In This Article:
Quick Answers
What temperature for sleeping? 15-19°C (60-67°F). Cooler than most people expect. Your body temperature drops when you sleep, and a cool room helps that happen.
How much sleep do I need? 7-9 hours for adults. But quality matters too - uninterrupted sleep is better than 9 hours of tossing and turning.
How do I fall asleep faster? Same bedtime every night. No screens an hour before bed. Keep it cool and dark. And honestly, a supportive mattress helps more than people realize.
Making Better Sleep Your New Year's Resolution
Sleep is one of the most impactful resolutions you can make, but most people don't think of it that way. They resolve to exercise more, eat better, save money, or be more productive. What they don't realize is that better sleep makes all of those other goals easier to achieve.
Why Sleep Should Be Your First Priority
Sleep affects everything:
- Weight management. Poor sleep disrupts hormones that regulate hunger. You're hungrier and crave carbs and sugar when you're tired.
- Exercise. You can't work out effectively when you're exhausted. Sleep is when your body repairs and builds muscle.
- Productivity. Tired people make more mistakes, have trouble focusing, and take longer to complete tasks.
- Mood and relationships. Sleep deprivation makes you irritable and less patient. Hard to be your best self when you're running on empty.
- Health. Chronic poor sleep increases risk of heart disease, diabetes, and immune problems.
Fix your sleep, and other improvements become easier.
What a Realistic Sleep Resolution Looks Like
Don't just resolve to "sleep better." That's too vague to act on. Instead, pick specific, measurable changes:
Option 1: Fix Your Schedule
Commit to the same bedtime and wake time every day for 30 days, including weekends. This is harder than it sounds but has the biggest impact on sleep quality. Your body learns when to be tired and when to be alert.
Option 2: Create a Wind-Down Routine
No screens for an hour before bed. Read, stretch, take a bath, or just sit quietly. Your brain needs transition time between the day's stimulation and sleep.
Option 3: Upgrade Your Sleep Environment
If your mattress is past its prime, your pillows are flat, or your bedroom is too hot or too bright, fix those things. Environmental factors have a huge effect on sleep quality.
Option 4: Address a Specific Problem
Do you wake up with back pain? Wake up too hot? Have trouble falling asleep? Target your specific issue rather than trying to change everything at once.
The January Advantage
January is actually an ideal time to work on sleep:
- The holidays are over. No more late parties, travel, or schedule disruption.
- Motivation is high. New year energy makes it easier to build new habits.
- Dark evenings help. It's easier to wind down early when it gets dark at 5 PM.
- Post-holiday sales. If you need new bedding or a mattress, January often has good deals.
When a New Mattress Is the Resolution
Sometimes better sleep requires better equipment. Signs your mattress needs replacing:
- It's more than 7-10 years old
- You can see or feel sagging
- You wake up stiff or sore
- You sleep better almost anywhere else
- You've gained or lost significant weight since buying it
A new mattress is an investment you'll use every night for years. If yours isn't working, replacing it will do more for your sleep than any habit change.
Small Steps That Add Up
If a major overhaul feels overwhelming, start small:
- Week 1: Set a consistent wake time and stick to it.
- Week 2: Add a 30-minute screen-free window before bed.
- Week 3: Make your bedroom darker and cooler.
- Week 4: Replace your pillow if it's flat or unsupportive.
Each small improvement builds on the last. By February, your sleep looks very different from December.
Tracking Progress
Keep a simple sleep log for the first month. Note:
- What time you went to bed
- What time you woke up
- How rested you felt (1-10 scale)
- Any disruptions
This helps you see patterns and progress. It also keeps you accountable to your resolution.
Common Pitfalls
What derails sleep resolutions:
- Weekend exceptions. "I'll sleep in on Saturdays" undoes weeknight progress. Consistency matters seven days a week.
- Giving up too soon. It takes 2-3 weeks for a new sleep schedule to feel natural. The first week is the hardest.
- All-or-nothing thinking. One bad night doesn't ruin everything. Get back on track the next day.
- Ignoring the environment. Habit changes can only do so much if your mattress is terrible or your room is too hot.
Getting Started
Pick one change and commit to it for 30 days. That's it. Make it specific, make it measurable, and give yourself time to see results.
If you're in Brantford and want to start with better sleep equipment, come see us. We can help you figure out what would make the biggest difference for your situation, whether that's a new pillow, better sheets, or a mattress upgrade.
Here's to a well-rested year.
Mattress Miracle is at 441½ West Street, Brantford. Open Monday through Saturday.