I’m a sleep expert, don’t throw out your limp pillow, you can revive them instantly with a 90p tennis ball hack
WE’VE all been guilty of holding on to a limp pillow, but before you chuck them out read this as you could save them for less than £1.
The team at Piglet in Bed have shared an affordable tip to save you from buying new pillows every few months.
Rhiannon Masters, interior designer and Head of Brand at Piglet in Bed says, “This trick is super simple and affordable and might just transform your sleep.
“All you need is a tennis ball and a sock – that’s it.
“You can purchase a tennis ball for as little as 90p.
“Once you have that, insert it into any old tube sock and tie the top in a knot. All you have to do then is throw it into your tumble dryer along with any sad-looking pillows and pop it on your normal cycle at medium heat.
“The ball will bounce inside the drum and essentially beat out the lumps in your pillow, returning them to their former, fluffy glory.”
Rhiannon has also shared some additional tips on extending the life of your pillows, which you can read below.
Fluff them daily by hand
“To keep your pillows looking and feeling as close to hotel quality as possible, you should be fluffing them every day.
“Whilst this sounds like an additional job, it needn’t be as you can incorporate it into your morning bed-making routine.”
“Simply hold both sides of your pillow and alternate between compressing and decompressing it, making sure to flip it over and repeat on the other side.
“Do this for around 30 seconds to give your pillows their bounce back.”
Rotate them regularly
Bedtime tips for mums
IF YOU'RE fed up with your toddler refusing to go to bed, then keep reading.
A child health expert has revealed the five steps you need to take to calm your kid down for a good night’s sleep.
Dr Kaylene Henderson spoke to Nine Honey about what to do if your toddler just won’t seem to settle for the night.
Each child is different and needs a different amount of sleep depending on their age, but these easy steps can make the evenings a little easier for parents.
Just like adults, children need enough time to wind down before being put to bed.
One step to take is to ensure they have enough time to properly wind down after a busy day.
The expert recommends one to two hours to transition toddlers into bed time.
And it’s just as important that parents take the time to wind down and be more present to help toddlers feel calmer.
Dr Henderson explains: “Our children are like barometers of household tension after all.
“If we want our children to wind down, we need to make an effort to switch off – from our phones, our work emails and from the many other sources or distraction competing for our attention.”
We’ve all been told to turn our screens off before going to bed because the blue light stops our brains from producing melatonin, our body’s sleep hormone.
So the expert suggests turning it off 60 to 90 minutes before bed to ensure children get a good night’s sleep.
Music and meditation can also help get your child into the land of nod claims the expert.
She adds that slow-paced music, of around 60 beats per minute, can help their breath, heart rate, brain waves, and relax their muscles.
“There are also lovely guided meditations developed specifically to help young children to get to sleep at night.
“Headspace for Kids dedicated section on sleep that is customised to three age groups: five and under, six to eight and nine to 12 – and you can try it for free,” she adds.
Finally, Dr Henderson recommends sticking to a nightly routine every night to help your toddler drift off easily.
When children know what to expect every night they find it easier to relax, and of course, fall asleep.
One of the best ways to do this is with a bedtime story.
She adds: “Remember, the goal is to transition our little ones towards sleep, so bedtime stories tend to be the perfect tool, in the perfect place.”
“If you sleep with multiple pillows on your bed, then rotating which you sleep on, and which side of the pillow you sleep on is a good way to keep them fluffier for longer.
“Doing this a couple of times a month will help to distribute the weight placed on them, which in turn will minimise the damage to the filling and expand their lifespan.”