Not being a particularly morning person, I thrive on a good nights sleep. I use to need 8 hours but now 6/7 hours can be just about right as long as they are pretty intense with no restless tosses and turns. I’m one of those people that needs a good sleep otherwise I cannot function during the day. There are some people aka my sister who just need little sleep and still have bounces of energy – Alas not me – I wish! So in order to gain a good nights sleep here are my top tips that help me swiftly fall deep into the land of dreams.

Light meals are my go to for the perfect nights sleep. – I always try and eat a light meal and early if possible as it gives me plenty of time to digest. I do try to avoidheavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. I always find that fatty foods tend to keep me up as they are a lot of work for the stomach to digest.

However if you are feeling a little peckish before bed, which lets be honest it happens rather often, then eating a light snack just before can actually help promote sleep. When you pair tryptophan-containing foods (protein-based foods such as oats, dried dates, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, fish, poultry, sesame, chickpeas, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, spirulina, bananas, and peanuts) with carbohydrates, it is said that it can help calm the brain and allow you to sleep better. Try seeing which foods work better for you as everyone is different. A few snack you could try are:

• A banana
• Half a turkey sandwich
• A small bowl of whole-grain cereal
• Granola with milk or yogurt

A Good mattress is probably the most important aspect for a good sleep which after all is part of a leading a healthy lifestyle. Don’t compromise and invest in a good quality one. There are so many great ones to choose from and it is important that you get to test try it, after all it is an important investment to make. One that I can recommend is Bruno Mattress, a revolution in the memory foam mattress. which offers 7 Zone Support as their ergonomic design promotes a healthier spinal alignment giving you pressure relieving support right where you need it, no matter your sleeping position. 100 % natural latex top, creating a breathable sleeping surface promoting even weight distribution and temperature regulation

Whats great is that they offer free delivery and returns and if for any reason you are not satisfied with your Bruno just  simply let them know within 30 nights and they will arrange for a pickup at their own expense.

Exercise is something that I swear by and when I do do it I definitely have a better nights sleep. Studies have shown that people that regularly exercise overall sleep better and feel less sleepy during the day. It also improves the symptoms of insomnia.

The more vigorously you exercise, the more powerful the sleep benefits, but if like me, then even light exercises have their benefits. Walking for just 10 minutes a day is known to improve sleep quality. However best not to exercise too late in the evenings, let at least 3 hours pass before heading to bed.

I love nothing more than Herbal teas when relaxing in the evenings. While camomile is the one that many turn too for aiding them to a good nights sleep, I actually find some other ones work better for me. Valerian is one of my favourite herbs and one that has actually been found by researchers to have sedative properties. It’s been used for centuries to help with sleep and also anxiety. Made from the root of the flower, it may take a couple of weeks of regular drinking before the full sedative effect is felt.

Another one I love is fennel, I find this is great to aid digestion therefore helps for a better nights sleep. It’s also perfect for those over indulgent moments 😉

Drinking lots of water during the day is also so important. I’m actually victim to not drinking enough sometimes and then I feel the difference. By drinking between 1-2 litres a day, you’ll totally feel the benefits which will help aid in a good nights sleep.

I don’t know about you, but all this sleep talk is making rather tired… 😉

This post is in collaboration with Bruno Mattress, all views are my own.