Sports Sleep Coach Nick Littlehales visited our offices in early January to give us the low down on why sleep is so important – and why elite athletes are turning to him to help maximise their sleep recovery period for improved performance.

It’s no secret that millions of Britons suffer from back and neck pains, and a large percentage of us constantly toss and turn and move around during the night to try and find a more comfortable sleeping position.  In addition to this we ‘battle’ with our natural internal clock known as our circadian rhythm, resulting in the familiar feeling of waking up still feeling tired - despite getting 6-8 hours sleep.  Add to this our hectic lifestyles and use of mobile phones and laptops in bed, and we have ourselves a sleep deprivation problem. 

You have the potential to get so much more out of your sleep recovery time if you take the issue seriously – something that those within the professional sporting world or indeed anyone with a keen passion for competitive sport are more than aware of.  If you want to perform at your physical and mental best in order to achieve your goals, your sleep recovery needs to be taken seriously.

So what can we do to get better quality (and that’s the key) sleep to perform better?  Well firstly, there should be a balance between performance activities (which could be anything from work to physical training) and recovery activities which include wind-down time AWAY from those activities, and actual sleep.  Most people are unaware that our sleep is actually measured in 90 minute cycles.  Ideally, we need to get x5 of these 90 minute sleep cycles per night which gives us 7.5 hours sleep. To get the most out of our sleep cycles, we need to adopt a specific pre-sleep routine.  This includes switching off laptops and other high-stimulus gadgets which can keep you in an alert ‘wake’ state and prevents the cortisol levels in your body from gradually decreasing – something that is essential for drifting off peacefully and easily.   

When waking, alarms simply give off a noise stimulus which interrupts sleep in an intrusive and non-natural way.  The waking process should ideally be more productive.  A daylight/sunrise simulator light will help to wake the body naturally, which will help you to wake feeling more refreshed.

The ideal environment to sleep in is a ‘cool’ one – raising your body temperature with a warm/hot shower just before climbing into bed in a cool bedroom is likely to help you sleep better.  Being stuffy or too hot/cold is a key indicator of poor sleep.  Another top tip from nick is to NOT take a glass of water to bed, which sends signals to your brain to tell you to wake during the night to drink it.  Instead, keep properly hydrated during the day.

Finally, it is important to invest in good bedding that suits your individual needs which will improve your quality of sleep and help stop you tossing and turning throughout the night in the search for a more comfortable position.  Things such as sleeping weight, head positioning, and the length between shoulder and ear can have a huge impact on your bedding requirements.

To find out more visit www.sportsleepcoach.com. 

Lack of sleep doesn’t just have you yawning the next day – it affects your body and brain more deeply than you might think, causing over or under-eating, forgetfulness and lack of concentration – and that’s just in the short term!

See how many of the below you identify with the pin down whether you’re getting enough zzzzz’s at bedtime.

1. You're not hungry for lunch. A lack of sleep can make you constantly want to eat more, or persistently feel like you're not hungry at all! It throws off your internal clock—which is why so many people lose or gain weight during periods of sleeplessness.

2. You've checked your email three times, and had to re-read a simple document. Whether you're writing a quick email, reading a document, or operating machinery, lack of sleep makes it hard to concentrate on any task you’re undertaking, meaning constant re-checking and time wasting.

3. You can't remember where you put the car keys. Your brain needs sleep to refresh and regenerate. Without it, your short-term memory may be impaired.

4. You're drowsy at the wheel. Your eyes may glaze over now and then when you're staring at the computer screen or stuck in an endless meeting, but if you struggle to stay awake behind the wheel—or doing any task that puts your life at risk—you're not just bored. You need more sleep.

5. You feel sick—and you never get sick. Your immune system repairs and strengthens while you sleep. So in addition to eating flu-fighting foods, log at least seven hours a night to stay healthy all season.

6. It takes you less than 5 minutes to get to sleep.  When you do hit the hay, if within 5 minutes of lying down you are fast asleep, it is likely you are sleep-deprived.

For a thoughtful present this Christmas, why not give the gift of a good night’s sleep? A good pillow should be at the top of your list for healthy and restful sleep.

Physiotherapist and health ergonomist Katherine Lewis says:

“Poor sleeping posture is often a direct cause of neck pain, particularly in individuals that wake up in the morning with neck stiffness and pain. Correct neutral spinal alignment is essential at night time to maintain healthy joints and soft tissue structures. Incorrect posture is often caused by using a pillow that forces your neck away from this midline position.”

What Kathy said about our pillows. . . . .

Memory Foam and Goose Down Pillow

“Good for those who want a softer pillow with more structure than goose down alone. Soft and malleable, good quality feeling.”

Contoured Memory Foam Pillow

“This is a wonderful pillow: it is a fantastic shape to allow your neck to remain in a neutral posture when sleeping on your back or your side.  It is very high quality memory foam that holds the required shape dictated by your own spinal posture. An amazingly good quality pillow that I would not hesitate to recommend to my clients.”

Traditional Memory Foam Pillow

www.relaxkids.com is where you’ll find a fantastic book filled with 52 fairytales which have been transformed into meditations and relaxing techniques, whilst still being fun and engaging.

Purposefully designed to calm and de-stress, children are helped to imagine they are Aladdin floating on a carpet, Jack climbing the beanstalk and floating in the clouds, the little mermaid swimming in the ocean, and Sleeping Beauty lying in a satin bed.

These relaxations aim to develop confidence and creativity. This book is designed to engage children while introducing them to relaxation and simple stress-management techniques. Relaxation strategies such as progressive muscle relaxation and visual imagery have been shown to be extremely effective treatment components for reducing stress and anxiety in children.

Perfect for: reducing stress, easing anxiety, promoting relaxation, reducing tension, promoting more restful sleep, and develop creativity.

The Fine Bedding Company is delighted to present its brand new website!

Over the last few months our in-house sleep experts have been working very hard with our website partners, Studio North, to create a total online sleep experience for you, our valued customers.

The new website is so much more than just a ‘shop’. Not only are we featuring our top of the range bedding products for you to browse, we are also introducing you to Emily, our resident Sleep Expert.  Emily is here to provide you with advice on choosing the right bedding for you, advice on allergies, togs, and fillings, and also top tips for getting the best night’s sleep.  Our built-in product selector tool helps you find the perfect products for you, based on your specific answers and needs.

We’d love to receive some feedback on your Fine Bedding Company online experience.  Please email us at sales@finebedding.co.uk with any feedback you have – we’d love to hear from you!

Sweet dreams!

The Fine Bedding Company team