A good night's sleep sometimes seems elusive for many of us. With all that is going on in the world and all the worry we tend to engage in, sleep seems to be something we struggle to do well.
However, if we do not engage in good sleep our ability to recharge becomes more and more difficult.
It’s not rocket science. You can undertake some simple strategies which could really assist you get back to a good sleep routine. This article from CNet gets us back to some great basics.
Sleep is crucial for everyone to live their best life, and yet many of us aren't doing it well. Stress, technology, environment and other factors can ruin a night of sleep, leaving you feeling exhausted when you wake up, even if you got 8 hours.
Avoid artificial light before bed
A lot of us like to relax at night by scrolling through Instagram or watching Netflix til our eyes shut from exhaustion, but this isn't helping our rest at all. Blue Light from screens messes with our circadian rhythm by suppressing our melatonin secretion. In short, this means we don't fall asleep when we should and we don't get enough rest.
Set a limit that you won't look at any screens one hour before bedtime -- instead, wind down by reading a book or taking a hot bath. You may even want to invest in a cheap alarm clock to use so that you can leave your phone out of the room at night.
Set the correct temperature in your bedroom
One of my absolute least favourite things in life is waking up in the middle of the night soaked in sweat. It's gross and leads to a fitful night's rest -- plus, I feel weird if I don't wash the sheets the next day.
If you've ever gotten in a fight with a partner about what temperature to set the bedroom at, you now have a scientific study to back you up -- researchers say that the best sleep happens in a room that's between 17-19 degrees C. You can also get some lighter blankets or use a ceiling fan if it's not feasible to turn the aircon that low.
Relax before bed
It's not a good idea to go straight from your work day into your bed -- a calming bedtime routine is necessary for a lot of people to ensure a good night's rest. A stress-relieving evening routine will help you fall asleep faster and get more deep sleep.
Some key points to incorporate into your night time routine are to make a to-do list for the next day right when you get home, stop drinking caffeine four hours before bedtime and eat your final meal two hours before bedtime
Find a comfortable sleeping position
It may seem like a trivial thing, but the right sleeping position can make or break your night. If you snore, you'll want to sleep on your side.
Sleep on your back if you have acid reflux, but be sure to avoid the belly-up position if you have sleep apnoea or lower back pain.
Don't sleep in
Sleeping in on the weekend is amazing, but it may be screwing up your rest on the other nights of the week. It can throw your circadian rhythm off, making it harder to get to bed at a reasonable time on Sunday night. Sleeping in also doesn't reverse the damage of chronic sleep deprivation.
Instead, set a consistent sleep schedule and stick to it -- don't vary your weekend wake-up time by more than an hour from weekdays. If you really want to catch some extra ZZZs, simply go to bed a little bit earlier.
Figure out any food intolerances
Your diet plays a surprisingly big role in your sleep quality. If you eat too many carbs and simple sugars, your blood sugar will vary widely throughout the day. It may spike and fall at night, leading to restless sleep.
If you feel like you don't eat many processed foods, but wake up in the middle of the night with stomach issues or feeling hungry, it may be worth contacting your health care provider for a food tolerance test. You may be intolerant to foods that sound healthy, like fruit or corn.
Work with your circadian rhythm
Your circadian rhythm is an internal clock that helps your body function, adapt and know when to sleep. To some extent it's out of your control (for example, I'll never be a night owl) but you can use environment and light to regulate your biological clock. When your circadian rhythm is out of whack, you'll have trouble falling asleep and feel tired at strange times of the day.
If you think your circadian rhythm is off, there's several things you can do -- keep a consistent sleep and wake up time, get light in the morning and avoid blue light at night.
Don't overdo the coffee
You don't have to forgo caffeine completely, but it's not a good idea to drink coffee or caffeinated tea close to bed. A good rule of thumb is to avoid caffeine after 3 p.m., though this guideline is different for everyone. Personally, I try to stop my caffeine intake at noon.
When you're craving a cup of coffee or black tea but it's already dinnertime, make a hot cup of herbal tea or a turmeric latte. You'll thank yourself in the morning.
Cut back on the nightcaps
It sometimes feels like alcohol helps you sleep well at night, but that's not really the case. A glass or two of wine may assist you in falling asleep, but it makes you wake up more often throughout the night or have disrupted sleep patterns.
If you're serious about sleeping better, don't make a nightcap a daily habit -- the sleep deprivation will catch up to you in the long run.
Don't force yourself to wake up early
Some things just aren't meant to be -- if you've never been a morning person, it's actually counterproductive to force yourself to get up with the sun. To get the best sleep possible, you should follow your internal circadian rhythm and sleep at what times feel most natural to you.
