It is extremely important for us all to get a good night sleep as without it we become fatigued during the day with decreased concentration and mental function. If you are struggling with insomnia or just feeling like you never get enough sleep, try experimenting with some of the following tips which may just help improve your sleeping health.

• Pillow- Do you find you constantly wake up with numb or tingly hands or irritating neck ache? This could be due to your pillow not supporting your head and neck enough as you sleep and sorestricting the nerves and blood vessels that flow into the arm. If you prefer to sleep on your back you should ideally only use a single pillow as in this position your neck only needs mild support. However if you tend to sleep on your side the support should increase to make up for the width of your shoulders, whether this means using two pillows or one very thick pillow (depending on your build). We promote our Bridgeham pillow which can support those who sleep in either position, please ask your practitioner for more details.

• Position – You should always sleep in a position you are comfortable in however there are some positions that suit people’s bodies better than others. For example if you tend to suffer with hip or lower back issues, sometimes sleeping on your side with a small pillow between your knees can provide extra support here and relieve strain on these areas. There are some positions however that can cause issues for individuals such as, lying on your front with your head turned to the side may result in neck pain, or lying half side, half front with one leg straight and one bent may be the cause of a pelvic torsion. So have a think about your sleeping position and whether there could be some changes to improve it.

• Sleep cycle- Research suggests that our sleep and daytime fatigue improves if we set ourselves routines of sleeping habits. Keeping a set time for going to sleep and waking up helps you wake up refreshed and more energised than varying your sleep patterns. Should you have a late night try to schedule in a daytime nap the following day, rather than sleeping in.

• Exposure to light – A natural hormone in the body called Melatonin helps to regulate our sleep cycle. When it is dark, your brain releases a higher dose of Melatonin in order to make you more sleepy and when it’s lighter, a lesser amount is released keeping you more alert. Exposure to light before bed time e.g. using our phones or televisions can interfere with this natural cycle, making you less sleepy and so more difficult to fall asleep when you go to bed. So minimal or no technology in the bedroom!