Expert swears by the 'three 15s' method to help you sleep better at night
He's shared how to combat those winter blues and sleepless nights...
We all love a good night's sleep but unfortunately, for some of us, it can be a whole lot harder than simply shutting your eyes and resting your head on a pillow.
But, luckily for us, one expert has shared a nifty little trick that will help any restless sleepers out there get a better snooze in after a long day.
Sleep specialist and clinical psychologist Dr Michael Breus, known as the 'Sleep Doctor', has dedicated his career to helping others get a good kip in, and he swears by the 'three 15s' method to do so.
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Over the years, the 'Sleep Doctor' has shared a whole host of tips, tricks and hacks, including on his TikTok page (@thesleepdoctor), where he’s all about 'improving health through the revitalising power of sleep'.
However, what many people won't know is that preparing for a good night's rest isn't just down to what you do the few hours before getting into bed, and is actually massively down to what you do first thing in the morning.
Speaking about the idea on the Today show earlier this year, Michael explained: "So it's interesting during the winter months, there's a couple of things that can happen specifically to sleep.
"One thing we know of is something called seasonal affective disorder."
Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is sometimes known as 'winter blues' because the symptoms are usually more apparent and more severe during the chillier months as there's not as much light.
"Because we don't have as much light, our circadian rhythms can be a bit off," Michael continues. "And that can pose a problem."
The expert informs that people 'need to get sunlight in the morning time' before adding: "People don't know it, but vitamin D is a circadian pacemaker.
"So being outside in the sun, [you] only need about 15 minutes, believe it or not, that actually helps with your sleep."
He went on: "I know it sounds strange doing something in the morning time that's going to be helpful for sleep but, trust me, if you start to prepare for sleep at the beginning of your day, you're gonna have a great night."
Michael then explained his routine, that works on both kids and adults, he calls the 'three 15s' method.
The first stage is taking '15 deep breaths' as this wakes up your respiratory system.
Next up, drinking '15 ounces of water' - not caffeine - as sleep is a 'dehydrating event' which sees humans lose 'almost a full litre' when we're getting some shut-eye.
And last but by no means least is '15 minutes of sunshine'.
"So what I have people do in the morning time is maybe go over to the window if it's a little too cold to be outside, but if you can be outside, that's going to be the best," Michael concluded.
Guess you really do learn something new everyday.
Rhiannon Ingle