How to fuel your sleep: Try these 5 expert-approved tips for a better night’s rest

World Sleep Day is coming up on 15th March 2024, and it’s a day that celebrates and spreads awareness about the importance of sleep. Having a good night’s rest is vital to our health and wellbeing, but even if you have the best mattress at your disposal, sleep can still be elusive.

Bad sleep quality and quantity can have a much bigger impact than you realise. Aside from feeling groggy and tired, sleep deprivation can impact how your brain functions, so after a bad night’s rest, you might find it harder to remember things, process information and regulate your emotions.

This is why sleep experts from Eight Sleep believe it’s important to fuel your sleep. To do this, Eight Sleep suggest incorporating these five expert-approved tips as part of your routine, to ensure you’re getting high quality sleep night after night.

1. Set the right temperature

According to Eight Sleep, one of the biggest culprits of poor sleep is the wrong sleeping temperature. “The body follows a circadian rhythm that adjusts your internal temperature when it’s time for bed: generally, your body temperature decreases to help you fall asleep. However, the temperature in most bedrooms doesn't adjust along with what your body needs, which can lead to less sleep and plenty of wake ups.”

There are a few ways to set the right temperature for sleep. Experts have found that sleeping in a cold room is better for you, so it could be worth turning your heating down before you get into bed to encourage your body’s temperature to drop. Alternatively, cooling your bed is another option, which you can do by using the best mattress cooling pads or by investing in the Eight Sleep Pod.

The Eight Sleep Pod has been engineered with sleep tracking technology that monitors your sleep and environment, and makes adjustments to help you achieve a good night’s sleep. “Eight Sleep developed the Pod’s proprietary Temperature Schedule to deal with temperature as a disruptor of sleep,” says Eight Sleep. “Throughout the night, the Pod’s temperature can cool down and warm up each side of the bed to adjust to what your body needs to sleep comfortably all night.”

2. Have a sleep-friendly diet

Having a sleep-friendly diet is essential to getting a great night’s sleep. Eight Sleep suggest avoiding caffeine closer to bedtime and to opt for soothing teas like chamomile that are caffeine free. Additionally, they recommend to “stay away from foods that can cause indigestion or an upset stomach. Food that’s too heavy, overly spicy or acidic can keep you up all night and interfere with sleep.” Instead, opt for foods high in magnesium, like nuts and wholegrains, to promote better sleep. For more advice, take a look at the 8 foods to eat for a good night’s sleep and 4 to avoid.

3. Listen to ASMR

While research on the benefits of ASMR is still being conducted, sleep is one area that may get a boost from listening to the soothing sounds. According to a recent study, people who experience ASMR were noticeably soothed by the audio as it was able to “induce the brain signals required for sleep” and kept participants “in a psychologically comfortable state.”

Eight Sleep say that this is because “ASMR triggers the area of the brain connected to relaxing hormones such as dopamine and oxytocin, making a promising case that it can truly be beneficial to sleep.” So, listening to some ASMR or white noise can help you fall asleep quicker and more easily.

4. Try aromatherapy

Another simple and soothing treatment to try for better sleep is aromatherapy, especially if you're an anxious sleeper. Studies have shown that aromatherapy is highly effective in treating anxiety, and if a pleasant smell comforts you before bed, why not use it? Eight Sleep states that “lavender is considered one of the best essential oils for sleep... spray it on blankets, pillows and covers before bed for relaxation.”

5. Invest in a smart mattress

As smart technology takes over the home, it’s hardly a surprise that it’s making its way into our bedrooms, mainly in the form of smart mattresses. A smart mattress or bed uses sensors and other technology to monitor your sleep patterns, and in some cases, like the Eight Sleep Pod, it can make adjustments to support and better your rest.

“The Pod improves your sleep quality by collecting health metrics and learning your body, dynamically adjusting the temperature throughout the night to optimise your sleep stages,” explains Eight Sleep. “It tracks vital health biometrics such as heart rate, respiratory rate and different sleep stages, all accessible and traceable through a user-friendly app.”

Knowing about your health and sleep is extremely important. Looking at how long it took you to fall asleep, if you experience any disturbances and your sleep stages can help you improve your sleep so you’re waking up refreshed and rejuvenated every morning… and a smart mattress or one of the best sleep trackers can help with that.

Interested in the Eight Sleep Pod? Head to the Eight Sleep website and check out these Eight Sleep mattress sales, deals and discount codes for money off your order.