We all know getting enough sleep is important, but our busy lives make that easier said than done! However, insufficient quality sleep has physical and mental health consequences that make it imperative for us to make improving our sleep a priority. The risks include fatigue, decreased cognitive & immune function, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues, irritability, poor concentration, metabolic issues, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, arterial damage, and other cardiovascular problems. The science is clear: getting enough high-quality, restful sleep is vital to your overall well-being. Let's take a look at some of the tips and tricks you can use to make your time asleep count.
The Current Statistics on Sleep: 50 to 70 million US citizens (~18% of the population) have sleep or wakefulness disorder like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or insomnia, which coincides with other health risks such as depression & obesity. A review with meta-analysis showed that night shift work increased obesity/overweight risk by 23% and abdominal obesity by 35%. In addition, the average sleep duration in the US has been decreasing - we're now getting an average of 6.1 hours/day. That is 1-2 hours less than recommended! Genetics make up 31-55% of an individual’s sleep duration, while behaviors and environment influence the rest.
While we all have busy lives and multiple things to worry about and take care of, some of us are better off than others. A lower socioeconomic status, or SES, is associated with greater risk for less quality sleep, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and much more. People with a lower SES have a higher exposure to potentially health-damaging environments and less access to health promoting goods/services. Factors that can impact sleep quality, duration, and timing include:
t e m p e r a t u r e , n u t r i t i o n , p h y s i c a l a c t i v i t y, m e d i c a t i o n s & s t r e s s
All of the above factors and more are also negatively affected with lower SES, which has disproportionately represented Black people, Indigenous peoples, and more minorities.
Sleep is the time for our bodies to regenerate cells and rest our muscles and minds from the daily stress we put it through. If you are laughing at me right now because you have a doggy or baby or something else preventing you from sleeping your best, you're not alone. Common issues that can make it hard to get enough sleep include the following and more:
Anxiety and stress: If you're feeling constantly worried, dealing with a stressful life situation, or are living with an anxiety-related mental health condition, you may find that it's difficult to fall asleep.
Irregular schedule: Whether you work double shifts or are tending to a brand-new baby, having an irregular sleep schedule can take a toll on your mind and body.
Electronic device use: Blue light emitted from cell phones and other electronic devices interferes with your body's production of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin, making it tough for your body to maintain its natural sleep-wake schedule.
Caffeine: Drinking caffeine can keep your nervous system up and awake long after your body's preferred time to go to sleep.
Medical issues: Medical conditions like sleep disorders, chronic pain, gastrointestinal problems, and respiratory problems can all make sleep more difficult. Certain medications can also make it difficult to fall and stay asleep.
Bad news: there are plenty of reasons we don't get enough sleep and plenty more reasons why it is highly not recommended. Good news: I'm here to tell you what to do about it!
Tip #1 - Decrease stress (I know, WAY easier said than done!)
There's no way around it—stress and anxiety are an unavoidable part of life. When these issues interfere with your sleep, you may begin to feel anxiety about your lack of sleep, creating a cycle that's difficult to break. We've all had stress-induced insomnia leading to sleepless nights thanks to our brains not shutting up after work, family issues keeping us worried and awake, etc. Even when we feel physically and mentally exhausted, our minds just can't turn off and let us get some rest - sleep and stress are very much interconnected. The American Psychological Association confirms stress is impacting our sleep a lot. I don't often recommend supplements, but when I do, I LOVE Fullscript - here are my recommendations for stress reduction and sleep support!
Our main goal is to reduce chronic stress by finding stress management strategies that work for you and your specific lifestyle and stressors. Throughout the day, make sure to take breaks and engage in quick stress-reduction techniques. Decompress with the 4-7-8 breathing method as needed, for example, a technique that helps calm your nervous system (inhale through your nose for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of seven, and then exhale through your mouth for a count of eight; repeat 2-3 times). Don't work in bed; keep your sleep and work spaces separate. If you often wake up in the middle of the night, you know a digital clock can taunt you. When you see that it's 4:30 a.m., you immediately start doing the mental math, stressing about how many hours there are left to get some sleep. To sleep better, experts recommend turning the clock's face away from view to curb the anxiety that keeps you awake.
If you've been in bed for more than 20 minutes and can't drift off to sleep, don't lie there and stew. Remaining in bed while anxious about your inability to sleep will only create negative associations between your bed and sleep, which can eventually lead to the vicious cycle of insomnia. It's counterintuitive, but what you can do is get up and do something relaxing such as reading or cuddling a loved one until you feel tired. Keep a notepad by your bed for a little brain dump for an anxious or restless mind. Return to bed when you feel sleepy - your bed should be a sanctuary for sleep, not a trap for tossing and turning. Find more de-stressing activities in Tip #7!
