It’s an all too common problem. You do your best to climb into bed at a respectable hour and get a good night’s sleep. We all know that eight hours is the optimum – every parent, doctor and school teacher will tell you the same. So when you hit the somnolent sweet-spot and bag that 480 minutes of sleep, you expect to wake feel refreshed.

So why is it that many people don’t, and what can you do about it?

In a recent survey, just 1 in 10 people said they woke up feeling fully recuperated in the morning. And 1 in 3 people aged between 35 and 40 claimed they struggle to get ‘enough’ sleep to feel like they’re firing on all cylinders.

Poor sleep hygiene could be to blame.

On average, it takes between 10 and 20 minutes for most people to fall asleep. Any longer and you’re probably drinking too much caffeine in the day or suffering from stress. Any less and you most likely need to head to bed earlier!

The morning grogginess many of us feel when we wake can take up to four hours to fade and it’s made worse if you didn’t sleep soundly.

If your sleep hygiene routine could do with a reboot, you may find yourself afflicted by:

  • Forgetfulness
  • Fatigue
  • Low mood
  • Stress
  • Inability to focus

And subsequently could find yourself at risk of:

  • Heart disease
  • Respiratory disorders
  • Weight gain

So how can you improve your sleep hygiene routine and wake up feeling rejuvenated and ready for your day? Try these four easy hacks.

Light up your life

Make sure you spend sufficient time outside, in natural light during the day. Exposing yourself to sunlight helps to strengthen your sleep-wake cycle, letting your brain and body know when it’s time to be awake and time to be asleep.

Create a new habit

Get into the swing of going to bed at the same time every day. Set a bedtime reminder on your phone, or download an app which will tell you it’s time to hit the hay. And stick to it.

Steer clear of screens

Switch off your laptop, put down your phone and avoid backlit devices before bed. Ideally you need to give your brain a break for an hour before closing your eyes. Read a book by all means, but don’t give in to gadgets – that blue light messes with your sleep-wake cycle.

Breathe into it

Is your bedroom adequately ventilated? Ensure you’ve enough oxygen in your bloodstream to guarantee a good night’s sleep. Top up your O2 levels as you near the end of your day with a spritz of supplemental oxygen, like ClearO2.