Sleep tips: how to get the best sleep possible

Here are some tips to help those of us who have trouble getting to sleep that falls asleep easily.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg recently proposed a clever slumber tip to help his wife rest more easily at night.

Zuckerberg wrote on Instagram that since she was a mother, his wife Priscilla had trouble sleeping all night. She would often get up and look at the time on her phone to see if their children could wake up soon. But knowing that the hour was stressed and that she could not go back to sleep, he said.

So he invented a "sleep box", which emits a very dim light between 6am and 7am – time when their children should wake up.

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The box does not show the time, and until now it has worked better than expected – "she can now sleep all night," he said.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults under 65 years of age sleep between 7 and 10 hours per night.

People over 65 are recommended to rest between 7 and 8 o'clock.

Modern fast-paced life can hit our sleep habits hard. But Zuckerberg's advice leads us to think about sleep techniques used by Kiwis to get the best sleep possible:

LAVENDER

Lavender has been used for centuries. Over the years, herbalists have used the scented flower as an analgesic to treat headaches, bites and burns and to help reduce stress levels.

Studies have shown that lavender has mild sedative properties, helping people to fall asleep lightly and reducing their rapid eye movements during sleep.

One study found that the use of lavender had a significant beneficial influence on the quality and duration of sleep.

Lavender oil can be applied on the temples, wrists or a few drops on a pillow or pajamas.

It can be distributed in a room, where the plant can be dried and kept in a bowl on a bedside table.

PHONE CALLS

There are a multitude of applications available that can reduce the amount of blue light that you see on your cell phone or your computer screen.

Blue light affects the secretion of melatonin in the body, a hormone in the brain. People need an accelerated melatonin production at night to fall asleep.

The retina of the eye is sensitive to blue light and stimulates alertness.

For busy people who check their emails at work or browse their news feed before going to sleep – thankfully, phones now offer options to reduce blue light.

On IOS devices, Night Shift can be activated to filter blue light. On Android, "Twilight" can be downloaded.

There are also many applications available that emit ambient sounds to help people sleep better or follow your sleep cycle for you.

White Noise, Headspace and Sleep Cycle are just a few of the many applications available.

2 MINUTE TECHNICAL

This military hack, which has been popular in the past, would help people fall asleep in just two minutes.

The method has two main steps. First, relax the muscles in your face, shoulders, and arms. Breathe and relax your chest, then your legs.

Second, spend about 10 minutes trying to clear your mind. Then, focus on the image of either lying in a canoe on a calm lake with nothing but a clear blue sky above you, lying in a black velvet hammock in a dark room.

Then repeat the saying "Do not think, do not think, do not think" for about 10 seconds.

The method is described in the book of Lloyd Bud Winter 1981 Relax and win: Championship performance. It was apparently used by the US military service and had a high success rate.

THE ROUTINE OF EVENING

One of the most important things to get a good night's sleep is probably to establish a good routine at bedtime.

The Ministry of Health recommends relaxing before going to bed, doing activities such as reading, taking a shower or bath, or practicing mindfulness techniques.

Her website suggests maintaining a regular sleep pattern by going to bed and getting up at about the same time each day, including weekends.

This also suggests not looking at the time, and if you can not sleep after 20 to 30 minutes of trying, try to sit in another room and read for a short while.

TOO HOT? A fan can help

Although it is now approaching the winter months, this clever fan program is essential for warm nights disturbing your sleep.

Pointing a fan through the bedroom window helps expel warm air from the room. If you open a window on the shady side of the house, you can suck in fresh air.

It takes a good few minutes to work, but it is an inexpensive and highly effective technique to help refresh your home.

OTHER ADVICE:

Keep the room quiet and dark, and at a comfortable temperature. Staying active during the day can help you sleep better at night – but avoid activities just before bedtime.

Avoid alcohol, caffeine and food at bedtime because they can disturb sleep. If you are a day diaper, make sure your naps last less than 30 minutes.

Sleep tips from the Ministry of Health can be found here. You'll find more tips on sleep on Health Navigator.