Adding some stress relief techniques into your day can make it easier for you to fall asleep at night. As I mentioned, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, breathing exercises, and stretching can all help your body wind down from stress. If you're dealing with heavy life stressors, you don't have to try to handle it on your own. Talking with a licensed counselor or therapist can help you develop coping strategies unique to your situation that may make it easier for you to fall asleep.
Tip #2 - Eat & drink with sleep in mind
If you think your caffeine intake may be to blame, try working backwards: subtract 6, 9, or 12 hours from your usual (or ideal) bedtime, depending on your sensitivity to caffeine. For a 9-5 sort of schedule, a good rule of thumb is to try to keep your caffeine intake to before 2pm as caffeine can stay in your system for up to 9 hours after consumption. The reason for this is that caffeine blocks your sleep-promoting adenosine receptors and, if consumed too late in the day, those receptors won’t get the signal that it’s time to sleep until way past bedtime. In general, stop consuming caffeine as well as nicotine and alcohol several hours before your intended bedtime. Let us know if you need help keeping awake in that afternoon slump without just grabbing another coffee!
Caffeine isn't the only possible culprit, though. Spicy foods can cause heartburn and indigestion, which can cause discomfort and trouble getting to sleep. Eating a large meal right before bed can increase risk of heartburn and acid reflux as your GI system gets to work on digestion, plus high blood sugars can also negatively impact sleep. Aim to finish dinner at least 2-3 hours before bedtime, but life happens and sometimes late-night dinners, drinking, and snacking happen too. Alcohol does depress your system and help you drift off to dreamland initially, but often leads to restless and poor-quality sleep because it suppresses REM sleep - the deepest stage of sleep that is essential for feeling properly rested the next day as well as processing information, emotions, and memories. It can also aggravate breathing problems and increase nighttime bathroom trips.
Research suggests magnesium can help people who struggle to fall asleep. While more research is needed to determine the role that magnesium plays in supporting healthy sleep, adding magnesium to your diet may help you get the rest you need. In addition to taking a magnesium supplement, it can also be helpful to add foods high in magnesium to your diet, including greens, nuts, seeds, beans, and grains.
Eating high-fat and high-protein foods slows your body's digestion, and this can result in a lower quality of sleep. Fat and protein molecules take longer to break down than carbohydrates. Leaning heavier on the carbs in the evening—especially complex carbohydrates, like whole-wheat bread—can help you rest more easily.
Tip #3 - Better sleep can begin when you wake up
Get some light as soon as you can after waking up, preferably from natural sunlight or a sunrise simulating alarm clock to help you adjust to the day. I like sitting outside or near a window while having coffee to help my body adjust to awake-mode. This can improve your alertness and body clock schedule, as sunlight helps set your circadian rhythm, your physical and mental 24 hour sleep-wake cycle that’s largely affected by the presence of light and darkness. If you’re not able to get morning light, getting outside for 30 minutes at some other point during the day is a small workaround that can also help enhance nighttime sleep. Sleep experts recommend that, if you have problems falling asleep, you should get an hour of exposure to morning sunlight and turn down the lights before bedtime.
Naps should be short and not too close to bedtime. 20-30 minutes is ideal - if it's 1-2 hours, you're inadvertently making up time where you shorted yourself on sleep earlier in the day or week and longer naps can allow you to go into deeper stages of sleep so you may feel more sluggish when you wake up. Consider the purpose of your nap as a pause in your day - a little catnap here and there may be just what you need to keep your brain and body alert, especially on days where you’re running on fumes.
Tip #4 - Set up your bedroom for sleep success
Creating an environment that supports high-quality sleep can both help you feel more comfortable and signal to your brain and your body that it's time to rest. Clearing clutter is an important part of creating a bedroom environment that can help you drift off to dreamland. While it can be tempting to make your bedroom a catch-all space for laundry, projects, and other loose ends, doing so can make it difficult for the brain to shift from busy mode to rest mode.
It's best to sleep in a cool-temperature environment with near-darkness or better. Research shows the optimum temperature range to set your thermostat to is 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit. If you run hot, I highly recommend a tower fan or two and some sheets with cooling properties such as eucalyptus, tencel, lyocell, bamboo or linen. It's also best to close the windows to insulate against noise and any adverse weather; blackout curtains/shades or sleep masks are amazing for helping your visual field recognize it's bedtime - especially if you have a backwards sleep schedule such as if you work nights.
To drown out snoring or the sounds of the outside world, wear earplugs (I prefer these silicone ones) or turn on a fan or white-noise machine. Don't like the static sameness of white noise? Try pink noise—it filters out the high frequencies of white noise and gently moves between lower and higher frequencies to create "warmer" tones which mimic the movement of waves. Spotify and YouTube have tons of playlists ready to help you sleep soundly. There are also plenty of phone apps for meditation and white-noise, etc. More on those in a bit!
