Most people know that sleep is really important, literally affecting every aspect of life and health. Despite this knowledge, many don’t prioritize sleep and take the steps they need to ensure that they’re getting enough quality sleep. Here are some top tips for getting a good night’s rest.
Time in bed. Make sure you are setting yourself up for success by being in bed for 7 to 9 hours per night. In other words, you can’t sleep for 8 hours if you’re only in bed for 6.
Routine. Work on going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. This includes weekends, which is when many people stay up and sleep later. This actually leads to something called “social jetlag”, which can throw off your circadian rhythms. No wonder Mondays really stink for some people.
Be active. Being physically and mentally active during the day can help you sleep better at night. In general, regular exercise improves sleep quality; however, some may find that intense exercise close to bedtime may have a negative effect on sleep, which can be the result of increased core temperature and/or nervous system activity.
Block blue light in the evening. Arguably one of the biggest factors disrupting circadian rhythms in today’s society is our exposure to blue light, which is ubiquitous in the forms of fluorescent lightbulbs, cell phones, tablets, computer monitors, TV screens, and more. Blue light suppresses melatonin production, delaying feelings of sleepiness and the onset of our nighttime cycle, disrupting circadian rhythms and sleep. Try the following strategies 2 to 3 hours before bed:
- Avoid TV and computer screens
- Use the app f.lux if you must use your computer
- Use a similar app if you must use your smartphone (i.e., Night Shift for iPhones)
- Dim your lights
- Use amber-tinted light bulbs
- Wear amber-tinted glasses
Bright outdoor light in the morning. On the other side of the coin, getting sunlight exposure first thing the morning can have a substantial effect on setting your circadian clock and help you feel more awake during the day. In fact, a lack of sunlight exposure may be even more to blame for circadian disturbances than excess artificial blue light exposure at night.
Blackout your room. At night, make your room as dark as possible, using dark curtains and removing all sources of artificial light.
Chill out. The ideal bedroom temperature range, between 60 and 67 degrees, can help your body naturally cool, which helps facilitate sleep.
Watch what you drink. Research shows that drinking caffeine-containing beverages even 6 hours before bedtime can have important disruptive effects on sleep. Thus, it’s best to cut off caffeine more than 6 hours before bedtime. And while alcohol may help you fall asleep, it disrupts sleep quality and reduces REM sleep in a dose-dependent manner. In other words, the more you drink, the worse you sleep.
Watch what you eat. Obviously, you don’t want to go to bed too hungry or too full. Generally speaking, it’s best to avoid large mixed meals within a couple hours of bedtime. If you need to eat something after that, a small, healthy snack (~150 calories), such as a protein shake, a piece of fruit, or a handful of nuts, can be beneficial for weight management, appetite control, and body composition.
Take a dump. A “brain dump” that is. If you’re the type of person whose wheels start turning uncontrollable as soon as your head hits the pillow, have a notepad handy on your nightstand. Write down ideas, important thoughts, etc. This can help quiet your mind, and you can also take an honest look to see if there’s anything that you HAVE to do at that very moment.
Re-source: Remedy
Relieve Common impediments to sleep with some of these simple remedies
Overstimulation, often by drugs ingested earlier.
- Sedatives depress function in the central nervous system, are addictive, and all suppress rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, the phase of sleep in which dreaming occurs.
- Dreaming is necessary for the health and well-being of the brain and mind; if you are not doing it, you are not getting quality sleep, even though the quantity appears sufficient.
If you cannot sleep because of noise a simple solution is to use a device that produces restful sound.
- White noise contains a mixture of many different frequencies of sound waves. It is soothing and masks offending sounds.
With regards physical discomfort such as aches and pains.
- Try a new mattress that suits the firmness your need
- Have a session or two of adjustment from an osteopathic physician who specializes in manipulation (or from a good chiropractor)
- Relax in a warm bath before bed.
IF you cannot turn off their minds
- Try reading yourself to sleep to help distract you from pointless rumination.
- Meditations and simple breathing exercises help because focusing attention on breathing is an effective way to withdraw attention from thoughts.
Get out of the mind by attending to the body by tensing and relaxing groups of muscles. Here is a simple exercise that may help you get to sleep when your mind is racing:
- Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, close your eyes, and take five deep, slow breaths. Then squeeze your eyes shut and tense the muscles of your forehead for a few seconds. Relax for a few seconds. Then tense the muscles of you face and relax in the same way, then the chin and neck muscles, and so on, going down the arms and front of the body until you flex the feet and toes. Then go back to the head, pressing it against the bed for a few seconds and relaxing, and proceed down the back of the body, again reaching the feet, this time extending them. Finally, relax completely and take five deep, slow breaths. The whole exercise will take no more than a few minutes. It is an efficient relaxation technique, especially useful when mental turmoil threatens to keep you from falling asleep.
craving from “Change That Up” (changethatup.com)
resource from “Spontaneous Healing” by Andrew Weil