There’s a reason why sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture. If we don’t get enough zzz’s, it can leave us feeling unmotivated, angry, teary and our brains feeling like mush. Studies suggest that brain function can drop by up to 40% when we are operating on inadequate sleep. So are you getting enough kip?

If you answered yes, you’re very lucky. If you answered no, then you’re not alone. But what can be done to help us get more?

As a clothing brand that specializes in helping women to feel comfortable at night through our ranges of Anti-Flush clothing that stop night sweats and post flush chills in their tracks, we are passionate about sleep. Our customers vouch for that with one Trustpilot reviewer saying recently: ‘Great clothing. It makes such a difference to me. No more terrible night sweats. I can function properly now I am able to sleep again. I would highly recommend Become to everyone. Thank you.' So we did some research about sleep to work out why some people slept better than others and our findings revealed that the secret of sleep boiled down to five key things:

 1) Be consistent

Our bodies are creatures of habit. We can form a ‘sleep habit’ by training our bodies to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.  Don’t just set an alarm for the morning, try setting one at night for thirty minutes before you go to bed to give yourself time to wind down

2) Stay Cool

If you are too hot, your brain feels like its not bedtime. Your nocturnal melatonin levels are triggered by darkness but also by a drop in temperature that tells your brain the sun has gone down and its time to sleep. So if your core temperature doesn’t drop then you’ll never fall asleep.

Our Anti-flush night dresses and our Anti-flush vest tops and midi briefs are designed to keep you cool by drawing heat away from the body as well as wicking away sweat. You can find out more details about how they work on the night dresses section of our website and on the vest tops section of our website.

Anti Flush Night Dress

Anti Flush Vest Top and Midi Briefs

We also suggest having a hot bath before bed. Sounds like madness when you’re already feeling warm, but it it dilates blood vessels on the surface, allowing your body to ditch all extra core warmth.

3) Dim that switch!

The sleep hormone melatonin doesn't just immediately flood your system when you flip the light switch off. It takes time. So dim the lights long before you're ready to hit the sack.

4) Limit coffee and alcohol

Sorry to be a party pooper, but if you drink coffee in the afternoon then be prepared for it to affect your sleep. And decaf isn't really decaf. It actually contains 15 to 30 percent of the caffeine of a regular cup of coffee. So if you drink three or four cups of decaf after dinner, well, don't be surprised if you're staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m.

 And, no, alcohol doesn't help you sleep. What it does is actually more like anesthesia, which is not real recovery sleep. And because it's not the real deal, your brain can't do its memory consolidation work properly and your immune system is not fully functioning

5) If you’re really having trouble sleeping, sleep less.

Work out how much sleep time you get a night. If you're only able to sleep six hours a night, then restrict yourself to five. You may not feel great the next day, but keep with it. The following night, let yourself sleep 5 hours and 15 minutes. Now you might feel even more strange but you will be out that night before your head hits the pillow. So go to 5 hours and 30 minutes ... And as long as you meet your designated quota, incrementally increase the amount of sleep you allow yourself. No naps.  Be prepared to be a zombie for a while but this technique is what doctors recommend for those with chronic insomnia.

Want to talk more about sleep? It’s often discussed in our closed Facebook group, The Chilled Menopause. Click here to join the group and receive lots of menopause support and advice from the group’s members who are all going through the menopause or peri-menopause.