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How to Sleep Better
Influence exposure to ligh
During the day:
- Expose yourself to bright sunlight in the morning.
- Spend more time outside during daylight.
- Let as much natural light into your home or workspace as possible.
At night:
- Avoid bright screens within 1-2 hours of your bedtime.
- Say no to late-night television.
- Don’t read with backlit devices.
- When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark.
- Keep the lights down if you get up during the night.
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Keep in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle
- Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day;
- Avoid sleeping in, even on weekends;
- Limit naps to 15 to 20 minutes in the early afternoon;
- Fight after-dinner drowsiness. If you get sleepy way before your bedtime, get off the couch and do something mildly stimulating.
Melatonin
Is a naturally occurring hormone controlled by light exposure that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
Your brain secretes more melatonin when it’s dark, making you sleepy, and less when it’s light, making you more alert.
However, many aspects of modern life can alter your body’s production of melatonin and shift your circadian rhythm
Effects of exercising on sleep
- People who exercise regularly sleep better at night and feel less sleepy during the day.
- The more vigorously you exercise, the more powerful the sleep benefits. But even light exercise improves sleep quality.
- It can take several months of regular activity before you experience the full sleep-promoting effects.
- Try to finish moderate to vigorous workouts at least three hours before bedtime.
Be smart about what you eat and drink
- Limit caffeine and nicotine.
- Avoid big meals at night (within 2 hours of bed).
- Avoid alcohol before bed.
- Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening.
- Cut back on sugary foods and refined carbs.
Nighttime snacks help you sleep
If you need a bedtime snack, try:
- Half of a turkey sandwich
- A small bowl of whole-grain, low-sugar cereal
- Milk or yogurt
- A banana
Relaxation techniques for better sleep
- Deep breathing. Close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths, making each breath even deeper than the last.
- Progressive muscle relaxation. Starting with your toes, tense all the muscles as tightly as you can, then completely relax. Work your way up to the top of your head.
- Visualizing a peaceful, restful place. Close your eyes and imagine a place that’s calming and peaceful. Concentrate on how relaxed this place makes you feel.
Improve your sleep environment
- Keep noise down. Earplugs may help.
- Keep your room cool (around 65° F /18° C).
- Make sure your bed is comfortable.
- Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex. No TV or working in bed - it will be easier to wind down when the brain associates the bedrom with just that.
Ways to get back to sleep
- Try not to stress over your inability to fall asleep again.
- Make relaxation your goal, not sleep.
- If you’ve been awake for more than 15 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet, non-stimulating activity.
- Postpone worrying and brainstorming.
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The Science of Sleep
The average adult spends 36 % (or about one-third) of his or her life asleep.
Purpose of Sleep:
- Restoration
- Memory Consolidation
- Metabolic Health
Restoration
The first purpose of sleep is restoration.
Every day, your brain accumulates metabolic waste as it goes about its normal neural activities. Sleeping restores the brains healthy condition by removing these waste products. Accumulation of these waste products has been linked to many brain-related disorders.
Memory Consolidation
The second purpose of sleep is memory consolidation.
Sleep is crucial for memory consolidation, which is responsible for your long term memories. Insufficient or fragmented sleep can hamper your ability to remember facts and feelings/emotions.
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Sleep stability
It's the key to a good night’s sleep. It means pinning your bedtime to the same time every night, even on weekends, and waking up at the same time every morning, even on weekends. ...
The "8-hour sleep" myth
8 hours of sleep/night is a useful goal, but it’s not true that everyone needs that.
A lot of people get obsessed with this goal of getting 8 hours of sleep every single night, and because they’re someone who just doesn’t need that much sleep, or they can’t reliably sleep that long, they get anxious about it and that actually creates issues with insomnia.
Basic sleep hygiene
- not drinking caffeine after midday;
- not exercising too late;
- not drinking alcohol before bed;
- eating sensibly;
- leaving mobile devices outside the bedroom (artificial light disrupts the brain).
If doing natural things like this doesn’t work, then it might be wise to consult with a specialist or a doctor.
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Make "power down" time a priority
Shut down those activities that stimulate your mind, such as work, emails, internet browsing and even watching TV.
Try reading a book,
Try a brain dump
Dump it all out. Write some lists, or simply use the "worry diary" technique and jot down all of the things you’re stressing about.
Do this before your "power down" time. This helps your mind let these things go. Once they're written down, you can relax; there's no chance you'll forget them.
Eat, drink and move mindfully
If you’re experiencing sleeping problems:
- Cut back on caffeine (particularly after midday).
- Avoid eating a particularly heavy meal late in the evening.
- Meditation and supplements can also affect sleep so it’s best to get educated about what you’re taking.
- Intense exercise late at night isn't recommended.
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