Body & Fitness

3 steps to a better night’s sleep

Beat the clock with these tips to help you sleep better

At 2am on Sunday, September 27, New Zealand will officially shift into Daylight Saving Time, signalling the beginning of those long, lazy summer evenings we’ve all been looking forward to.

While many of us can feel caught out by the switch as we head into Daylight Saving Time, these easy tips to improve your sleep can help make sure you still get enough shut-eye as the clocks go forward!

Don’t snooze

Repeatedly hitting the snooze button may buy you a few more minutes in bed, but your quality of sleep is likely to suffer as a result. Trying to doze off in between the shrieks of your alarm clock can often make you feel even more stressed about your lack of sleep – so even though it might be tempting, try to limit the amount of times you snooze.

Power down

About an hour before you actually want to go to bed, start preparing your brain for sleep by dimming the lights and turning off your devices – or even better, keeping them out of the bedroom entirely. Bright light (such as that emitted by a phone or tablet screen) gives your brain a signal that it needs to be alert, so make sure everything is dimmed or turned off to create a better sleep environment.

Eat smart

Eating a heavy meal too close to your normal bedtime can make it more difficult to nod off, as our bodies aren’t meant to go through the digestion process during sleep time. If you are having a late dinner, try to keep it light on protein.

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