I am sooo guilty of being a social media addict. Obviously, it's a huge part of what I do, so I have an excuse, but I have been trying my best to stay away from it all as much as possible. Too much screen time isn't good and it has many downsides which affect the quality of our life, but most importantly - the quality of our sleep.
I was kindly sent a lovely selection of bedtime treats by Silentnight, who created a fun Interactive Sleep Map to celebrate National Bed Month and encouraged me to switch off in preparation for bedtime, pamper myself, relax and get the best sleep possible. They even sent me some new fluffy pillows to make me feel like I am sleeping on a cloud. Yay!
I know I could probably spend less time on Instagram, as it's my favourite platform and the one I check multiple times a day. It doesn't affect me that much, but you know when you fall down an 'Instagram rabbit hole' and you end up stalking some random person and looking at their photos from 52 weeks ago, praying you don't accidentally press the like button. LOOOOL!!!! Yep, we've all been there, right? Same with YouTube... One minute you're watching a channel you're subscribed to and then you end up clicking the recommended videos and all of a suddeden you're watching the most random thing on the planet... Yep... Or the stupid drama clickbait.... Oh.... That;s why I stopped watching YouTube. (I literally only spend max 1h per week on it).
If you think you're not affected by social media, those fun facts might change your mind:
- Snapchat users are the most sleep deprived
- More than half of Instagram users say they wake up in the night to check the platform
-20 per cent of Brits admit to dreaming about social media
-30 per cent of Brits would rate their sleep as bad or very bad
-25 per cent say they only sleep for five hours or less per night
Now... I am not a Snapchat user thankfully, as I find it too time consuming to keep up with everyone. Nor do I watch all Instagram stories from the people I follow. I do occasionally have creepy social media related dreams, but it's part of my job, so that's ok, right? I do not wake up in the middle of the night to check Instagram though, that's just weird!!! I did it a few times when I was breastfeeding in the middle of the night in the early months, but that was to keep myself awake while feeding Mia, not because I had an urge to check social media at 4.00 in the morning, haha.
Despite not being an extreme case, I do feel like an evening detox is often a good idea for me and if I am really tired and a bit sleep deprived, I make an effort to focus on getting a better sleep. Here are some tips that help me relax and unwind in the evening.
1. Hot bath with a bath bomb and essential oils - nothing beats that, right? I am obsessed with hot baths and I can soak for hours, I just keep adding hot water to keep it nice and toasty! Oh yes!
2. Lighting a relaxing candle is a great way to create a peaceful atmosphere and work on all your senses.
3. Instead of caffeinated drinks, switch to herbal tea in the evening, which will definitely improve the quality of your sleep. The Pukka Night Time Tea is one my favourites.
4. Spend extra time on removing your makeup, double cleanse, put on a face mask (or five) and just pamper your skin. Take your time and enjoy it. Learn a few simple face massage moves and work those nourishing oils into the skin.
5. Make sure your bed is comfy and that your sheets and bedding are fresh, so you are actually looking forward to face planting your pillow :)
6. Spray some This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray on your bedding. It's a game changer.
7. You can also massage some relaxing oils onto your wrists and temples to help you drift off to sleep quickly.
8. Most importantly, switch off every single device around you and do not go on social media for at least an hour before bedtime.
Moral of the story? We should really spend less time on social media, if it starts to affect our sleep. Sleep is so, so important! If I don't get my 8 hours, I am a zombie! I love me zzzzzzz's too much!
Check out the Interactive Sleep Map here and let me know, if your sleep has been affected by social media.
Sandra
*sponsored post
