Getting a good night’s sleep could help to boost your natural immunity, and may even help you to lose weight, the NHS said.
You could prevent diabetes, increase your sex drive and even ward off heart disease by getting enough sleep every night.
But, one in three people in the UK admit to having a poor night’s sleep most nights.
You may be struggling to get to sleep because of dead skin cells and dust mites in your bedroom, a sleep expert has claimed.
Skin cells and dust mites may be unknowingly keeping you awake at night.
They increase the risk of asthma, eczema and perennial allergic rhinitis, as well as making you cough and sneeze.
The average lifespan of a mattress is eight years, and during that time it can accumulate more than 10lbs of dead skin cells.
Dust mites may be living in your carpets, and they produce about 20 waste droppings every day. That works out at about 20,000 particles of faeces in every cubic foot of air.
Hygiene expert, Dr Lisa Ackerley explains: “Unwashed carpets can become homes to organisms such as dust mites, which can put some people at greater risk of asthma, eczema and perennial allergic rhinitis caused by allergy to dust mite faecal matter.
“And, even if you don’t have a dust mite allergy yourself, you could be kept awake by your partner coughing from theirs, causing you both to have a poor night’s sleep.
“If you have pets in the bedroom, then there is a chance that fleas may be dropped on your carpet or bedding if they are not up to date with their treatments.
“Flea bites can be itchy and prevent sleep, and also lead to skin infections if people scratch them and break the skin.”
Regularly cleaning your mattress and washing your carpet could help to get rid of dust mites and dead skin cells.
That should help you to get a better night’s sleep, Ackerley said.
Sleeping at regular times will also help you to sleep better, as the brain will be programmed for sleep at certain parts of the day.
Making sure you wind down correctly is crucial. Try having a warm bath or doing relaxation exercises before bed.
