The 6-step plan for the 30 minutes before bed to ensure you get a better night’s sleep
SLEEP is for the weak, or so the saying goes.
But the reality couldn't be further from the truth.
Getting a good night's sleep is vital for good physical, mental and emotional health.
It's as important as eating a healthy diet and getting enough exercise.
Yet, half of adults don't get enough shut eye, with many admitting to lying awake at night fretting about their worries.
And one of the problems, according to the experts, is that half of adults admit to not having a bedtime routine.
It means people end up going to bed with racing, muddled minds causing the fret and worry to blow way out of proportion.
To combat that sleep expert, Dr Neil Stanley, said preparing to go to sleep must start 30 minutes before lights out.
"You cannot find sleep, you have to let sleep find you," he said.
"You have to put your body and brain in the correct state where sleep can easily occur.
"This is a quiet mind and a relaxed body."
And fellow expert, Prof Mark Cropley, added: "Thirty minutes is a good amount of time before bed to start unwinding and thinking about sleep.
"Never underestimate the importance of establishing a good routine, in sleep and all areas of life, as it can dramatically affects your levels of success."
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So what can you do to quiet the mind and relax before bed?
Follow their six-step plan, and you should find yourself drifting off to the land of nod with no trouble.
30 minutes before bed
Use your last half hour to prepare for sleep by completing any final tasks for the day.
Send that last email, pay the bill you've be meaning to pay all day and get a To Do list for the next day sorted.
A study by experts at Baylor University in Texas, found people who took five minutes to write their To Do lists before bed found it much easier to nod off.
25 minutes before bed
Now's the time to turn down the blue light.
What do we mean by blue light? Think laptop, iPad and tablets and yep, your phone.
Scientists now know blue light suppresses the release of melatonin, the hormone that tells the body it's time for sleep.
So you don't miss your morning alarm, just turn your phone over or pop it in a draw, to avoid the blue light disturbing your night's sleep.
20 minutes before bed
Time to brush those teeth and for the girls out there, take your make up off.
It's important to leave a bit of time between washing your face and bed, because the water can wake you up.
15 minutes before bed
This one might surprise you, but a quick five-minute shower before bed can help you get to sleep.
But, make sure it's a hot one.
Heating the body actually helps cool us down, which is important for good sleep.
We need to lose about 10C of body temperature in order to sleep well, experts say.
10 minutes before bed
Go for a pee.
Sounds obvious but a staggering 42 per cent of people don't get enough sleep because they need the toilet in the night, research by Nytol found.
So make a quick trip to the bathroom one of the last things you do before turning the light out.
MORE SLEEP TRICKS AND TIPS
5 minutes before bed
Stop nattering.
Bed means sleep and five minutes before bed it's time for quiet, no more chatting to your partner.
To give yourself the best chance of a good night's kip, consider your bed as a place for sleep and sleep alone - most nights at least.
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