Posted By Laura in Competitions, Featured, In the Home | 4 comments

The Sleep Council has declared this month Sleeptember, did you know?

Anyone who’s ever had a newborn knows that sleep isn’t just a night-time filler. It’s an absolute essential to every part of your body and brain. Like proper nutrition and exercise, sleep keeps us healthy (and happy… I am Mrs Grumpy from grump street if I’m short on sleep). Sleep helps our bodies stay fit and keeps our brains sharp.

But I think anyone who’s ever been short of sleep (and poor sleep and fatigue affects millions of people world-wide) knows just how quickly the opposite takes effect – just one bad night’s sleep affects our mood, concentration and alertness. When my eldest was suffering severely with CFS the biggest impact on him was the lack of sleep – with the help of his CFS team we went right back to basics and created a toddler-like bedtime routine. It seemed silly to do it for an 11yr old… but it really did work. Now at nearly-16 his health is thankfully mostly under control, but when he feels the tiredness start to threaten he instinctively falls back on his bedtime routine, re-teaching his brain how to settle down and relax for the night.

If you’re a poor sleeper then why not make it a Sleeptember challenge; change your habits for the month, and see what happens to your health.  Below are five simple steps from the Sleep Council you can take to try and improve your sleep:

1. Create the ideal sleep environment: You need the right environment to get a good night’s sleep and that means a bedroom that’s cool, quiet and dark. For more information visit www.perfectsleepenvironment.org.uk.
2. Get rid of the gadgets: Smart phones, laptops, TVs, radios and games consoles all have a significant effect on sleeping habits, making it difficult to switch off and wind down.  Exposure to even the weakest glow at night – eg, the notification light flashing on your mobile next to your bed – can unconsciously play havoc with your body’s circadian rhythms, keeping you alert when you should be sleepy.
3. Invest in a new bed: It’s the foundation of good sleep. Research shows that sleeping on an uncomfortable bed could rob you of up to an hour’s sleep – yet the deterioration may be so gradual and invisible you don’t make the connection. Think about replacing your bed after about seven years.
4. Routine: Try to stick to regular bedtime hours – going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time every day helps to program the body to sleep better. Plus your body will love you for it.
5. Wind down: Try to learn relax before bedtime. Meditation is a great tool for relaxing both body and mind – as is having a warm bath, listening to some quiet music etc. If you start to worry when you get into bed, try writing down what’s niggling you, or the things you need to tackle.

So to celebrate Sleeptember (let’s face it, we all love a good night’s sleep. Sleeping makes me Very Happy Indeed) we felt it was only fitting that we did something exciting for you and your bed.

And we know just how much you love Carpetright and their beds – when we offered that magnificent bunk bed as a comp prize a while back we were overwhelmed with the response! And then of course there’s the amazing mid-sleeper they sent for the #TinyRoomMakeover (which has been in use for a couple of months now, and is more loved than ever). So now it’s the chance of the grown-ups – oh yes.

This is no bunk bed luxury for your small person.

This one is a double bed.

Yes – it’s all for YOU.

*jealous face*

Win the Tuscany bed from Carpetright – personally I love it all in cool white, but there are other colour options too.

Carpetright are offering you the chance to win the spectacularly elegant and stylish Tuscany Bed Frame – isn’t it beautiful?

To be in with a chance to win the £460 Tuscany Double Bed Frame from Carpetright the entry is Simple-as-Pie – just use the Rafflecopter box below, there’s all the usual sociable Rafflecopter entry options with tweets and facebooking and the like.
The closing date for this competition is 24th September 2014 and only entries received on or before that date can be included. The 1st prize winner will be the first randomly selected entry.  Good luck!

NOW CLOSED