How to Get the Best Sleep of Your Life
March 1 | 4 minute read
Words by Lisa Marie Corso and Christie Sinclair
Then in the intervening years, the interest in your sleep drops off; until you find yourself as a bleary-eyed, overtired adult who can’t get a decent night of shuteye – which is probably how you’ve arrived here (or maybe you got lost looking for a lip balm).
Two people who are in the business of helping adults improve their sleep and sleep health are Dr Moira Junge, CEO of Sleep Health Foundation and Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at Monash University, and Dr Bei Bei, Associate Professor and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at Monash University’s School of Psychological Sciences and and leads the Behavioural Sleep Medicine service, research and training at the university's Healthy Sleep Clinic.
Both Dr Junge and Dr Bei agree multiple factors play a crucial role when it comes to good sleep, let alone your best sleep. While tallying seven to nine hours most nights is an excellent start, pairing this with good sleep hygiene, a consistent bedtime routine and a few clever products to help calm your mind and ease you into a restorative slumber, will help you wake up feeling properly rested.
“Duration of sleep is just one factor of many other dimensions that are important, such as depth, timing [and] regularity of sleep,” explains Dr Junge.
“Good, healthy sleep to me means that there is adequate duration, there is a consistency with getting off to sleep and waking up, and most importantly you can tell there is healthy sleep when a person feels that they have energy for their roles in life and aren’t needing to have sleep all day,” she adds.
So if you’re experiencing false starts getting to sleep, up in the middle of the night, or wake up in the morning feeling groggy – what can you do?
Dr Bei suggests focusing on having a consistent wake-up time: “Get up around the same time everyday,” she says. “This helps our body clock get tuned regularly so we get sleepy around similar times at night.”
Once you’re up, Dr Junge recommends you “get plenty of daytime light exposure, especially first thing in the morning after waking” and “at night, once it’s dark outside, please have dim lights in the house – lights off, lamps on!”
Following these tips can help align your circadian rhythm, so your body understands day is for play and night is for sleep.
In the PM, don’t ignore your ‘sleep cues’ – if you feel tired, go to sleep!
“Go to bed when sleepiness arrives and not when alert,” explains Dr Bei. “Choosing the right time to go to sleep really helps get to sleep fast.”
Adds Dr Junge, “A good tip is not to go near your bed, or certainly not under the covers, until you’re sleepy and tired and you’ve unwound your mind and [are] ready to fall off into sleep.”
Not getting enough sleep is one of the biggest challenges, according to the Monash University Healthy Sleep Clinic. We often feel we must prioritise things we need to do (study, work, life admin) and things we love doing (chasing the cliff-hanger of our favourite show) at the expense of going to sleep.
Dr Bei’s advice? “Don’t sacrifice sleep for doing other things – when you get enough sleep everything else will feel easier.” Resisting the temptation to do ‘just one more thing’ will improve your sleep hygiene and may send that flock of sheep you count every night on to new pastures.
Introducing an “unwinding period” before you go to sleep can also help, says Dr Junge, adding, “Give yourself at least an hour before bed – no more work, chores or study – where you allow yourself to let go of your day!”
She adds, “Bed is where you sleep, so if you’re still alert and stressed, wait a bit longer to unwind some more.”
Try relaxing with a book, meditation, washing your hair or even a cup of herbal tea, and avoid watching TV, scrolling on your phone or snacking in bed – which is a relief, because no-one wants toast crumbs on the sheets. You might also consider adding a touch of self‑care to your routine, perhaps slipping in a few sensory, sleep‑supporting beauty essentials.
If your idea of a ‘nightcap’ comes with bubbles (the bath kind), start in the shower with anatomē’s Cornish Lavender Bath & Shower Oil – an indulgent wash with all the calming and restorative benefits of sensory-point oils. You might like to set the scene with Bamford’s B Silent Candle, which will add a very relaxing blend of frankincense, lavender and marjoram to the room.
For skin that needs a rest, kit: Good Night Balm drenches it in botanical-rich hydration while helping you wind down. If you’d rather sip your way to a better sleep, the brand’s Sleep Powder blends passionflower and hops – traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to induce sleep – into a delicious drink that takes the edge off a racing mind.* Meanwhile, The Gut Cø’s Sleep (Well) Supplement tablets combine magnesium glycinate with California poppy (traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to reduce nervous tension and symptoms of mild anxiety) and sour jujube to help relieve restless or disturbed sleep.*
Right before you cosy in under those sheets, try a spritz of anatomē Cornish Lavender Pillow Spray to settle your senses with a blend of Cornish, Provençal and Himalayan lavender. If you’re feeling tense, The Nue Co. Magnesium Ease Sleep Spray delivers bioavailable magnesium chloride directly through your skin to help soothe muscle tension. Or, from This Works, the Sleep Plus Pillow Spray – a fast-acting and vegan version of their iconic sleep-inducing mist, with a heavenly blend of lavender, vetiver and chamomile.
*Vitamin and mineral supplements should not replace a balanced diet. Do not use if breastfeeding, pregnant or likely to become pregnant.
This article contains general information only. You should consider obtaining independent professional advice in relation to your particular circumstances.
