How to sleep better. It’s one of life’s biggest challenges in our manic, modern world. With our busy schedules juggling work, play, clients, friends and family, sometimes it’s hard to switch our brains off when it comes to catching some zzz’s.
So how do we do it? Well, thankfully there are many tips and techniques out there to help you switch off and head to the Land of Nod. From skipping that late afternoon coffee to opting for comfy and breathable sleepwear, here’s how to sleep better in 11 simple steps.
1. Don’t have caffeine late in the day
While caffeine has many benefits, such as improving focus and performance, it can also stimulate your nervous system and may prevent your body from being able to naturally relax at night. This is because caffeine can remain in your blood for up to eight hours, meaning drinking large amounts of it beyond 3-4 pm is not ideal. Sorry, coffee lovers! Skip that afternoon flat white and reach for a dandelion tea instead.
2. Get more bright light in the day
Our bodies have a natural time-keeping clock called a circadian rhythm. This impacts our brains, bodies and hormones, helping us stay awake during the day and get to sleep at night. Natural sunlight or bright light during the day ensures our circadian rhythm is working properly, meaning you’ll have better energy during the day and nod off easier at night. Another great tip for keeping your circadian rhythm is check is to aim to wake up and fall asleep at the same time every day.
3. Don’t drink alcohol before bed
There’s an age-old myth that drinking alcohol helps you sleep. Many of us know how after drinking a glass of wine or two we feel tired and perhaps go off to sleep quickly, but the quality of our sleep suffers. This is because alcohol alters nighttime melatonin production, which is essential in keeping your body’s circadian rhythm in check. If you’re going to drink before bed, ensure to flush it out your system as best you can with water.
4. Don’t eat too late
Eating too late – in particular too big a meal – can sometimes disrupt your sleeping patterns. Your digestive system is slower at night because, generally speaking, your metabolism drops when you’re sleeping. Many nutritionists suggest your last large meal being at least three hours before bedtime and sticking to smaller, more nutritious-dense meals or snacks before bed. In other words, no more skipping meals throughout the day and making up for it with a late-night feast!
5. Up your melatonin intake
Melatonin is a fundamental sleep hormone that lets your brain know when it’s time to sleep. And, while melatonin supplements are very popular for people who struggle with sleeping, you’ll also find naturally-occurring melatonin in a variety of foods. These include cherries, walnuts, rolled oats, asparagus, peanuts, olives, grapes, barley, mustard seed and pomegranates. Good enough to sleep!
6. Consider your sleeping environment
Those who have trouble sleeping might want to think about their bedroom environment. From blocking out natural light to reducing outside noise, there are so many ways we can adjust our sleeping environments to cure our sleep problems. It’s also a good idea to keep the TV in the living room, so your bedroom can be reserved strictly for sleeping. Well, almost strictly...
7. Consider the temperature of your bedroom
It’s also important to take the temperature of your bedroom into account. Here in Australia, most of us know what it’s like to try and get to sleep during a hot summer night. One study even found that the temperature of our bedrooms affects the quality of our sleep more than noise. If you’re fortunate enough to have air-conditioning, setting this on a timer to help you get to sleep can help in the warmer months, although fans are the more eco-friendly (and affordable) option.
8. Wear comfy lounge and sleepwear
Seeing as the temperature of our sleeping environment is so important, it’s also key to consider what we’re wearing to bed. Comfy, breathable and thermoregulating loungewear and sleepwear is ideal for allowing your skin to breathe as you unwind and get into bed. Boody Lounge is a capsule collection of sustainable downtime wear that will see you through your nights with ease.
9. Take a bath or shower before bed
A great way to prepare for a great night’s sleep is by jumping in the bath or shower and washing away the day. We all know how relaxing a bath or shower can be, and the feeling of getting into bed clean also tends to help us drift off. Studies reveal that a bath or shower before bed can help improve the overall sleep quality and help people – particularly the elderly – fall asleep quicker.
10. Read a book
Always a great habit to factor into your before-sleep schedule, getting your nose stuck into a good book is a great way to escape the worries of your day and relax the mind before drifting off. Short on time? Even if you can squeeze in 20 minutes of reading you’re likely to notice yourself feeling naturally sleepy. And no, watching TV doesn’t have the same impact on improving your sleep hygiene.
