Getting The Best Night's Sleep

Meet James, aka, the Sleep Geek. James has worked with hundreds of thousands of poor sleepers to achieve a better night’s sleep. He has worked with staff at the NHS, Ogily, SportsAid, West Ham United, Red Bull, Zurich and more, and now he’s brought his expertise to CareCo. Today he shares his four top tips for better sleep.

Phone regulation

Whether it’s a phone or tablet, we all scroll in bed – we’d all love to leave them somewhere else, but that’s just not the world we live in anymore.

So think of it less as “getting rid of the phone before bed” and more about “how to use your phone while in bed”.

Checking social media before bed, anything stimulating like a game or even the Wordle you forgot to do earlier, are the perfect ingredients for a restless night’s sleep. 

Try to wind down and do something more relaxing, maybe a guided meditation or just some calming music while you’re getting ready for bed.

Try not to drink alcohol before bed

If your New Year’s Resolution is to cut out or down your alcohol consumption, then this will be music to your ears! While it’s true that alcohol can make you feel more tired, it drastically reduces the quality of your sleep.

Your body is still trying to metabolise the alcohol, so your sleep will, naturally, be interrupted as a result, so it’s best not to drink before bed, especially if you don’t want frequent trips to the loo!

Get an adjustable bed

You’d be surprised how many people’s issues with sleep can be traced back to something as simple as the bed they sleep in.

Getting into a comfortable sleeping position can have a drastic effect on the quality of your sleep, and can help with your breathing too, which is why adjustable beds are an important part of sleep health. 

Natasha Bruce-Jones, Occupational Therapist adds: “An adjustable bed can be transformational for sleep quality and your overall health and wellbeing. 

"Being able to find your perfect position, whether that’s elevating your legs to improve circulation or raising your head to ease breathing, means you wake up feeling truly rested.”

No caffeine

As a stimulant, caffeine helps us to stay alert, but it also has an annoying knack of sticking around and interfering with your sleep.

Keeping your caffeine intake moderate (or skipping it altogether) can make it much easier to switch off and sleep well. It is best to avoid coffee and other caffeinated drinks after 2pm, to ensure its all out of your system by bedtime.