Cold weather comes with pros and cons when it comes to maintaining the quality of your sleep. Cooler temperatures help you sleep better, but you also face the hurdles of colds, dry air, and lethargy.
If you are waking up feeling like you haven’t gotten a full night’s rest, we have five tips to help you get a lovely night’s rest every night.

1. Get some sunlight.
   Natural light can be harder to come by during the winter. Aside from this, the weather makes it more comfortable to stay indoors most of the time, so it will require some effort to get ample sunlight while it is available in the day.
   Take advantage of daylight hours and soak up the sun as much as you can. It may be quite the challenge to step outside, but the much needed vitamin D and the mood-boosting effects of the winter sun make the work worth it. Take a walk, or if you don’t quite feel up to that, stay by your window and appreciate the view. And don’t forget to wear sunscreen, of course.
2. Keep the air moist.
   If you begin to feel your throat get scratchy or your skin get irritated easily, the culprit could be the dry air in your environment. Moisten your air at home and the office with a humidifier. Turn it on even while you sleep to prevent coughing and nosebleeds. Staying hydrated also helps.
   There are a couple clever alternative ways to add moisture to your home in case you don’t have a humidifier on hand. One is to steam clothes rather than ironing them. You hit two birds with one stone because it removes wrinkles from your clothes and adds moisture to the air. If your housemates approve, you may also leave the bathroom door open while you shower to distribute steam to the rest of the house.
3. Take care of your immune system.
   Help your body keep its guard up against illnesses by regularly taking your vitamins and supplements in addition to maintaining a balanced diet.
   Allow Yourself recommends gluten-free supplements from The Good Vitamin to build up your immunity. The vegetarian-friendly brand’s Day & Night Fizzy Duo lets you get energy in the day and good sleep at night, for example. Harker Herbals also has remedies such as Elderberry + Vitamin C + Zinc to strengthen the immune system and Sleep Well to improve sleep.
   
   
   

   

   
   
   
   
4. Add physical activity to your day.
   We empathize with the struggle to exercise when the weather feels like it’s inviting you to take a nap instead. However, staying physically active can help you rest better at night.
   Keep it fun—go skiing with your family one weekend or go ice skating with your loved ones to add some excitement to the day. If you’re feeling indoorsy, there are plenty of exercise videos online to walk you through some cardio workouts that you can do by yourself or with others.
   You may find that doing these activities with the people you love makes it much more enjoyable and even more memorable.
5. Maintain a cool (but not cold) temperature when you sleep.
   Cooler temperatures facilitate sleep, but be careful not to keep the temperature of your home too cold. Sleep Foundation recommends keeping the temperature at 15.6 to 20 degrees Celsius for optimal comfort.
   For an extra spritz of calmness when you go to bed, we recommend Volo Wellbeing’s Natural Sleep Support oral spray to relax and BeYou’s vegan Sleep Pillow Mist to spray on your pillow and be led to a peaceful slumber by its essential oils.
   
   
   

   
   
   
   

Browse www.allowyourself.co.nz for all the best sleep products and more.