11. Stop looking at screens at least an hour before bed
Let’s face it, we’re all addicted to screens. Whether it’s computers in the day or our phones and televisions at night, most of us would admit to getting a tad too much blue light. A great way to improve your sleep-wake-cycle and enhance healthy sleep is by stopping looking at any screens at least an hour before bed. The cut-down on the usage of social media can also be beneficial for your mental health.
For more advice on combating sleep disorders, such as practising yoga and meditation, check out the National Sleep Foundation.
You may also like
Guide
How to Support your Skin and Body through your Period
For many people, the menstrual cycle comes and goes with minimal impact. But, for those who experience cramps, fluid retention, lack of energy, headaches and irritability, that time of the month can be a time they dread. And while feeling awful on the inside, let's not forget the external impact of hormonal changes on the skin. Before, during and after your period, it's common to experience skin dryness, irritation, excess oil, breakouts, acne and redness. These monthly changes can start as early as the teenage years and respond to hormonal fluctuations throughout adulthood, pregnancy and menopause. For many, hormonal skin is a life-long condition. You can identify a hormonal breakout as spots most commonly occur around the jawline, neck and chest area. Pimples are usually sore and nodular, cyst-like and pustular. While we've become conditioned to applying harsh topical treatments and heavy makeup to try and cover up hormonal breakouts, we encourage our community to embrace this time of the month and love the skin they're in. But, if hormonal breakouts are getting you down, as with most skin concerns, a holistic approach to hormonal skincare can help lessen the symptoms and make 'that time of the month' more bearable. We've teamed up with our friends at Biologi to share tips for supporting the body through your period. Skin sequencing with active ingredients Get to know your cycle and adjust your regime to include phyto-actives that target redness and inflammation to soothe and calm the skin as you need them. While there's no such thing as a topical 'cure' for hormonal acne and breakouts, Biologi recommends to apply their Bd Luminosity Serum directly to hormonal breakouts as it's rich in tartaric acid, gallic acid and quercetin that work in synergy to reduce redness and inflammation and help calm inflamed skin. The tartaric acid in Davidson plum also works as a fully active, natural enzyme that breaks down dead skin cells and regulates oil flow to reduce blockages in the cells and minimise the appearance of breakouts. The week before your period is due, introduce Bg Defence Anti-Pollution Serum containing salicylic acid that can penetrate the pores and effectively keep them clear of oil that leads to breakouts. Working in synergy with niacinamide and vitamin C, the active ingredients can also help reduce redness and irritation. Get into a good sleeping pattern Sleep is one of the best medicines for irritated skin as this is the time when the skin respires, repairs and rejuvenates. Aim for six or more hours of unbroken sleep a night with light covers to avoid overheating. Our Boody sleepwear crafted in organically-grown bamboo is specifically designed to improve your sleep, including its ability to regulate your body temperature. Bamboo is thermoregulating- meaning you’ll feel cool in summer and warm in winter. Don't squeeze spots We completely understand the temptation for 'just a little pick', but it's not just a myth that you shouldn't squeeze pimples! Not only can touching spots transfer bacteria to the healthy cells, but scarring can also occur making the problem longer-term than once a month. Pay attention to nutrition A healthy gut and a balanced endocrine system often go hand in hand. An imbalance in one may lead to an imbalance in the other. If you experience symptoms as a result of a bacterial imbalance caused by food intolerance or vitamin or mineral deficiency such as zinc, this can affect the production of essential hormones that can impact the skin. Consult with a dietician or naturopath to rule out any nutritional imbalances and advise on supplements to support the skin. Avoid sugar and alcohol While the body might be craving the sweet stuff at this time of the month, too much sugar or toxins can cause an inflammatory response that can leave the skin red, dull and irritated and directly lead to breakouts. Focus on consuming whole foods packed with nutrients and your skin will usually thank you for it. Support the skin barrier A healthy skin barrier can help reduce the impact of hormonal changes. Avoid over-exfoliating and keep the skin barrier hydrated and strong by applying antioxidants. Avoid hot showers and harsh products that can strip the skin's natural oils leaving the skin dry and tight. Reduce stress and #DoLess Too much stress increases cortisol release which can lead to breakouts. While there's often no way to avoid stress in our modern world, identify some stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing or just a relaxing bath. Feeling confident at 'that time of the month' can also help reduce stress, so take a look at the products you use to support yourself during your period. Here at Boody, we have proudly launched our Period and Leak-proof underwear campaign, #DoLess. For too long, we’ve seen an unrealistic portrait of people who menstruate and leak. Sometimes, especially when we’re in pain or feeling fragile, it’s okay to just be. Learn more about our campaign here. Check out our range of period and leak-proof underwear, everyday underwear and sleepwear are the best for creating comfort in everyday life and at that time of your cycle. Introduce regular LED to help minimise the breakout Blue LED treatments can help kill the bacteria that gather in the pores leading to breakouts. The LED can also reduce the activity in the sebaceous glands reducing oil production that can become blocked in the pores leading to breakouts. Hormonal skin is unavoidable for most people at some point in their life. As with all skin concerns, understanding specific triggers combined with applying active ingredients can help reduce the impact of hormonal acne and increase confidence during your period. To support hormonal skin with active ingredients, visit and learn more at Biologi today. For comfortable period and leak-proof underwear and bamboo sleepwear and bamboo loungewear, shop Boody now. shaun@boody.com Trustpilot
