Hear from our employees

We asked our employees here at Simplyhealth what tips and tricks work for them to help them reach the land of Nod. Here’s what they had to say:

Serena’s top tip is: body balance

I’ve never been a good sleeper and ever since I can remember, I’ve had to rely on white noise to get me to sleep. I had a TV in my bedroom when I was younger and I always fell asleep watching that. I come from a big family too, and the sound of hearing conversations downstairs relaxed me. I don’t like the sound of silence!

Although I feel that I can get by on little sleep, I do things to help tire me out. I’ve found reading helpful, but doing mindful exercises in the evening have made a big difference.

I’ve started doing body balance which is a mixture of Pilates, yoga, tai chi and meditation, and I do this with my youngest daughter. I’ve found it helps me fall asleep quicker and my daughter says it helps her not only fall asleep, but stay asleep. It’s also helped me with my anxiety as it encourages me to make the time to relax and recharge.

Simon’s top tip is: listening to the sound of rain playlists

I’ve recently been distant-learning from home and found it really hard to focus due to my neighbour constantly playing their guitar. I discovered that the sound of rainfall helped me to focus and stop my mind from going elsewhere. I thought, if it helps me to focus, could it help me to sleep?

Listening to playlists of rain and thunderstorms has helped my mind stop thinking about general life, things that happened during the day and in turn, makes it easier for me to nod off. I’ve found that rainforest or woodland noises doesn’t relax me as much, as I end up focusing too much on the sound of nature and that almost keeps me awake, waiting to hear the next chirping of birds.

Other than the sound from the rain playlist, my bedroom has to be completely silent and pitch black in order for me to sleep. I have a new puppy who snores loudly too, so when he is being particularly noisy, the rain playlist helps to me to not focus on the snoring.

Catherine’s top tip is: Having a good routine

Upon returning to work after maternity leave, I realised that – like a baby – having routine and structure to ensure I got a good night’s sleep was so important. Sleeping well affected all areas of my health and wellbeing, including my concentration levels being back at work.

My routine begins by having an early dinner, ideally before 7:30pm. When I go to bed I put my phone on silent and I turn my smartwatch off. When it’s light in the evenings, I like to open the windows and practice meditation looking out to the garden. I also read in the evenings too, but the book can’t be too stimulating. Jane Austen is my fall-back!

I try to avoid alcohol during the week and I have a herbal tea before bed. I like my bedroom to be cool and I don’t have a television in there either. Once I am in bed, if I can’t sleep straight away, I think mindfully about the space I’m in and the comfort I feel, focusing on my breathing, to send me to sleep.