As a parent, you don’t tend to get a great deal of sleep. But when you do have the chance to get a bit of shut-eye, you want to take it.
So why then is it that you often find yourself staring at the ceiling even though you’re exhausted? Unfortunately, that’s life, but there might be something you can do to tackle the problem.
A recent survey by Slumberdown – involving 2,000 adults – has revealed the things that are most likely to help you sleep in the hope of helping that 87 per cent of adults who struggle to wind down.
The top factor to helping you drift off is a dark room. This was followed by a freshly made bed and luxury bedding. The top five best things to get you to sleep was finished off with a book and a big meal.
Other things that might send you off to the land of nod include a hot water bottle, the sound of rain, the smell of lavender and a cuddle.
Check out the full list below…
- A dark room
- A freshly made bed
- Luxury bedding
- Reading a book
- A large meal
- A cuddle
- A hot bath
- A fleecy blanket
- A hot water bottle
- The sound of a TV show in the background
- The sound of rain
- Your hair/arm/back being stroked
- Watching a long film
- A warm office
- Sitting on a train
- Sitting in a car
- Smell of lavender
- Work meetings
- A ticking clock
- A cat purring
- Political party broadcasts
- Classic music
- Cricket
- Powerpoint presentations
- Reality TV
- A burning candle*
- Golf
- Camomile tea
- Snooker
- Herbal tea
- A Star Wars film
- Formula One
- College or university lectures
- An episode of Downton Abbey
- Match of the Day
- Question Time
- A long game of Monopoly
- The shipping forecast on Radio 4
- Shopping channels
- The Antiques Roadshow
- A Lord of the Rings film
- Revising for an exam
- Prime Minister’s Questions
- Horse racing on the TV
- Final Score/Soccer Saturday
- Whale music
- Newsnight
- Reading with a child/listening to a child read
- Incense*
- Writing an essay
* We wouldn’t recommend doing these for safety reasons.
We recently put together the best sleeping tips from the blogging mums around Ireland. Their advice included following your baby’s lead and sticking to a routine. (Check out more HERE).