Other ways you can optimize a restful room include getting a sunrise simulating alarm clock to help you wake up, not keeping a TV in your bedroom (bonus points for keeping your phone or at minimum your computer out of the sleep sanctuary), or even buying a weighted blanked for extra snug-bug-in-a-rug comfort!
Tip #6 - Get some movement in, but not too late
Exercise is a great stress-reliever whether you hit the gym in the morning or use it as a way to decompress after work (my preference), but be careful not to increase your heart rate too soon before bed! At least 90 minutes before bed, or 2-4 hours before bed to be safe, will give your body time to cool down literally and figuratively. That endorphin rush will certainly keep you up way later than you want if you cut it too close! Some light stretching or slow yoga can be relaxing and less likely to affect your sleep. Some research suggests morning exercise is beneficial for promoting healthy blood pressure dips and sleep quality, while another small study found that exercise done 90 minutes before bedtime was associated with increased deep sleep. Basically, get that movement in in a way you enjoy but try not to be too active near bedtime.
Tip #7 - Check your phone...
You may have heard what’s quickly becoming an age-old adage, but it’s still true: avoid all electronics for at least 1-2 hours before bed to allow your mind & body to prep for rest. This includes TV, computer, tablet, and smartphone. They all emit blue light, which can interfere with your body’s internal clock. We love being entertained and feeling connected to the world through our screens, but your body will love the quality sleep that can happen when we can connect and be entertained without screens! If you must use a device at night, there are blue-light blocking glasses to filter out some of the screens' light waves.
De-stress screen-free by writing out a to-do list for the next day, crafting, reading, talking, playing board games, journaling, listening to a podcast or calm music, taking a walk outside, meditation, relaxing with a pet, stretching, yin yoga, taking a warm shower or bath, drinking warm liquids such as non-caffeinated tea, or anything else you can think of that would be relaxing to you!
Besides relaxing and reducing your screen time before bed, there are plenty of apps to help and track sleep! My personal favorite is Sleepytime, which helps you determine when to go to sleep or wake up; it uses sleep science to help you get adequate sleep cycles and avoid grogginess: you pick your alarm time and it tells you when to go to bed based on how much sleep you want/need to get, OR you tell it when you're going to bed and it recommends when to wake up. In lieu of a white noise machine, myNoise offers better customization than any app we’ve found, allowing you to mix 10 white noise frequencies to create unique sounds. If you suffer from an overactive mind at night, meditation or a sleep story could help - try Headspace or Calm. "Sleep with me” and “Nothing Much Happens” podcasts - check them out!. SleepScore and Sleep Cycle are sleep trackers which can give you clues to how deeply you’re sleeping, when you’re waking, and whether alcohol is affecting your sleep (we don’t recommend these if you’re trying to discover if you have a serious health condition like sleep apnea; more on that at the end).
Tip #8 - Get a consistent bedtime routine
While it can be tempting to stay up far too late one night and make up for it by sleeping in the next morning, the experts agree that routine matters. Creating healthy sleep habits includes sticking to a schedule that makes sense for your sleep needs. Most adults between 18 and 64 years of age need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night, while those aged 65 or older typically need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night. Paying attention to the amount of rest that lets you feel your best can help you determine the bedtime and wake-up time that makes the most sense for your needs.
Full disclosure here, I personally suck at this, and I know some of you have also been in this scenario: you get through your usual evening routine, but don't end up finally getting into bed until way later than you should and you still spend some time to look at your phone and before you know it, half an hour has passed with you staring at a little screen. You thought it might help you relax and slow your mind down by lying in bed and consuming social media, but lo and behold, you still can't get to sleep. You might balk at making yourself stick to a sleep schedule including a set bedtime and consistent alarm time every day, but sleep experts recommend this strategy to get in tune with your body and encourage a sleep-inducing soiree. Waking up at different times on weekdays and weekends causes social jet lag, a phenomenon resulting in circadian rhythm disruptions similar to those of travel jet lag - not fun! Try scheduling your bedtime just as you schedule your wake-up call alarm - I just add it into my phone calendar, along with my scheduled meetings, meal breaks, etc. Set a reminder on your phone, and remember - new habits take awhile to become routine.
Getting high-quality sleep can help you feel energized, support a healthy immune system, and provide your body and mind with the time needed to rest and recharge. It can take some trial and error to discover which of the sleep tips discussed above are the best fit for you. It's a good idea to implement one tip at a time, allowing you to discover what works well for you. Small lifestyle changes can go a long way to set up the scene for great sleep. Some other resources to explore as you embark on your sweet-dreams journey include:
Still Can't Sleep Well?
If you’ve tried these top tips for sleep and still can’t get enough, speak with your primary healthcare provider. They can help determine if a sleep disorder or a medical condition that disrupts your sleep is at play, such as sleep apnea. If so, they can provide the appropriate treatment and get your sleep back on track.
- Please note: some of the links above are affiliate links which may earn Normandy Nutrition a small commission -
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