If there’s one thing we do every day that affects how we feel and what we get done, it’s our sleeping pattern. Some people struggle to get the amount and quality of sleep that they really need to excel. If you know that your sleeping pattern could use a little work, or you simply want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to get a high quality of sleep, this guide can help you.

Read on for the ultimate guide to sleeping better forever:

Prioritize Your Sleep
The first thing you need to do is make sleep a priority to you. If it isn’t a priority, you can hardly expect yourself to set a sleep routine and stick to it. Realize that your sleeping pattern is one of the most important things you’ll ever work on – it affects how you feel, how you perform at work, and even your weight. Experts say that getting less than 6 hours sleep can be as bad as not getting any at all. It can be very dangerous!

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Get Into A Routine
Now you’ve realized how important your sleep actually is, you need to get into a routine with it. So, set yourself a bedtime, and set yourself a get up time, and then stick to it. The thing is, most people go to bed and get up at different times every day depending on what they’re doing. However, this is a bad idea as it can get you into bad habits and you can pretty much guarantee that you’re not going to feel great every day. You need to get your body used to falling asleep at a certain time so that you’ll feel tired at the same time every night and want to go to bed. Getting up at the same time every day will do the same thing – but you really need to include weekends. Most people mess up on weekends and this won’t help. If you’re getting enough sleep, then you won’t want to sleep in on weekends anyway. Set a realistic bedtime and get up time for yourself and stick to it every day. Make sure it means you’ll be getting the amount of sleep that you need – some experts say 8, but some people may need a bit more or a bit less.

Make Sure Your Bedroom Is Suited To Sleep
You’re not going to want to sleep or get the quality you deserve if your bedroom isn’t suited to sleep. There are lots of factors that can affect this. For example, the cooler your room and bed is, the more likely you are to drift off. Experts say that your room should be between 60 and 68 degrees. If it’s too hot then you won’t be able to drift off.

Your bedroom should be pitch black so that nothing is disturbing your sleep during the night. You shouldn’t have any light creeping in from anywhere else, so make sure your curtains or blinds can keep the light out properly.

Having your phone in your bedroom can keep you up longer, as it’s too tempting to scroll through and convince yourself that you’re not tired when you are. The light is too stimulating and keeps us awake for longer, too. Waking up and checking your phone first thing can also be an unhealthy habit to get into. The way we start the day has a huge effect on the rest of it, so start it by doing something productive rather than scrolling.

Other electronics in the bedroom can be a problem too. Many people have TVs in the bedroom, but watching TV before bed or in bed are both unhealthy habits to get into. You only want to associate your bedroom with sleep – not with TV. You don’t want any light from the TV disturbing your sleep either. If you can take as many electronics out of the bedroom as possible, that will greatly help you on your quest to better sleep.

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Update Your Bed
Maybe your bed needs to be updated. If you haven’t updated your mattress in a while, now could be the time to look at doing it. Quality mattresses can last maybe ten years, but if you’ve had yours longer than that you’ll need to invest in a new one. Don’t worry if you’re on a budget, as you can find affordable poly foam mattress options that could suit you. Make sure you look at the different mattress types so you know what’s best for your needs. Some people need a mattress that’s slightly firmer while others need one that’s a little softer. It can depend on age, whether you have back issues, the position you sleep in, and more. Going to check out mattresses in person before you buy will help you to test them out and get a feel for what is right for you.

Aside from your mattress, look at your pillows and bed clothes. Your pillows should be as important as your mattress, as they support your neck and spine. Sleeping with too many of them can be a problem, as can sleeping with too few of them. Silk pillowcases can help you to move around more freely and avoid pulling on the face, which can make for an uncomfortable sleep. There are lots of different fabrics out there that can be found in bedclothes form. You want something that isn’t going to irritate your skin, so make sure you look for something a little higher quality. Your duvet is another important factor in making up your bed, as if it’s too warm you won’t sleep and if it’s too thin you won’t either. It will depend on the temperature of your room and whereabouts you live. Many people like to have one thin quilt and one medium quilt that they can then put together to make a thicker quilt so they have something for all temperatures.

Consider The Position You Sleep In
The position you sleep in can actually affect your sleep more than you know. Experts claim that the best position to sleep in is straight on your back, as it’s better for alignment of the back and spine. It also does less pulling on the face, which can cause wrinkles over time. You can train yourself to sleep on your back with determination, but if it doesn’t come naturally to you you’ll need to work hard. Side sleeping can be beneficial for those who have issues with snoring or pregnant ladies, but aside from that it isn’t the best position to sleep in.

Make Sure Your Kids Are Getting Sleep
One thing that will affect your sleep like nothing else is how much your kids are sleeping. If your kids are getting up earlier than you and waking you up, you’re not getting the sleep you need. You’ll end up spending more time sorting out their sleeping pattern than actually sleeping yourself. If you can’t seem to get your kids into a regular sleep routine, no matter their age, there are people who specialize in helping to get kids into routines so that you can finally get the sleep you’ve been missing out on. All you have to do is make sure you’re consistent with the method and you should experience success. Many parents claim that it can be a miracle!

Avoid Drinking Before Bed
Drinking alcohol before bed might make you feel sleepy, but you’re not actually getting a high quality sleep. It can mess up your sleeping pattern substantially, even if you feel like you’ve been in bed 8 hours, you’ll wake up feeling rubbish. You can also get into bad habits where you feel like you have to have a drink in order to sleep.

Be Careful With Caffeine
Caffeine is fine in moderation, but too much of it and you could find yourself awake all night. Have a cut off point for caffeine – the earlier you stop drinking it the better. So, have a few cups in the morning/early afternoon and then switch to green tea or something completely free of caffeine.

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Have A Bath Before Bed
A bath before bed will warm you up so that you can cool down substantially and feel sleepier. If you’re feeling too awake, run yourself a relaxing bath with oils, salts, and candles and stay in there for a while. When you get out you should start to feel sleepier.

Use Essential Oils
Essential oils are perfect for getting to sleep. The best way to have them in the bedroom is via a diffuser. Your room will smell amazing and you’ll experience some incredible benefits, including better sleep.

Read Before Bed
Reading before bed can help us to feel sleepy, but you shouldn’t read anything too stimulating, or you might stay up reading rather than drifting off. Some people say it’s best to read something you wouldn’t usually read, like a history book.

Are you ready to overhaul your sleeping pattern forever?