January is the month I think of as my hibernation zone. Cold, dark and skint, I like to try and turn the negatives into a positive and think of it as the month in which I can bank sleep.
Dr Lindsay Browning (troublesleeping.co.uk) has worked with bamboo bedding company Luff to create a guide to better sleep which includes some fairly obvious advice which is nonetheless helpful to be reminded of (reduce caffeine after 3pm, have a regular bedtime routine, reduce screen time before bed and try deep breathing exercises if you’re having difficulty dropping off) and some pearls which were new to me like avoid fatty foods, spend time outside each morning and – no surprises – the importance of comfortable bedding. I changed my mattress last year (shout out to Naturalmat) and now I’m eyeing my pillows having learned that they should be changed every couple of years. Hmm, I can’t actually remember when I last bought a pillow and now I’m wondering if they have contributed to the bothersome crick in my neck. Luff’s pillows are formed from naturally anti-bacterial bamboo which is sustainably grown and harvested, they are machine washable (huzzahhhh), and Luff give 10% of all profits to homeless charities in the UK.
