As you’ve probably gathered, this week we are all about trying to help you get more from your sleep. We reside in a city, no scrap that, a country that doesn’t sleep and yet nearly all of us still feel that there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done on our to do lists. Even thought the amount of sleep is still very important (we should all be aiming for at least seven hours a night), more and more we are finding that research points to the quality of our sleep as being the more important factor. On that note, please find our top seven ways to pimp your bed for your best night’s sleep yet:

The Mattress Matters

Experts suggest replacing your mattress once every seven to ten years, but go by what your body feels too. If you are waking up with aches and pains it is likely that your mattress could do with a change. Your body needs to breathe when you are asleep – not being able to is one of the reasons why people sleep badly – therefore we suggest going with a mattress brand like Drift, who use British wool mixed with cotton to create a natural layer to sleep on (artificial foam can cause body temperatures to rise). If you like to use a mattress protector make sure that it’s natural too! https://driftsleep.com

The Power of Pillow Mist

The clever people at beauty brand, This Works, have developed a remedy for sleepless nights in the form of their new Sleep Plus+ Pillow Spray, which has been clinically proven to improve the quality of their customers sleep – in fact a remarkable 100% said that they felt less restless during the night after using this pillow spray and a whopping 89% of ex-sleep prescription medication users said that they would use Sleep Plus+ in place of sleep medications. The natural lavender scent is designed to gradually release its aromatherapeutic benefits as you sleep and move around the pillow.

£25, http://www.thisworks.com/sleep-plus-pillow-spray-75ml.html

Aromatherapy Rules

Why just stop at pillow spray when it comes to aromatherapy. Neom Organics has a whole collection dedicated to sleeping – their Tranquilty Candles are a great way to induce the sleep hormones and help you wind down for a good night’s sleep at the end of a busy day. We recommend choosing the Tranquility Intensive Skin Treatment candle that turns into oil that you can massage into your body as you burn it. Complete heaven.

£36, http://www.neomorganics.com/tranquillity-intensive-skin-treatment-candle.html

Check Your Sheets

There is nothing better than climbing into a bed of crisp, clean sheets. Make sure that they are 100% cotton and it will go a long way to ensuring you a good night’s sleep as natural fabrics really help in regulating your temperature. Cheap, artificial sheets tend to make you feel very sweaty very quickly as they don’t allow your body to breathe.

Tog Equals Temperature

This is a tricky one for anyone who shares a bed with a partner as many disagree with what is the correct temperature for them (my husband insists our bed is far too hot, whilst I tend to wear about three layers of clothes with a hot water bottle stuffed up them and still shiver my way to snooze land). So it can be difficult to find a duvet that suits both parties. However, you can now find duvets though that caters for this difference in opinion by offering a dual tog solution – meaning one side is thicker (for me) and the other thinner (for him!).

Nightstand Notepad

For those with night time whirling minds a really great trick is to have a notebook to hand so that you can scribble out all your thoughts on the paper and therefore leave your mind free and clear to switch off. You can then check your notes in the morning to see if there was anything important you had written down. You may find that problems that seemed really big at night time tend to feel much smaller in the morning.

words by Sadie Reid