Guide
We're Turning Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
For the month of October, we're releasing a limited range of McGrath pink underwear styles, with 100 percent of the profits from each item going directly to the Mcgrath Foundation. Shop our McGrath pink collection. 100% of profits go to the McGrath Foundation. Padded Shaper Crop Bra > Classic Bikini > Original Boxers > Giving back is a core value for us. Being an underwear brand, we have a natural affinity with the McGrath Foundation but our connection also runs deeper - many reviews on our website are from people sharing their love for the natural softness, breathability and comfort of its bamboo bras following breast cancer-related surgeries. In fact, bamboo is one of the most soothing fabrics to wear while recovering from surgery or having chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Bamboo is naturally antibacterial so it can be worn against the skin without risking infection, it wicks moisture away from the skin and absorbs excess perspiration (a side effect of cancer-related hormone treatments) and it is super soft and kind to even the most sensitive skin. We're proud to support the McGrath Foundation, the Australian organisation funding McGrath Breast Care Nurses who provide every type of support from emotional to physical for individuals and their families experiencing breast cancer. 100% of profits go to the McGrath Foundation. SHOP NOW Note: This exclusive collection is available on our AU and NZ website's only.
Guide
The History of International Women’s Day
When is International Women’s Day? International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated around the world on the 8th of March. What is International Women’s Day? International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when all women are recognised for their achievements. International Women’s Day was first born out of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe. Since those early days, International Women’s Day has grown in prominence and reach, touching women in every corner of the world. The growing international women’s movement has helped make International Women’s Day a central point for action including building support for women’s rights and their full participation in the economy, politics, community and in everyday life. History of International Women’s Day In 1910, Clara Zetkin, the leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen. The proposal received unanimous support from over one hundred women representing 17 countries. The very first International Women’s Day was held the following year on March 19th. Meetings and protests were held across Europe, with the largest street demonstration attracting 30,000 women. In 1913, IWD was moved to March 8th and has been held on this day ever since. International Women’s Day in Australia Australia’s first International Women’s Day was held in 1928 in Sydney. Organised by the Militant Women’s Movement, women called for equal pay for equal work, an 8-hour working day for shop girls and paid leave. The next year the event spread to Brisbane. In 1931, annual marches were launched in both Sydney and Melbourne and both marches continue to be held today. International Women’s Day today International Women’s Day has become a time to reflect on progress, to call for change and to celebrate the courage and determination of the women who changed history, and those who will advance gender equality into the future. International Women’s Day is an occasion to review how far women have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development. It is also an opportunity to unite, network and mobilise for meaningful change. Did you know? In 1913, IWD was moved to March 8th and has been held on this day ever since. Russian women demanded — and gained — the right to vote in 1917 as a direct consequence of the March protests and after more than 40,000 women and men again took to the streets demanding universal suffrage. Suffragettes in the U.K. and their counterparts in the U.S. both looked to Russia as an example and held what they saw as the country’s progress and liberation of women up as a mirror to their own governments, warning that they were lagging behind. The earliest purported Women's Day observance, called "National Woman's Day", was held on February 28, 1909, in New York City IWD initially had no set date, though it was generally celebrated in late February or early March. Americans continued to observe "National Women's Day" on the last Sunday in February, while Russia observed International Women's Day for the first time in 1913, on the last Saturday in February The United Nations began celebrating International Women's Day in 1975, which had been proclaimed the International Women's Year. In 1977, the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as an official UN holiday for women's rights and world peace. It has since been commemorated annually by the UN and much of the world, with each year's observance centred on a particular theme or issue within women's rights. Shop Women's Clothing.