Good sleep is vital to help us function properly.
And while there may be many sleep hacks doing the rounds on social media, not everything is going to work for you. While a ‘sleepy girl mocktail’ might help some people, exercising gently before bed may work for another, or you may prefer to read to prepare you for a long night of shut-eye.
It is personal, but there are definitely some things that work well across the board – and that’s what Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor shared.
She said if there was one tip that you should try for World Sleep Day (14 March), it should be this one.
Dr Wylie said: “One of the most impactful changes you can make to improve your sleep is to avoid screens at least 30 minutes before bed. The blue light emitted by smartphones, tablets, laptops, and TVs interferes with melatonin production, the hormone that signals your body it’s time to sleep.
“Exposure to this blue light tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, delaying your natural sleep cycle and making it harder to fall asleep.”
Cleveland Clinic states: “Melatonin is a natural hormone that’s mainly produced by your pineal gland in your brain. It plays a role in managing your sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythm.”
They also share: “Circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioural changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. The most important and well-known of these circadian rhythms is your sleep-wake cycle. These natural processes respond primarily to light and dark”.
Dr Wylie continued: “To improve sleep quality, replace screen time with a more relaxing activity before bed. Consider reading a book, listening to calming music, or engaging in light stretching or meditation.
“These activities help your mind wind down without overstimulation, preparing your body for sleep. Over time, this small change can significantly improve your ability to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and experience deeper, more restorative rest.”
She also explained that scrolling through social media apps just before you sleep “can be especially harmful to sleep, as it often involves engaging with emotionally charged or stimulating content.” It’s best to do something like reading to relax.
Dr Wylie said: “Additionally, the unpredictability of social media can increase stress or anxiety, disrupting your ability to wind down. This combination of blue light exposure and mental stimulation makes it harder to switch off and fall into a restful state.”
Nikki Camm, massage specialist at Lush, said that magnesium deficiency could also be causing your sleep to suffer. She said: “It is well known that poor sleep can have a dramatic effect on our health, but what’s less well known is that a deficiency in magnesium can be one of the main factors affecting the quality of sleep we can achieve.
“Known as nature’s finest relaxant, transdermal magnesium relaxes the body and mind for a restful night’s sleep. It’s also important to create a bedtime ritual that you can do every night – even on weekends. Sleeping and waking at the same time programmes your mind to release the correct hormones at the right time, strengthening your internal body clock, also known as circadian rhythm.
“A magnesium-powered massage routine at bedtime can be the perfect solution to ease away the stresses of the day. We hunch, rush, and slouch constantly, and spending some time readdressing our bodies can help our minds settle, too. Magnesium is thought to activate the neurotransmitters in our brain, which are responsible for calming the mind and body, making it a great mineral to load up on before bedtime.”
The NHS recommends that adults get seven to nine hours of sleep per night. However, the amount of sleep you need depends on your age, health, and personal circumstances.