Happiful October 2020

DREAM ON
Essential – and unusual
– ideas to help you sleep
Download ‘Freedom’
This app is available on both Apple
and Android, and allows you to
reclaim control over night-time
scrolling. You can schedule ‘blocks’
on certain distracting websites and
apps, e.g. between 9pm and 7am, to
help you get a screen-free night.
Birthday suit-up!
While cosy PJs and lots of blankets
might be your bedtime go-to, they
could be keeping you up at night.
Your body naturally drops in
temperature to help you drift off, so
keeping things cool in the bedroom
could help. One way to do this could
be to embrace your bare body, and
strip down to enjoy the sheets on
your skin!
Restflix and chill
New streaming service Restflix
launched in July, with the aim to
help people start snoozing. Videos
on the service utilise binaural
beats, which is a proven method
to harness our brain’s reactions
to sound to help you drift off, plus
it features guided meditations,
bedtime stories, and peaceful
visuals – tune-in to what works best
for you.
Try reverse-psychology
If you’ve ever had the experience of
laying awake, desperately struggling
to catch those Zs, then trying to stay
awake could help. As strange as
it sounds, studies have found that
simply lying in bed with your
eyes wide open can help you
relax, as you stop feeling anxious
about not being able to sleep, and
actually become more tired.
Brinner is served
If you’ve been struggling to
find sleep, treating yourself
to breakfast for dinner could
help prepare you for a night’s
rest. Toast is a light source of
carbohydrates, which can help to
regulate blood sugar, so perhaps
pair it with some eggs, as these
are high in protein and can aid
sleep. A banana could also be
a good choice, as it contains
potassium, which is known to
help relax muscles.