"Clean Sleeping" - what is it all about?

Poor sleep can make you age faster, affect your appetite, increase the risk of dementia, and has even been shown to alter your DNA!!!  We should all be doing what we can to improve our sleep patterns and routine.

Apparently - 35% of us do not get enough sleep

Two in Five of us have seen a doctor re tiredness and sleep advice

24% of people say that lack of sleep has contributed to depression

Here are some online methods that say they encourage sleep!! Some are strange.

A Cooper Pillow

The metal infused pillow - costing around £50 online - is said to encourage sleep and reduce wrinkles.  However, there is virtually no evidence to back it up. Much better to find a comfortable pillow that supports your head and neck.

A Foot Massage

Clean Sleeping people say that massaging your feet for three minutes with lotion could help you nod off.  This may have legs. It can help you relax and wind down, and that can aid sleep quality.

Heated Eye Mask

Big in Japan, warming eye masks infused with Lavender are said to help ease stress and encourage relaxation.  Masks themselves can be good. Light can disrupt sleep by affecting the amount of the sleep hormone melatonin. But there is no evidence a heated mask is any different from a normal one.

Heated socks

You can by these on Amazon, and are said to keep your feet at a constant temperature. However, normal socks would do just the same thing - it is a fad, and they are not cheap.

No caffeine 8 hours before bed

An Age UK report advised over 50s to avoid coffee for up to eight hours before they go to bed.  It is true that caffeine is a known stimulant, which means it can cause you to stay awake longer. But every person reacts differently to caffeine, so it is up to the individual.

Get a sleep tracker

Consumer analysts reckon the wearable technology market will be worth $4.4 billion this year alone. This is a wrist band that will track your sleep patterns.. But they do not always provide accurate data, and if you are conscious of it in the night it is possible is could actually disrupt your sleep. They are definitely not essential.

Make the bedroom tech-free

Now this is one that everyone agrees with. Evidence suggests that blue light emitted from your mobile or tablet can keep you awake. It is shown to change chemicals in the brain to make you feel more alert, and that is not a good recipe for sleep.