How to get a great first night’s sleep in your new home
We explore how to relax into your new home and guarantee a better night's sleep after moving day....
Needless to say, moving house is an incredibly stressful process. This tension, in addition to the sudden change in environment, can make it very difficult to drift off at night. However, there are certain measures you can take that will help you adjust to your new home and allow you get to a great night’s sleep in your new home in no time.
Tire yourself out
This feels like an obvious point, but the more strenuous your day is, the more easily you’ll fall asleep come bedtime. Chances are this won’t be a struggle on moving day, after unloading endless boxes. But for the following days, try to keep yourself and your family busy, explore the surrounding areas, redecorate, or install a new piece of furniture. After a good week of doing this, your body will soon have adjusted to your new place of slumber.
Get back to a routine
The chaos of moving is likely to have unsettled your regular routine. As soon as you finish unpacking, try to stick to the daily routine you used to have. Aim to go to bed and eat meals at the same time every night, so your body clock will know when it’s time to sleep.
Make your bedroom comfortable
It helps to make your new settings as cosy and intimate as possible. Paint it a relaxing colour such as a light blue, an earthy green or a neutral beige. Try to do this as early on as possible so that there is no lingering paint smell at bedtime. Also unpack your bedroom furnishings as soon as you can, items such as pillows and photos from your old home can immediately bring a sense of familiarity to your new bedroom and help you relax.
Reduce noise pollution
An obvious factor that could be keeping you up at night is various unfamiliar noises surrounding your new home. Try to prevent this by investing in double glazed windows or thick curtains or blinds. If this is out of your budget, some ear plugs can temporarily do the trick. The same goes for light pollution. For example, if car headlights are filtering through your curtains, buy block out curtains or a reliable eye mask to block it.
Buy a new mattress
Moving home is a great opportunity to invest in a new mattress to increase your comfort. The vast majority of people do not renew their mattresses as often as need be. Dreams suggest a mattress should be replaced every 8 years to keep it hygienic and comfortable. While making this fresh start in your new home, a new mattress could go a long way to help you catch up on missed slumber.
Get to know your neighbours
To become fully established, it might give you some peace of mind to introduce yourself to your new neighbours. Making friends as soon as possible in your new neighbourhood will help you feel more at ease and settle in in no time, therefore helping calm any anxieties and allowing you to sleep easily.
Try certain remedies
If you’re still having trouble sleeping, there are certain remedies to help you relax. For example, a chamomile tea or a long bath could go a long way. There are also certain yoga and breathing exercises to help calm your mind or particular midnight snacks that make you sleepier, for example bananas or cherries.
Although your sleep quality may not be great now, it’s important to remember that this is just a temporary problem which will go away once you’re fully settled.