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Want to get a good night's sleep? Here are six top tips from Warwick's experts...

We’re all aware of the importance of sleep – it helps us feel rested and alert, supports our immune system, and can even lower our risk for serious health problems. But securing a good night’s sleep on a regular basis can be a tough task.

So what can we do to try and encourage our bodies to rest, relax, and slip into a deep, rejuvenating slumber? Sleep expert Professor Michelle Miller – Professor of Biochemical Medicine, and Sleep, Health and Society Programme Lead at Warwick Medical School (WMS) – shares her top tips.

1) Maintain a regular sleep pattern

This is one of the most important (yet challenging) aspects of good sleep, because a regular sleep schedule helps to maintain the body’s internal clock.

If you’re trying to nod off at 9pm one night and 1am the next, your body will find this confusing – whereas one consistent bedtime will help it to instinctively know when to ‘power down’ and prepare for rest.

2) Create a relaxing bedtime routine

Lots of us dash from one activity to the next all evening, then climb into bed and wonder why we’re not tired. If you’re able, try to carve out a relaxing bedtime routine – this could be sitting in a warm bath, taking part in a calming activity, or switching your phone off so that you’re not distracted by messages.

3) Make your environment as restful as possible

The ideal bedroom temperature for sleep is around 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. If your room has been chilly all day – or, conversely, if you’ve had the heating on and it’s very warm – this can impact your body’s ability to rest. A comfortable bed and freshly washed bedding can also add to this sense of calm.

Image of Michelle
Professor Michelle Miller

4) Try not to work in your bedroom

If possible, try and keep your bedroom for sleep, not work. If you’re taking Teams calls from your bed during the day, it’s harder to associate it with rest at night-time. The same applies for household work – if there are piles of washing to sort through on the floor or documents to action on the dressing table, your bedroom can feel less like a calm zone and more like another to-do list.

5) Avoid bright lights and noise

Bright lights – especially the blue light that’s emitted from our phones – can supress melatonin, which is a hormone that helps to make us sleepy. Loud noises, such as televisions or sounds from videos on our phone, can also naturally keep us feeling wired instead of tired.

6) Be smart with food and drink

It’s advised that we avoid caffeinated drinks – coffee, tea, Coke, etc – after our final meal of the day. Try to keep things light in the evening – be moderate with alcohol, don’t go too hard on exercise, and have a light dinner to aid digestion and sleep quality.

Find out more about Michelle's work