Let’s get this straight - it IS possible to wake up like they do in the movies. You just have to know the key elements of how human body works when it comes to wakefulness and sleep, and THEN it is much easier to navigate your way to a healthier sleep.

Starting off with the basics, humans operate by circadian rhythm. You have probably heard that term at least once, but what exactly is it then?

Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that are part of the body’s internal clock, running in the background to carry out essential functions and processes. Your circadian rhythm is influenced by outside things like light and dark, as well as other factors. Your brain receives signals based on your environment and activates certain hormones (like melatonin), alters your body temperature, and regulates your metabolism to keep you alert or draw you to sleep.

Seems like your body already has it all under control, why should you worry then? Our ancient systems aren’t used to nowadays’ busy lifestyle and artificial world, which makes us more “fragile”. Especially at night, when our body is in the recovery state therefore the most vulnerable. The small LED light on your laptop, the cars driving past your windows causing continuous noise, the fluffy pillow, and yes, the smartphone in your hand - all of these affect your sleep more than you can imagine…

Before you get paranoid and scared of all the sleeping conditions, let’s get to the solutions:

1. Make your room colder. 

It is proven that sleeping in the manner that nature intended may be better for us. As human beings, we did not evolve with the benefit of having central heat in our homes. A little fun fact: both our body’s temperature as well as the external nighttime temperatures tend to drop, which are biological hints that signal our internal clock that it’s time for bed. If we keep our bedroom warm, this throws off our natural balance.

BUT here’s a little disclaimer: don’t sleep with the room too cold or brisk because being uncomfortably cold can also cause you to wake up and disrupt your precious sleep!

2. Eliminate all kind of noise if possible.

Yes, that means that you’ll have to cancel going to sleep with music playing from your earpods too. Even the slightest bit of noise can wake you from a sleep and weaken your rest and restoration period. Busy street, snoring partner or noisy neighbours all can cause a cacophony that prevents you from falling asleep or wake you up throughout the night.

One of our favourite solution to all of the above is ear plugs. Especially if there’s nothing you can do to control the noisy environment… They are pretty cheap,  most effective and you can find them either at your local supermarket or pharmacy. Thank us later. 

3. Utilize red light. 

Checking your phone before the bed is bad, but we still all do it. Here is a little trick to make checking your phone before bed less toxic. Unlike blue light, red light doesn’t suppress the release of melatonin and can even improve the quality of sleep you get each night. 

How to turn your screen red if you own an Apple device: Go to settings > Accessibility > Display & Text size and choose ‘Colour filter’. Enable the colour filters and click on the ‘Colour tint’, then use the Intensity and Hue sliders to make the red effect visible. And voila! 

PS! Even a red screen is still a screen and social media still stimulates your brain, which is the opposite of winding down before bed. So minimizing screen-time still goes a long way!

4. Choose the right pillow. 

This one might sound funny, but is actually one of the most important things to keep in mind. 

Most people keep waking up with constant stiff neck muscles or sharp pains down their spine, unaware that they all are most likely caused by an ineffective and unsupportive pillow.  We all have different preferences, but investing in a good, pricier pillow that supports the shape of your neck is something we all should do.

Did you know: Pillows should be replaced once a year or by looking for signs of wear and tear such as lumps or yellowing. But it all often depends on the quality of the pillow itself, so that’s why a quality pillow is a worthy investment!

Now that we presented the most necessary tips for a quality sleep, there is nothing stopping you from actually looking like you do in that “woke up like this” selfie. Remember that balance is a must in life and even the strongest soldiers need some rest from time to time.

Thank you. And… sweet dreams! *sips Bedtime Coffee* xx