WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT SLEEP

I always say that I can't sleep without a glass of wine that ‘takes the edge off the day’. A good friend is cozily dependent on a small French pill that gives her a nudge towards sleep. Sleeping well remains a tricky thing for us busy women, but I sniffed around the wonderful worldwide web and found 10 useful tips.

I know it, before you go to sleep you quickly check your Facebook and of course your Instagram, and I always read the newly arrived emails.

We know ourselves that this isn't good. Firstly, it makes you restless in your head, and secondly, the light from your laptop or your iPhone keeps you awake.

If your iPhone is next to your bed, it also disrupts your sleep. Even if it’s still, the light signal that a new message gives, reaches you even through your eyelid. The best thing is to put your device in another room during the night. If that's too difficult, then at least set it to airplane mode. Does that make you restless too? Then at least lay it on its belly (so with the screen facing down). Well, are you satisfied?

When you lie on your stomach, it's hard to breathe. Not good for you. And if you turn your head to the side to still get enough fresh air, you twist your spine. If you accidentally turn onto your stomach during your sleep, the University of Pennsylvania (they have done a lot of sleep research there) advises to tie a tennis ball to the front of your pajamas. I think we should skip that, from an aesthetic point of view, for now.

A nightcap might be good to fall asleep, but if you've drunk a lot, you'll have a restless night. You can drink, but then you should taper off towards the night. Sorry, I can't make it any more fun than that.

That your alertness is affected by little sleep is logical. But did you know that short nights can lead to brain damage? And it's not like you can catch up on your weekly sleep deficit over the weekend. Unfortunately.

If you go to bed very early one night and then stay up until the middle of the night finishing your work file the next day, nothing will come of you and your sleep. As boring as this may sound; maintain a regular sleep rhythm and fixed sleep times. Tip: watching Pauw can also help sometimes.

Okay, here comes the mattress check. If it springs when you lie on it, then it’s too soft. Your spine sinks through. If it doesn’t spring at all, then it’s too hard and pulls your spine hollow. Also, consider how old your mattress is. After about ten years, it really needs to be replaced. It costs a fortune, yes, but you sleep well and that’s worth something, right?

When you buy a pillow, ask if you can take it home, because only on your own mattress can you see if you and your pillow are a good match. A soft pillow might seem lovely, but keep in mind that your pillow needs to support the weight of your head. So a bit of firmness is desired.

Sorry, just a suggestive subheading to keep you awake. The fact is that you shouldn't just place a pillow under your head. If you sleep on your back, it's a very good idea to also place a pillow under your knees; that relaxes the back. If you're a side sleeper, it's very good to place a pillow between your knees so that your spine stays straight. Of course, you can also throw your leg over your partner's body. Same effect and a lot cozier.

If you want to snack in the evening, do it as lightly as possible and avoid fatty and spicy bites. Especially MSG is a spice that keeps me tossing and turning for a long time.

Kim Kardashian should read this too (she's quite a satin fan you should know), because satin may be very soft and sexy, it raises your body temperature causing you to wake up quickly. So just sleep in boring cotton. Or naked. That’s fine too.

One more thing. Have you installed that sleep tracker on your phone to map your sleep rhythm? And do you really think that it will help you have a long, restful night? Just close the curtains, open the window, have a good book on your nightstand, and possibly Jeroen Pauw on TV to gently doze off (sorry Jeroen, it’s probably the timing but we sleep wonderfully on you) and then, if possible, don’t set an alarm for the next morning.

Bet it will work?