Do you always feel exhausted in the morning? Unfortunately, lots of Singaporeans are in the same boat. Studies show that six in ten Singaporean adults lack sufficient sleep. Perhaps you love catching up on late night shows. Maybe your old mattress isn’t doing much for your back pain and you need a new, quality memory foam mattress.

Regardless of the reasons, find out how you can fix your sleep issues and get better sleep.

1. Dim the lights

Blue light emitted from the screens on your gadgets is one of the biggest causes lack of sleep. It tricks you into thinking that it is still day time, affecting your cardiac rhythm. So you can start by limiting the amount of blue light you are exposed to. Especially at dusk.

Consider installing smart bulbs at your home. If you’re hooked to checking out your social media accounts, do it much earlier before bedtime.

2. Keep the smartphone away from the bed

We are inseparable from our smartphones. Not only do we rely on them to keep up with our daily activities, but we also use them to monitor our bedroom conditions – honestly, we just want to keep tabs with late night notifications – and wake us up in the morning.  Studies show that you’ll sleep better when we leave the phone out of the bedroom.

Instead of putting the smartphone near where your sleep on the pillow, put it on the bedside or even better, inside the drawer to ward you off temptations. But what about the alarm clock? Use another gadget such as smart speakers and wake up to your favourite playlist.

3. Rule out sleep disorders

Perhaps the reason you are having a troubled night is not your phone screen but a sleep disorder. The most common sleep disorder is sleep apnea. Many people shrug it off as just a bad case of snoring but when in fact, it is a sleep disorder. Do you have a terrible snore? Consult with a physician and have it checked out and treated.

4. Reduce your coffee intake late in the day

Many people need a shot in the arm to help overcome the mid-afternoon slump. So we turn to coffee. But the effects of caffeine can last in your body for well over eight hours.

Consider having a 15- to 25-minute power-nap instead of consuming that coffee. But make sure that it is regular and short so it won’t keep you up all night.

5. Stay away from late evening food or alcohol

It is said that a glass of wine right after dinner will help you relax.  But when it’s late in the night or you have too many glasses of wine, expect that you’ll not sleep better. If you love a hearty meal and a glass of wine after, do it a few hours before bedtime so you will achieve the intended outcome.

6. Take a warm bath or shower

A warm bath or shower helps to relax your body and mind. It works like a gentle massage that stimulates blood flow and relaxes tight muscles. Your body will release sleep hormones and you will have a better rest.

7. Change your bedsheets and mattress

Sleepless nights can also be caused by the quality of the mattress and bed sheets. Perhaps your pocket spring mattress has served you long enough and it has started to show signs of wear. It’s time to do some mattress shopping and invest in a good memory foam mattress to support your back and provide the comfort you need for a good night’s rest.