Every Girl Needs Her Beauty Sleep

Don’t lose sleep with these top tips from Dr Mark Winwood, Director of Psychological Services at AXA PPP healthcare

1. Stay active during the day
Even when your wedding is a few days away, schedule in some time to exercise during the day to help you feel tired at night. Being active increases your metabolism and helps against stress and anxiety, which in turn will improve your sleep.

2. Watch what you eat and drink
Don’t have a heavy or spicy meal just before going to bed, as your body needs time to digest the food before sleep. But on the other hand, don’t go to bed hungry: a light snack before bedtime is ideal, just try to avoid washing it down with caffeine or alcohol.

3. Make your bedroom more sleep-friendly
Create a calm sleeping environment by turning your bedroom into a dark, quiet, clean and comfortable haven. It’s also important to remove distractions and computers, so try and keep the wedding planning out of the bedroom.

4. Develop a bedtime ritual
Try to develop a relaxing night-time routine that prepares your body and mind for sleep. It could be taking a hot bath, reading a book, listening to calming music or having a milky drink.

5. Relax and unwind
Whether you need to stretch your muscles with yoga or calming your mind with meditation, there are numerous classes, apps, and books that can show you great methods to do both. Experiment and see what works for you. Some people find using a few drops of aromatherapy oil on the pillow, such as lavender, or a cup of chamomile tea to be soothing before bedtime.

6. Don’t toss and turn – get out of bed instead
If you can’t fall asleep after half an hour, get up and do something else instead – try something relaxing like reading or listening to music. Only go back to bed when you feel tired. Similarly, if you find you’re dozing off on the sofa too early in the evening, get up and do a few jobs so that you save your snoozing for bedtime.