Tossing and turning? 5 sleep “saboteurs” and how to fix them

We’ve all been there: tossing and turning at 3am as sleep becomes increasingly elusive. More than half of Singaporeans polled in a 2024 survey said they sleep six hours or less on a typical night, and the culprit isn’t always obvious.

That’s where SLEEPLAB comes in. Metro Paragon’s 10,000 sq ft retail concept brings together the usual suspects — think mattresses, pillows and bedlinen — with everything from scents and skincare to sleepwear, lighting, supplements and wearables.

Each selection tackles the many little things that can add up to a restless night, starting with that racing mind of yours.

Your brain won’t switch off

You knock off at 6pm, but your brain doesn’t get the memo, replaying the day or bracing for the one ahead. You reach for your phone to distract yourself, only to feel even more overstimulated. Your body is tired, but your brain refuses to follow suit.

Our brains may not come with an “off switch”, but a wind-down routine comes close, signalling that the day is done. While social media may feel like a way to decompress, research suggests that engaging the five senses and drawing your attention to the present may better prepare you for rest.

So sip some chamomile tea, apply a cool sheet mask or slowly massage moisturiser into your skin. At SLEEPLAB, you’ll find everything from sleep supplements to skincare regimes to help turn these small rituals into a nightly routine.

Your bedroom is keeping you awake

There’s a reason workplaces favour bright, cool lighting while spas keep things warm and dim. As bedtime approaches, switch to dim, warm-toned light around 2200K to 2700K, which is less likely to interfere with your body’s melatonin production. And no, you don’t have to overhaul your ceiling lights. A small table lamp, like the cute portable ones from renowned Korean brand Lumena, can do the job just as well.

Scent can provide another sensory cue. Lavender, sandalwood and bergamot are popular picks for creating a more relaxing atmosphere, whether in a candle, diffuser or pillow spray. The trick is consistency: save your chosen scent for bedtime, and over time, your brain will grow to associate that familiar whiff with rest and relaxation.

You feel too warm to sleep

Ever noticed how much easier it is to drift off in colder climates? As bedtime approaches, your core body temperature naturally dips, which is why sleep experts recommend keeping the bedroom between 15°C and 19°C.

Cranking the air-con that low isn’t exactly realistic in Singapore, but your bed can pick up the slack. Look for mattresses and pillows made with breathable materials such as natural latex, or gel and copper infusions that help dissipate heat.

For sheets, consider cool-to-the-touch Tencel or breathable cotton and linen. Thread count, weave and fabric weight can affect heat retention too, making SLEEPLAB’s wide range handy for comparison.

Don’t forget what you wear to bed either. Lightweight, breathable sleepwear, like the cotton pyjama sets from Korean lifestyle brand JAJU, keeps you cool without compromising on style.

You just can’t get comfortable

If you struggle to settle into a comfortable position, your mattress might simply not suit the way you sleep. Add a partner to the equation and things get trickier: both parties have to compromise on their preferences, and every toss and turn risks becoming a wake-up call.

The good news is that sharing a bed doesn’t necessarily mean meeting in the middle. At SLEEPLAB, French heritage mattress maker Treca offers plenty of room for customisation, while Korean brand Casamia’s Materasso Heritage collection uses 1.7 times more pocket springs than the norm to minimise motion transfer.

Your pillow deserves just as much consideration. Rather than endless fluffing and flipping that doesn’t feel quite right, try an ergonomic option or head to SLEEPLAB’s pillow bar, where a wide variety of pillows can be matched to your head, neck and shoulder measurements, as well as your body frame.

You can fall asleep, but you can’t stay asleep

So you’ve successfully lulled yourself to dreamland, only to wake every couple of hours and emerge the next morning feeling like you barely slept. What gives?

A sleep tracker can offer some clues, recording not just when you fall asleep, how often you wake and how long you sleep, but also estimates of your sleep stages and physiological signals. Over time, these insights can help you spot patterns and “troubleshoot” accordingly.

Notice that you sleep more poorly after a late workout? Try taking it easy in the evening. Suspect your pet’s nocturnal adventures are waking you up? A noise machine can help mask the sounds of their slurps and paw-steps.

And if you keep waking with a stuffy nose, don’t be too quick to blame the air-con; it could be the dust mites and other allergens hiding in your bedding. Consider bedding from Korean brand Allerman, whose Allergy X-Cover technology uses an ultra-fine weave designed to keep common irritants at bay, giving sensitive sleepers one less disruption to contend with.

It may take a little trial and error to figure out what works for you, but with SLEEPLAB to help you experiment, you might just spend a little less time watching the clock at 3am.

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