4 Steps to a Sound Night's Sleep*

Hands up if you've ever felt personally victimised by cold mornings! If you haven't experienced them yet then you're one of the lucky ones (especially if you're in the UK, like me). With the sudden drop in temperature here it's becoming harder to hop out of bed in the mornings feeling refreshed and ready to work.

Personally, I'm one extreme to the other- just the other day I didn't want to get out of bed because I'd been awake and peeping at a screen until 3am the night before. I'm either that, or bleary eye'd at 7am with a coffee in my hand and wonky eyeliner from buzzing about too early. There's just no in-between! I've put together a short list of components for a better night's sleep, explaining how important these things are to help us look after ourselves and get a good nights rest.

Have a routine

My boyfriend has been staying over in the week as he's been working in the city, so him bustling about the room at 7am means that I've been slowly dragged out of sleep every morning around the same time too. The idea of setting alarms gives me the shudders but it's amazing how great it is now that my body has started to naturally wake up at this time all by itself! Getting into a routine (yes, even on your days off) means that your body isn't disturbed in deep sleep cycles. You'll feel more awake and refreshed come morning!

Clean your sheets!

There's not much better than drifting off, dreaming in soft, clean sheets. I've rifled through Yorkshire Linen's (below) website and spotted that they have duvet covers made from 100% cotton! Think; super-soft, feather down, affordable luxury. Something that always feels good on your skin will make you want to snuggle down sooner, so pop your sheets in the wash with softener around once a week to keep your skin (yep, skin too) and night's sleep in good condition.

Use calmer colours

There's so much science behind colours and the way the mind feels about certain rooms, people and places because of this, e.g: Yellow can make you feel stressed, blues and purples can keep you calm (and you won't even know about it!) My eye was drawn to a few sets in Yorkshire Linen's range of duvet covers: the gorgeous sets above and in particular, the one below.

I'm all into warmer colours at the moment despite my blue hair as they give off a certain vibe of cosiness, making me feel super relaxed. Exchange your crazy coloured duvet to a calmer one and you'll be able to drift from reality to sleep quicker than you ever did before.

Set the mood

Aside from taking yourself on dates to amazing fairs and galleries, it's important to wind down and set a tone for the night so that you can drift off. Wrap up in your favourite blanket, like this fluffy slice of heaven from Next, and put your phone or laptop down for the night. Draw mindlessly, read or have a bath, anything that draws your mind back in and keeps you relaxed until you go to bed. Have you ever tried to sleep after an argument?