So you’ve got a great new Silentnight Mattress. Now it’s time to think about how you put it to use. Helping to improve sleep environments is our expertise – finding healthy sleep habits should be everyone’s.

Our minds run at a thousand miles an hour during a typical day, with attention bouncing between multiple thoughts each minute. This can compromise our ability to calm down at night, making it difficult to fall asleep.

The Cavendish Cancer Care is an independent charity that supports people living with cancer in the UK. They are well-versed in sleep health and stress. Chloe Angus is a therapist from CCC. She believes understanding the concept of the “sleep window” can be beneficial. It can help people develop a good sleep routine.
The window is the most optimal time period within which an individual should fall asleep. It is a period when the brain wants and expects sleep. Going to sleep during this time allows us to enjoy the best quality of rest. However, everybody’s window is different, and the time period associated with your window will come down to you as an individual.

To find your sleep window, you need to be aware of your body’s natural circadian rhythms. These are internal cycles that occur over a 24-hour period and cause physical, mental and behavioural changes. Diet, mood, and the use of electronic devices can all alter our alertness and energy levels, so it’s essential to be aware of these factors to tune into your body and recognise when you feel the most tired.
Chloe suggests experimenting between 9:30 pm and 11:30 pm, as most people’s optimal sleep window falls within this time.

It’s essential to aim for eight hours of sleep each night, but there are often other factors that can affect how we wake up. What we eat or drink to worries or stress we have also has an effect. To help identify your sleep window, here are some practical tips:

 

Silentnight’s 8 Practical Tips

 

1. Use the standard eight hours a night as a benchmark. Be prepared to make adjustments to this.
2. Prepare yourself for bedtime with routines and habits during the day that help you avoid anything which can impact your sleepiness.
3. Limit your caffeine intake. Ideally drinking nothing that contains caffeine after midday.
4. Avoid late-night snacking, finishing your meal at least 2 to 3 hours before you want to fall asleep.
5. Resist looking at electronic devices late at night and switch off notifications at least one hour before bed. Consider keeping electronic devices out of the bedroom altogether.
6. Develop a nighttime routine that relaxes you, such as reading, listening to relaxing music, or performing a soothing skincare routine.
7. Try relaxation techniques such as meditation or writing your thoughts down in a notebook.
8. Create a rough sleep diary to track your progress and help identify patterns.