6 tips for a good night’s sleep

The right level of firmness of your mattress and pillow goes a long way towards ensuring quality sleep. Photos: Ikea

When we don’t get enough sleep, a lot of things can go wrong – we have difficulty focusing on our work or studies, we get agitated at the smallest things, not to mention how detrimental it is to our overall health.

An average adult needs about seven to nine hours of quality sleep every night.

Here are six steps that can help us achieve that:

It’s all about comfort

Being comfortable is the first step towards ensuring that you will sleep well. That means making sure you have the right mattress and pillow. Some prefer a firmer mattress while others sleep better with a softer one. Equally important is getting the pillow height and firmness that suits you, otherwise you may wake up with a nasty headache or neck and shoulder discomfort.

A soft toy with LED night light can be a good sleep companion.

Not too hot, not too cold

After you go to sleep, the last thing you want is to wake up feeling too cold or break out in a sweat because it’s too warm. If your room feels too warm at the end of the day, cool it down with a fan or switch on the air-conditioner either the entire night at the right temperature, or just for a while before you sleep. You can set the timer for it to switch off after you fall asleep too. Selecting a suitable blanket or duvet will also go a long way towards a comfortable night’s rest.

Keeping the lights out

Some people can sleep with a night light on while others need complete darkness. For the latter, you can consider blackout blinds or getting an eye mask. If you don’t mind a small light, you can opt for dimmable lights or a table lamp.

Blackout curtains can help ensure you get a good night's sleep.

Peace and quiet

Noise affects our sleep because it stimulates the brain. Many people can’t fall asleep even with the slightest noise. If you are a light sleeper, consider getting sound absorbers for your room to minimise the noise level.

Sound absorbing panels can help minimise the noise level in your room.

Enhancing air quality

The air quality in your bedroom can also affect how well you sleep. Ensure that your bedroom is adequately ventilated at least once a week. If the room is carpeted, frequent vacuuming and cleaning is necessary to ensure good air quality.

A soothing ambience

According to some studies, individuals sleep best in blue-hued rooms, followed by yellow and green shades. If you are looking to make over your bedroom, you know what colours to choose.

Ikea will be releasing five informative videos from now until Aug 10 on how to get a good night’s sleep.