start.”

She said once in bed it’s good to meditate or read a book for 20 minutes, leaving your phone on the other side of the room.

A third of people aren’t getting enough sleep. Picture: iStock

She said it was important to leverage these tools.

Arezzolo said: “Reflecting on advice from the European Sleep Centre, those struggling with sleep should ensure they have a proper wind-down routine – which includes not using screens and having minimal light.

“Reducing caffeine intake after 12pm and avoiding alcohol completely; plus making your room cool – 19C is ideal – are some simple steps which can improve sleep.”

• The Body Shop has teamed up with Ovolo Hotels to create the Deep Sleep Experience, running August 11-14. Guests get a sleep consultation with Olivia Arezzolo, a sound bath experience plus samples from The Body Shop’s Sleep range.