Good Sleep Special

 

Dear friends. It's ironic that one of the things we worry most about is sleep. Once we start worrying about not getting enough sleep, or the best quality, the thoughts keeps us awake.

Today's post is a sleep special with plenty of tips and research to help you get a good night's rest. I've got some tips that help me to sleep, plus Mr Mutton reviews a top rated duvet from Simba.

My 7 Top Tips for Better Sleep

Make Sure You're Actually Tired

Sounds obvious, but how many times do you go to bed without having done very much during the day? I discovered that a daily walk makes a lot of difference for me.  It's very easy to do: you can start with just a short distance if you're very unfit, and you don't need special "apparatus" or clothes. 

Restful Bedroom with No Tech

The blue light from phones and tablets is implicated in keeping us awake.  I charge my phone in a different room, unless I need to use the alarm function, and then I place it face down and on silent.  I stop looking at the phone at least an hour before I go to bed. There's no TV in the bedroom and I try to keep it very tidy, so it's a relaxing environment.

The Best Mattress You Can Afford

Both Mr Mutton and I upgraded our mattresses in the last year.  A mattress is only likely to be good for 10 years or less and both of ours were nearer 20 years old. 

I knew from my mum's spare bedroom that my dream mattress is a Tempur, and I saved money buying one in the Black Friday sale. Mr Mutton's dream mattress is a Simba.  Both of them use memory foam. I find it very difficult to sleep on anything else now, which makes holidays a trial! 

Buying a mattress is very easy these days because you can effectively trial them for a few weeks and then, if you're not getting on with your chosen mattress, you can send it back in the original box. This makes much more sense to me than going to a store and bouncing on a few mattresses for a couple of minutes, feeling very self conscious. 

Simba has some advice on how to tell if your mattress is causing back pain. 

Keep the Temperature Down

Since menopause I still get hot flushes, so I always have the bedroom window open, even in winter. Our body temperature has to come down in order for us to sleep. Yet most of us pile on the bedding, electric blankets, pyjamas, radiators and so on. 

Have some Relaxation Rituals

Just the idea of having a ritual before sleep is relaxing. If I'm not sleeping well, I use This Works' Deep Sleep body cocoon, which is a lavender scented body cream. It's a multi-tasker said to encourage calmer nights and nourished skin. I love the smell and apply it to my arms, hands and chest.  I usually take This Works's Deep Sleep Pillow Spray on holiday.  It's often hard to sleep in a strange room but this helps to ground me.

Another ritual might be a candle, journaling, taking time to cleanse and moisturise, reading a book. I always read my Kindle before going to sleep. Quite often it sends me to sleep. I'll wake up with the Kindle beside me. 

Don't be a Slave to the Fitness Tracker

The sleep apps on our fitness trackers are not wholly accurate. If I wear mine in my preferred position, on the wrist, I get erratic scores. If I push it further down my arm, it's more reliable.  I try not to be a slave to it because if you get a run of poor scores, it makes you more stressed, and less likely to sleep properly.

Sleep on Your Own if There's a Snorer

Or indeed, if your partner prefers a thicker or lighter duvet.  Or if one of you likes to read before lights out, and the other doesn't. There's no shame in having a separate bedroom, if you have the option.

IMPROVE YOUR BEDDING AND DUVET

I was excited to be asked by Simba if we wanted to try their award winning Hybrid Duvet.  As  I sleep with a 5 tog duvet throughout the year, adding a blanket in winter, Mr Mutton was the best guinea pig, as his preferred toggage is 10. {FUN FACT: The tog rating of a duvet is a measurement that indicates its heat retention capacity. It stands for “thermal overall grade.” Essentially, the higher the tog rating, the warmer the duvet will keep you at night.}

The Simba hybrid duvet is designed to be used all year round. It's engineered for cool comfort. It has a cotton outer with Stratos® heat control technology. The Stratos cool-touch tech draws heat away and provides an instant cooling sensation.

The Hybrid Duvet is a great addition to the Simba Mattress we already own. You can grab any size mattress starting from the Standard single right up to super king size.

The duvet scores an impressive 5 out of 5 stars in reviews.  It comes in  a sturdy recycled storage bag. 

 

The duvet itself is made from recycled materials. The recycled PET bottle fibres are gently combed into soft, airy layers, which offers a good, if not better, feel compared with traditional luxury down.  This material is superbly breathable and allows plenty of airflow through the duvet fill for perfect, non–clammy warmth, and is an ideal alternative to other synthetic or natural fillers.

For further eco peace of mind, Simba is part of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), a not-for-profit organisation which makes global cotton production better for the people who produce it and the environment it grows in. Furthermore, all deliveries are 100% carbon neutral. 

Mr Mutton's sleep stats, if we revert to the fitness tracker, have shown an improvement in the quality of his sleep since the duvet arrived.  He makes sure the side of the duvet which has the Stratos cool touch tech is closest to him as he sleeps, and he has not been waking up so often feeling hot. 

He says he likes how light and airy the duvet is - a treat to snuggle under. He likes the fact it's hypo-allergenic, as he suffers from asthma, yet still feels like luxury down.

Do you have any additional tips for getting good sleep?  Do share in the comments. 

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Disclosure:  I was gifted with the Simba Hybrid Duvet. Copy approval was not sought or given. As always, I give an objective editorial opinion. I only accept gifted products if I would buy them myself.