What makes you sleep well?

“Early sleep and early wake up makes no regrets,” says neurologist Raminta Masaitienė, referring to a well-known Lithuanian proverb. She has been specializing in sleep and its disorders for more than 15 years and now is here to show you how to sleep well, saving both time and... calories.

IKEA co-workers are also participating in the good sleep experiment this September and October. They will soon share which IKEA products have helped them improve the night‘s rest.

Erika Jarmolovska
IKEA Customer Relations co-worker

“There are many beautiful bedlinens, but the material of the NATTJASMIN sheets and covers pleased me the most. It’s even hard to describe in words how fun and enjoyable it is to lie in bed when the bedding is so soft. Since I have skin allergies, some fabrics are just not for me. I was glad to try this bedlinen and to let my skin rest peacefully during the night.”

Karolina Pliaugaitė
IKEA Food & Beverages co-worker

“I recommend the SMÅSPORRE duvet for those who always feel chilly and are looking for faster ways to warm up before bed. Just cover yourself and feel the warmth filling your body.”

Ugnė Gabrėnaitė
IKEA Stock counter

“At last, I feel like I’ve discovered a perfect pillow for me. I like to sleep both on my back and on my side, and the GRÖNAMARANT pillow meets my needs in both cases. I get up well rested and no longer have a sore neck in the morning.”

Ona Adamavičiūtė
IKEA Sales co-worker

“The KLUBBSPORRE ergonomic pillow adapts incredibly well to the shape of the head and maintains the right temperature, so it is not too hot to sleep and there is no need to turn it over during the night. This pillow has made a remarkable change on my sleep quality. With the pillow that allows me to find a comfortable position, it is much easier to fall asleep.”

Vytautas Gadliauskas
IKEA Security co-worker

“ROSENVIAL pillow protector gives a pleasant cooling sensation, which is important in both winter and summer. Already after the first test, I woke up without getting sweaty at all. The second night, my child ‘stole’ the protector and I haven’t got it back yet. The GRUSNARV mattress protector was also very useful. It saved me when I accidentally spilled the coffee that I was bringing to my wife in our bed.”

Loreta Želvienė
IKEA Stock counter

“The FJÄLLHAVRE duvet looks very thin at first glance, but is actually warm. I recommend it to everyone who likes to sleep warm, but does not want to feel the weight of the duvet.”

The golden rule
Apply the golden rule of three-thirds to your sleep: divide your day evenly into 8 hours for sleep, 8 hours for work and 8 hours for rest. “If at least one third suffers, unfortunately others will suffer too,” says the doctor Raminta Masaitienė. According to her, a person with poor sleep is less able to work and does not have the energy for quality rest. Equally, if you work too hard and suffer the lack of rest, it is impossible to sleep well. Therefore, the doctor advises to sleep for at least 7 to 9 hours.

Less sleep, more calories
The doctor says that even one lost hour of sleep can affect your body. It will take four well-slept nights to get this one hour back. Scientific studies also show that when there is a lack of sleep, a person consumes an average of 200 kcal more the next day than a well-rested one. So, if you don't want your body to crave for sweets or an extra portion of food, try to have enough sleep.

Sleeping like a log isn't a must
Some people think that quality sleep is when you fall like a log and open your eyes only at dawn. But in reality it is absolutely normal to wake up 5 times at night. When we are young, we usually don't event notice it. “The older you are, the more times you can wake up at night and the longer it takes for you to fall asleep. This makes you feel and remember every awakening. But there is no need to worry about that. Take it with calm, because when you get upset, your body releases stress hormones and it becomes even harder to fall asleep,” advises the sleep expert.

“Research shows that if we woke up at the same time every morning and had enough sleep (7 to 9 hours) at night, we would eventually gain even more time. When we are refreshed and well rested, we can do more, act faster, better and make less mistakes. The time spent sleeping pays off, saving us more time that we would otherwise spend to fix our mistakes.”

Raminta Masaitienė, neurologist

Tips for better sleep
1. Create your bedtime rituals: take a shower, have a light snack, etc. You've read it right, it is not recommended to go to bed when you are hungry as a hunter. Bananas, ripened cheese, cottage cheese, milk and turkey are the products that can help you fall asleep. However, it should be a small bite rather than a large portion of food.
2. Get more light during the day. To fall asleep more quickly, you need to get enough light during the day. Go outside every day, especially if you are older, since the natural sunlight helps to release more melatonin hormone at night. Reduce light in the evening as much as possible and avoid any sources of it during the night using the blackout curtains.
3. Warm up the body, cool down the room. It is much harder to fall asleep when you feel chilly. Warm up by taking a bath, drinking a cup of tea, putting a heater or a pair of socks on your feet. Your bedroom, on the contrary, should stay cool, ventilated and unlit. A TV, a phone and other devices that emit blue light will scatter the dreams.
4. No caffeine, smoking or alcohol before going to bed. 3 to 4 hours before going to bed, you should not smoke or consume alcohol and caffeinated beverages such as coffee, coke or black tea. It is wrong to believe that alcohol helps to fall asleep. Yes, it makes you feel sleepy at first, but you will wake up in a few hours, since the alcohol metabolism products have an irritating effect that distorts the architecture of sleep.