Are you finding it harder and harder to get out of the bed on these freezing cold mornings? Ever wondered why it is so damn difficult? We sought the help of leading bed experts DesKelly.ie and here are five reasons why you may be struggling.

1. Regulate Your Bedtime All Year Round We are all creatures of habit and routine, if your bedtime routine is disrupted. It affects your whole day. Most of us maybe guilty of getting an earlier night sleep as the evenings grow darker thinking it will make us feel a little more energized in the morning but you would be wrong! According to sleepfoundation.org we naturally feel tired at two different times of the day, 2:00AM and 2:00PM. It is a natural dip in alertness. If your bedtime is earlier than usual the times where you feel most awake and tired are going to change causing you to feel more sluggish and experience low energy.

2. Leave Your Phone Alone We are all guilty of it, endless scrolling through Instagram or Facebook before bed but did you know recent studies have suggested that screen time has a big impact on our sleep. The blue light that is released from our screens disrupts our melatonin production (the natural hormone that we need to help us nod off!) So if you are finding it hard to fall asleep and you are watching an episode of I’m A Celebrity on your phone in bed that maybe your problem. Screen time directly before bed can delay the sleep cycle by up to one hour.

3. Is Your Mattress Making You A Monster? ‘Your mattress fundamentally affects the quality of sleep’ says Greg Kelly, Director of Des Kelly Interiors. There are two things that you must invest in, a good pair of shoes and a good mattress because you spend most your time in either one or the other.’ He adds. Make sure that your mattress is not the reason why you are up all night and struggling with aches and pains during the day. ‘Everyone has a different preference on mattress comfort that’s why we recommend coming into one of our bed showrooms and having a lie down on each mattress before deciding the one for you, it’s not necessarily the thickest or the most expensive that may suit you best. We also recommended you replace your mattress every 7-10 years.

4. Vitamin D-efinitely! We all rely on sunlight to provide us with adequate amounts of Vitamin D but during the Winter months we all lack in this essential vitamin that helps with healthy bones and supports immunity. Research suggests that low Vitamin D may reduce both sleep time and quality. Food sources do not provide enough Vitamin D that everything your body needs. During the Winter months we should be taking a supplement containing 10mcg of Vitamin D.

5. Turning Up The Heat When the temperature drops, we tend to overcompensate by turning up the heat in our home but this may not be the best idea. While it’s important your bedroom is not cold at night the effect of artificial heat can be the reason you experience dehydration in your sleep, sore throats and waking up feeling less than energised. Aim for 16-18 degrees as this is the optimum temperature level to sleep. Leave the heating off and purchase a heavier 13.5 tog value duvet and blankets made from cotton or wool.