Sleep is not just a waste of time lazy people use as an excuse to not get work done. Sleep has a lot of benefits, and not getting enough quality sleep has been linked to illness and suboptimal mental and physical function.
Associations and potential effects of lost or damaged sleep patterns:
- Loss of sleep is linked to the obesity epidemic
- Averaging 6 hours of sleep increases risk of viral infection by 50%
- Habitual short sleepers (less than 5 or 6 per night) have significantly higher rates of cardiovascular disease
- The American Cancer Society found in a study of 1 million participants higher rates of fatal heart disease, stroke, AND incidence of cancers
- 80% of people with mental health problems have insomnia
- Insomnia itself is a major cause of depression
- Sleep and dreams affect mood, attention, learning and memory
Going to sleep is not like flipping an on and off switch. Sleep and wake cycles are just that—cycles and rhythms that are influenced by the food we eat, the substances we put in our body, and our environments.
Here are some basic tips that can help normalize your sleep schedule to get the best sleep you can.
Create some dark when it is supposed to be dark
With the invention of the light bulb, humans are now able to stay up later than ever, but these lights inhibit the body’s natural tendencies to transition into sleep. Turn down your lights, turn off your TV, computer, and iPhone at least an hour before bed. Give your body a chance to make it’s own melatonin that helps our bodies naturally prepare for sleep. Artificial light and the light from screens breaks down melatonin that passes through the blood vessels in your eyes—counterproductive if you want to sleep better.
Note: Install the free Flux app that automatically reduces the blue glow of your screen that mimics the sun’s light. I personally use this, and it works great!
Create even more darkness
Make sure your room is actually dark. And I mean PITCH BLACK. Get black out curtains for your window. Wear an eye mask if you have to. Make sure there are no little bright lights blinking in your room. We are very sensitive to even the smallest amount of light when we sleep.
Avoid eating heavy meals right before bed.
A large meal will sit in your stomach without any time to digest, and you will probably find that it really tough to fall asleep. Make sure you eat dinner 3-4 hours before bed time. A handful of nuts or some lean meat is an acceptable pre-bed snack to maintain your blood sugar levels so you don’t wake up in the middle of the night.
Racing thoughts?
Try having a little notebook by your bed to scribble down what is on your mind, or to list the things you need to do on paper. Let the pen and paper carry the burden of remembering all the important things you need to do, and you will rest easier knowing that there’s a record of what you need to remember within arms reach.
Get in the mood for sleep
In addition to “de-screening” (turning off the TV, computer, iPhone, etc.), try taking a hot bad or soaking your feet in hot water with 5-10 drops of lavender essential oil. Finish with a nice rinse of cool water for 30 seconds or so to top it off. Use this time to review your day and plan your next, or just enjoy some light reading or some music.
Create a sanctuary for sleep
The best thing I ever did was removing the TV and my work desk from my bedroom. I dedicated my bedroom to sleeping and relaxing. Break your emotional and mental connection between your bedroom and mind-stimulating and possibly anxiety-inducing work.
Minimize exposure to electro magnetic fields (EMF)
Nowadays, we are constantly bombarded by electromagnetic radiation from our wireless devices, and there is evidence that this external electromagnetic stimuli is affecting our biology more than we could have imagined. This helped me immensely, and it might work for you. Try either turning off your wireless router at night or removing it from your room completely. Additionally, if you need to use your phone as your alarm clock, put your phone in airplane mode before you sleep and you can still use it as your alarm. In addition to decreasing the amount of EMF I expose myself to, I am not woken up by late night texts or accidental phone calls.
Sleep at a regular time
Sleep, hormones, and important body functions are largely influenced by the cycles of day and night, and as beings living on Earth, we are not immune to the influence of these rhythms. Get yourself in sync with rhythms of your environment by sleeping at a regular time. Important repair processes and certain hormones are time dependent happen at night between 10PM and 6AM. Give your body and mind a chance to repair itself and do the necessary housekeeping activities. Plan your bed time to allow for optimal sleep, which is somewhere between 7-9 hours for most people.
These are just some of the basics that will improve your quality of sleep, and better sleep means better health, more energy, and a clearer mind.
Implement one or two of these at a time and think of it as an experiment for a couple weeks and see for yourself.
