By Ahmed Bilal

It seems wherever you turn these days, some health expert or other is extolling the virtues of quality sleep and telling you how to achieve it.

Generally speaking, people work on the theory that eight hours sleep per night is the sweet spot. In reality, that figure is just an average.

Some people can function properly on six or seven hours, while others will not contemplate getting out of bed if they have had less than nine hours.

A factor that is often overlooked by many people is the importance of establishing a structured pre-bedtime routine as an aid for achieving better sleep.

In a recent Betway study, it was found that meditating for 30 minutes before bedtime delivered the best quality sleep to participants.

By contrast, popular activities such as mobile gaming and scrolling through social media were found to be detrimental to getting a good night’s sleep.

That latter point cements the thoughts of respected neuroscientist Matthew Walker in his 2017 best-selling book Why We Sleep.

Walker highlighted how society’s traditional bedtimes have been eroded, causing an increasing proportion of people to get less sleep.

“Midnight is no longer ‘mid night’,” he wrote. “For many of us, midnight is usually the time when we consider checking our email one last time – and we know what often happens in the protracted thereafter.

“Compounding the problem, we do not then sleep any longer into the morning hours to accommodate these later sleep-onset times. We cannot.

“Our circadian biology, and the insatiable early-morning demands of a post-industrial way of life, denies us the sleep we vitally need.”

While Walker’s words paint a rather grim picture of how people operate in the 21st century, fixing the problem is actually pretty easy.

In the first instance it is imperative to create optimum sleep conditions. Numerous studies have shown that it is easier to sleep in a cool dark and quiet room.

Investing in the best quality mattress you can afford is another excellent tip if you want to maximise your chances of getting a good night’s sleep.

Removing digital devices from the bedroom is also hugely important. A bedroom should be a relaxing sanctuary – not an extension of the rest of your busy lifestyle.

Once you have created a comfortable sleep environment, you need to formulate a structured sleep schedule and stick to it seven days a week.

Your sleep routine should start before you get in bed, which trains your body and mind into knowing that they will soon be going into rest and recuperation mode.

The aforementioned meditation is a great way to achieve this, while reading a book or listening to relaxing music are also worth trying.

Bear in mind that there may be some nights where sleep, for whatever reason, does not happen. If you are unable to sleep, do not worry.

You can still lie in bed and enjoy relaxing, which will likely lead to you dropping off at some point.

Providing you maintain your resting schedule every day, the overall quality of your sleep will improve over a sustained period of time.

(SJ/GP)