Of course, we all have to modify our wake up time -- you may feel best sleeping in till noon, but I doubt your boss would be happy with that. The key is to fit your sleep timing to your circadian rhythm as best as possible. This may mean moving your morning workouts to after work so you can sleep an hour later, or meal prepping breakfast to save on morning cooking time.
Work out earlier in the day
This one is a bit of a personalised recommendation. Though popular advice warns against working out too close to bedtime, current research suggests that night time exercise may not hurt sleep quality (provided it's not too vigorous) and can even help some people fall asleep faster.
If you usually do a hard workout at night and are having trouble sleeping, try shifting it earlier in the day to see if that helps. If you workout at night and sleep great, then keep on keeping on.
Eat dinner a few hours before bedtime
Conventional wisdom says to eat your last meal or snack two to three hours before bedtime. This will allow food to move from your stomach to your small intestine, preventing indigestion or heartburn.
If you find that heartburn or digestive troubles are keeping you up at night, try keeping a food journal for a few weeks. Record what you eat throughout the day and at what times -- it'll help you identify any problem foods. For example, if you had heartburn after eating a spicy dinner, you'll know to avoid the hot sauce at your next evening meal.
Front load your water intake
You should never intentionally drink less water -- but feeling dehydrated at the end of the day and chugging a bunch of liquids can disrupt your sleep, leading to several night time bathroom visits.
Alcohol and caffeine may be causing your night time -- both are diuretics, meaning they make your body lose more water. This sleep disturbance could be also stemming from diuretic medication you're taking, like the ones used to treat blood pressure.
Finally, night time urination can also be a symptom of a UTI or diabetes. If cutting down on fluid intake doesn't help with your problem, you may want to take a trip to the doctor to rule out these problems.
Manage your mental health
Mental health and sleep have a cyclical relationship --anxiety and depression can worsen sleep quality, and sleep deprivation worsens mental health.
For people who suffer from both anxiety and sleep disturbances, cognitive behavioural therapy has shown to be effective at treating both. Nutritional and herbal supplements are also suggested to be helpful in treating anxiety disorders. You can also try other methods of relaxation, like meditation, exercise, and finding time for meaningful hobbies.
Track your sleep with wearables
CNET surveyed 1,000 readers to learn more about their sleep habits, and whether they used a sleep tracker. Two thirds of people reported that they slept better and had higher energy levels after consistently tracking their sleep.
There are several ways to track your sleep -- using your phone or a fitness tracker. If cost is an issue, try out sleep tracking apps: SleepScore (Android and iOS), Sleep Cycle (Android and iOS) and Sleep Time (Android and iOS). If you own a Fitbit, Apple Watch or Motiv Ring you already have built in sleep tracking.
Take short naps in the afternoon
If you nap correctly, it doesn't have to throw off your sleep later that night. In fact, naps done right can be a great supplement to a night of lost sleep.
To make sure you're not lying wide awake the night after an afternoon nap, follow these do’s and dont’s. You should nap in the early afternoon, optimize your napping environment and keep naps between 10 to 20 minutes. Don't replace your nap with caffeine, feel guilty about napping or sandwich your nap with screen time.
Dim the lights in the evening
This tip is an easy one to implement -- all you have to do is turn down the lights in the evening. Light affects your circadian rhythm, and when you're exposed to too much bright light at night time it signals to your body that it's not time to go to sleep yet. Lowering the lights can make a big difference in helping you fall and stay asleep.
Use background noise
If every little noise keeps you from falling asleep, it may be time to invest in a background noise machine. Background noise helps by filling your room with a constant sound -- this works because it's not the actual noise that wakes us up, but the harsh changes in sound.
Use a weighted blanket
Weighted blankets are known for helping calm children on the autism spectrum, but they can also help adults manage anxiety, stress and restless leg syndrome -- three things that can definitely keep you up at night. Weighted blankets also promote the production of serotonin, which combats insomnia.
Want to manage your sleep more effectively? Get in contact with Michelle Bakjac via email at michelle@bakjacconsulting.com to enquire about psychological counselling to develop your strategies.
Michelle Bakjac is an experienced Psychologist, Organisational Consultant, Coach, Speaker and Facilitator. As Director of Bakjac Consulting, she is a credentialed Coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF) and a member of Mental Toughness Partners and an MTQ Plus accredited Mental Toughness practitioner. Michelle assists individuals, teams and organisations to develop and improve performance, leadership, behaviour, resilience and wellbeing. You can find her at www.bakjacconsulting.com
