GET A 'WELL' GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

Well Pharmacy shares top 10 ways to get yourself settled for a better night’s sleep on World Sleep Day 2021

TODAY (Friday 19th March) is World Sleep Day and Well Pharmacy, the UK’s largest independent pharmacy, is sharing top tips on how to improve the quantity and quality of sleep.

Whether it’s down to working from home, excessive screen time, isolation or quarantine, our normal routine has been flipped on its head in recent months. Your local pharmacy is perfectly placed in the heart of the community to offer expert advice and treatment options to people who need better-quality sleep.

As more adults report they are getting less than five hours sleep per night with nearly a third blaming stress, work and distractions from life contributing to their sleeplessness, a Pharmacist from Well, Ellis Nugent shares how you can prepare your body for a good amount of sleep each night.

Top 10 tips to help improve quantity and quality of sleep:

1.     Create a sleep schedule with a fixed wake-up and wind-down time.

2.     Shower and get dressed, even if you aren’t leaving the house.

3.     Limit fatty or sugary foods, and always eat meals at the same time each day.

4.     Avoid bringing a laptop, phone or TV into the bedroom to watch a film or series.

5.     Change your sheets, fluff your pillows, create a comfortable setting.

6.     Spend time outside in natural light as much as you can.

7.     Open windows and blinds to let light and fresh air into your home.

8.     If you can maintain social distancing, try walking regularly. Or online exercise classes.

9.     Be cautious with alcohol and caffeine, both can disrupt the quantity and quality of sleep.

For our tenth suggestion however, we acknowledge it might be necessary to try sleep aids temporarily if all other approaches have been unsuccessful.

Ellis Nugent, Pharmacist from Well Pharmacy said:

“Adults need an average of between seven and nine hours of sleep a night. Disruption to daily life can cause anxiety and worry, so getting a good night’s sleep in these challenging times can seem impossible for some.

“With sleep disruption increasingly common during these turbulent times, there are many different types of sleeping aid that can help to break that cycle of sleepless nights and provide temporary relief.

“Our Well Pharmaceuticals Max Strength Sleep Aid Tablets (priced at just £4.99) contain the active ingredient diphenhydramine hydrochloride, which will help reduce alertness and send you off into the first stages of sleep. We will be able to talk to you about whether this is a suitable for you.

“If you’ve already tried changing your sleeping habits and sleepless nights are affecting your daily life, please speak to your local Pharmacist or GP who can help you.”

Ends

Editors notes

Well Pharmacy is the UK's largest independent pharmacy chain.