8 Mar 2024

Sleep easy: expert tips for a good night’s kip

11:02 am on 15 March 2024

"Having peace, happiness and healthiness is my definition of beauty. And you can't have any of that without sleep" - Beyoncé.

In celebration of World Sleep Day on 15 March, we have some expert tips for a good kip.

Get outside for at least 30 minutes a day

16096966 - senior man is walking the dog at the beach

Photo: 123RF

"'Go out for half an hour in the morning no matter what the weather," says neurobiology researcher Anna Wirz-Justice.

Listen to the interview
 

Make friends with your bed

girl with dark hair hiding in bed

Photo: Alexandra Gom / Unsplash

If your place of sleep has become associated with anxiety about wakefulness, work on improving that relationship, says sleep coach Bernice Tuffery.

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Avoid hitting the hay before you're sleepy

man stretching on yoga mat

Photo: Blake Cheek

Head to bed only when your eyes feel heavy and if you're not asleep after 15 minutes get up and do something relaxing in another room, says sleep researcher Dr Alexander Sweetman.

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Wind down with sound

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Photo: Supplied

Relaxing music at bedtime can help people fall asleep quicker and also improve sleep quality, says music psychology expert Dr Thomas Dickson.

(Check out his sleep playlist on Spotify)

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Read, pray, sew

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Photo: Unsplash

Engaging in quiet meditative activities helps the brain wind down before bed and set the stage for falling asleep, says neuroscientist Sean Drummond.

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Bore yourself to sleep

women folding laundry

Photo: Public domain

If you're not falling asleep within about 20 minutes, get up and "quietly bore yourself" by doing something like folding laundry or sorting bills until you get sleepy, says neuroscience professor Dr Roxanne Prichard.

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Make peace with waking up in the night

happy boy in bed

Photo: Public domain

Wakefulness is normal and only becomes a problem when we start catastrophising about the fallout, says sleep researcher Tony Fernando: "Learning how to roll with it is really crucial."

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