Senses & Sleep: How To Engage The 5 Senses For Great Sleep

According to a survey conducted by Royal Philips, almost half of Singaporeans are dissatisfied with their sleep and some even feel disempowered when it comes to trying to get enough quality sleep, where 34% reported that getting adequate sleep is beyond their control.

Achieving great sleep should not be as difficult as it is made out to be. With the right bedtime routine and healthy sleep hygiene, a peaceful slumber is definitely within the realms of your control! Oftentimes, people may take the quick fix approach to solving sleep problems such as sleeping pills or supplements like melatonin. Even though melatonin has been deemed safe for long-term consumption for up to two years for some adults, it may lead to certain side effects such as headache, short-term feelings of depression, irritability, or daytime drowsiness. Thus, we will be focusing on ways to increase sleep quality in a natural and healthy manner - through your five senses.

Your eyes help make sense of the environment you are in including when it is time to wake up or go to sleep. “Blue light” suppresses melatonin levels in the body and boosts cortisol, keeping you awake and alert. This type of light is most commonly emitted from computer screens and mobile devices. Thus, we recommend limiting screen time at least one hour before bed. You could opt for alternative wind down activities such as reading a book or practicing meditation to help ease yourself into a calming mood.

Even small amounts of light can keep an insomniac awake. Hence, another short-term solution that you could do easily would be to invest in blackout curtains or use a quality eye mask when going to sleep to block out external light for a more restful night. 

For a more drastic change, consider painting and decorating your bedroom with relaxing colors. New research done by the University of Sussex claims that dark blue is the world’s most relaxing color. It is most often associated with a feeling of calm. Other calming colors include, green, grey, and white. 

Contrary to popular belief, it is not sound itself that rouses you awake, but instead the sudden changes in your sound environment. Everyone has different thresholds for the amount of sound they can sleep through, ranging from needing complete silence to constant white noise. 

If you fall into the latter category, consider trying out a white noise machine to help drown out your late-night incessant thoughts. Alternatively, you could listen to music between 50-60 beats per minute (bpm), which is similar to the average resting heart rate of adults. Lucky for you, we have curated a Spotify playlist, Sleep Weavve Us, specifically to help drift you off into dreamland.

However, if you are more sensitive to sounds, a quality pair of earplugs or noise cancelling headphones may help you doze off easier.

Another complementary alternative to drugs such as sedative-hypnotics and antidepressants that have been widely-used in clinical interventions for sleep disorders, is aromatherapy. 

Aromatherapy can be dated back to early Egyptian, Chinese and Roman societies with the purpose of holistic healing and general health improvement. Also known as essential oil therapy, it refers to a range of traditional, alternative, or complementary therapies that use essential oils and other aromatic plant compounds. Not only is this a non-invasive treatment. Studies have shown that sleep quality after aromatherapy was significantly high, as well as resulting in lowered stress, pain, anxiety, fatigue and even depression. Some sleep-inducing scents include lavender, clary sage, rose, and chamomile. Try to avoid “wakeful” scents such as citrus or peppermint. 

On the other hand, you can also experiment with finding a fabric softener you love and wash your sheets with it. However, this may be a little tricky as fabric softeners tend to compromise the quality of your sheets over time. Hence, it is important to check the care guide for your sheets before deciding to wash them with a softener. 

Do you remember the lethargy that came after having a heavy, hearty meal? Everyone’s been there. Thus, it should come as no surprise that your diet not only influences your quality of life but sleep as well. 

According to a study by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, consuming food with higher fiber contents led to more time spent in deep sleep. Whereas, more saturated fat and higher sugar intake was associated with a higher chance of experiencing interrupted sleep. Another study by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) assessed 12 000 participants, which concluded that those with the highest fiber intake had the best sleeping habits. Some delicious foods with high fiber that you can easily stock up include pears, avocado, broccoli, oats and even popcorn! 

If we were to just narrow down to eating habits before bed, it can get a little confusing. Fret not, as we are here to break it down for you. 

As a general rule of thumb, nutritionists recommend waiting about three (3) hours between your last meal and bedtime. This will allow digestion to occur and prevent problems such as heartburn at night and even insomnia. This is especially essential for people who suffer from stomach diseases such as Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). 

However, you may also opt to drink a warm cup of chamomile tea or milk before bed to induce relaxation and release of melatonin. Just refrain from having caffeine before bedtime as it takes around 4 to 6 hours for its effects to wear off. Some people may also recommend lettuce water to induce sleep. But until sufficient evidence is provided, this claim remains to be one of the common sleep myths.

Last but not least, utilizing the power of touch can increase your sleep quality, just like swaddling calms and comforts a baby. Our sense of touch could be categorized into two factors - our surrounding temperature and the textures we feel.

Generally, people tend to sleep better when they feel cool and comfortable. Since we are living in a tropical climate, the temperature for sleeping well could go up to 28 degrees Celsius, but this varies from person to person. This could be easily simulated through turning on the air conditioner or having a thin and lightweight duvet.

Acupuncture and deep pressure stimulation have also been proven to be effective in creating a sense of calm and can help soothe us to sleep. This is because they activate a subset of specialized affective sensory nerves in your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and are processed in areas of the brain involved with the affective parasympathetic nervous system, rather than the discriminatory sympathetic nervous system. This could be simulated through the use of a weighted blanket. 

A bonus would be having comfortable bedding and bed sheets to slip into when you go to bed. This will add on to the overall comfortability of your sleeping environment. However, this is largely dependent on personal preferences - whether crisp or smooth and silky. Here at Weavve, we have options for both types of sleepers. 

So go ahead and try out the different techniques we’ve listed above to find out what works best for you.

A relaxing night is within reach with ultra-comfortable, breathable, and eco-friendly TENCEL™ sheets. Using the best TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers (100% Lenzing TENCEL™) spun into the finest 80s yarn count then woven into 400 thread count fabric, our sheets are guaranteed stronger, smoother, and lighter. Another great thing about them is they are designed with excellent moisture-wicking and temperature-regulating properties so you can count of sweat-free nights all seasons!

Shop TENCEL™ bedsheets Singapore

If you like silky smooth sheets with a luxurious sheen, our 100% cotton sateen sheets make the perfect cut! Starting with extra-long staple cotton fibers, the threads are finer (100 yarn count) and result in a high thread count. Just like TENCEL™, cotton is extremely breathable and is one of the popular cooling sheets. We use single-ply threads and sateen weaving technique to give you more durable, smoother, and lighter sheets.

Shop cotton bedsheets Singapore

Discover our high-quality duvet made from 100% Lenzing TENCEL™ inner filling and outer fabric, making it possibly the first full TENCEL™ Lyocell duvet in Singapore. Whether you want a cooling blanket for hot summer nights or be kept warm on rainy days, this duvet will make you sleep cooler, fresher, and deeper!

Shop TENCEL™ duvets Singapore

To provide you with the most comfort and the best sleeping experience, we took into account every factor when building our weighted blanket - including the filling, covering, and design. Our weighted blankets are frequently misunderstood to be hot. Despite being heavier than standard quilts, the blankets are not overly warm. In fact, a weighted blanket can keep you comfy even if you're sleeping in a space without air conditioning.

Shop weighted blankets Singapore