17 March 2023

This World Sleep Day, NHS Borders is sharing some tips to help support healthy sleep.

There is no set amount of sleep you should get as everyone is different. However, it is important that the sleep you get is good quality. If you feel tired throughout the day and it is affecting your everyday life, you are probably not getting enough good quality sleep.

Try the following tips to improve your sleep

  1. Create a calming environment in your bedroom – avoid having screens in the space where you sleep and keep the room cool
  2. Take time to wind down – spend 60 to 90 minutes before bed taking some time to relax. This could mean having a warm bath or shower, writing in a journal, or doing some breathing exercises
  3. Try to rise at the same time every day and avoid long lie-ins on days off
  4. Make sure you are doing enough exercise, but avoid doing rigorous exercise too near to your bedtime
  5. Avoid eating a heavy meal too near to your bedtime
  6. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and nicotine too near to your bedtime

Dr Sohail Bhatti, Director of Public Health at NHS Borders said: “Healthy sleep can have a positive impact on our physical and mental heath and wellbeing. Taking some time to make a few small changes around your sleeping routine can make a huge difference to your overall health. Everyone can benefit from changes like keeping screens out of the bedroom and maintaining a regular sleep routine, so if you are having trouble with sleep try out a few of these suggestions today.”

If you are struggling with sleep and these changes do not help, find more information on NHS inform here.