Quality sleep translates to feeling energized when you wake up, looking forward to the day positively, ability to maintain healthy social and emotional interactions, good attention, functioning well throughout the day, etc.

On the flipside, if you experience any of the below, these may be indicators of disturbed sleep patterns:

  • You struggle to fall asleep at the start.
  • You do fall asleep but wake up in the middle of the night and struggle to go back to sleep.
  • You sleep ‘well’ all night but don’t feel refreshed and energetic when you wake up.

Disturbed sleep patterns can be associated with mental or emotional stress, physical illness, medication side effects, daily routines, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, excessive or the lack of physical exertion, bed-time habits, bedroom hygiene, and more.

Sleep requirements change from person to person, but indeed it is necessary to maintain six to eight hours of sleep to function well.

Some of the ways we can improve our sleep quality is to practice few bedroom hygiene and personal care methods:

  • Have a neat and organised room
  • Lay down fresh bedsheets
  • Use some light room fragrances/fresheners

There is also one other popular method that has been largely shown to improve quality sleep: Bedtime Meditation. Bedtime mediation is indeed a helpful way to reflect on the day and sign off on a positive note. The energy with which we go to sleep is the energy we wake up with and the energy with which we wake up with carries on through the day too.

Some simple meditation techniques can be:

1. Play music

Play some soothing instrumental music and allow yourself to feel and flow with the music for a while. Once you are comfortable with the music flow. Your mind and body should get aligned with it. Close your eyes, keep your hand on your heart and feel your heartbeats for a while. The experience of reconnecting with yourself will help in boosting confidence.

2. Mindful Breathing

When you are ready to call it a day, find a place to sit or lie down, the latter is preferable for bedtime mediation. Keep your body relaxed and loose and just inhale and exhale for three to five minutes. Feel your breath while you do so. The steady and gradual breathing along with the music should make you feel calmer and any mental weight from the day should seem to shed off. Once you get the hang of it, you may not even realise you fell asleep after this.

3. Gratitude Reflection

Revisit your day and count your blessings through the day. The beauty of counting your blessings is acknowledging them as they shape up. By nature, we are quick to acknowledge anything that bothers us or disturbs us but instead, we can practice acknowledging anything good and positive instead.

You can ask yourself questions about the day to create some positive energy:

  • What made you smile/feel at ease today?
  • Who made your tasks easier to cope with?
  • How has your loved ones supported you through today/this week/particular situation?
  • Who was your silent supporter/cheerleader?
  • What did you learn differently today/this week/this contract?


These are some of the tips that anyone can practice in order to cultivate quality sleep. Of course, there is no one solution that fits all and not everything has to apply to you. Remember, it is about developing your routine that works effectively for you.

If you or someone you know feels that they are struggling with quality sleep due to mental stress or worries, please feel free to schedule a chat with our in-house counsellors, Ms. Harshali Kotekar and Ms. Glenda D’silva.