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Sleep has been shown to impact mood, emotional regulation, energy levels and even the immune system. Adults an average should be getting about 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night… how much are you getting? Apart from the getting the hours of sleep, there is an issue of sleep quality which also makes a difference. Here are 7 ways to improve your sleep hygiene and sleep quality:
1. Consistent sleep schedule
Everyone has what is called a circadian rhythm which has to do with our body’s response to light and darkness, and is directly related to sleep patterns. Sleep researchers have found that the more consistent you are with your sleep schedule, the easier it is for you to fall asleep and the better sleep quality you will have. Try and maintain a schedule that allows for 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night.
2. Diminish night time screen time
All electronic screens emit what is called “blue light” which sends signals to your brain to let you know that it is “awake time”. This blue light interferes with your circadian rhythm making it more difficult for you to fall asleep when you are wanting to go to bed. Try to allow about an hr to let your eyes rest from the blue light of electronic screens BEFORE going to bed. This becomes even more important during a time where all of your work and meetings are moved to a digital format, increasing your blue light time during the day.
"If you work a night shift or use a lot of electronic devices at night, consider wearing blue-blocking glasses or installing an app that filters the blue/green wavelength at night." – Harvard Health Publishing
3. “Let there NOT be light”
The time of the nightlight has long passed with your younger
years. To specifically improve your sleep quality it is recommended that you make your
room as dark as possible when you are ready to go to sleep. If you have lots of windows
or big windows that generally let in lots of natural light, I would suggest either investing
on heavy light preventing drapes to put over the windows or investing in a good ol’
fashion night sleeping mask- which is not a mask at all, it is really a glorified, fancy blind
fold that helps keep the light out; just make sure to get one that is comfortable to sleep in.
4. Comfortable temperature
Sleep researchers have also found that it is better to sleep in
a “cool” temperature. If you are too hot or even too cold, it makes it difficult to fall
asleep, but when you set a “cool” temperature you can use a nice blanket to cover you.
For those that have anxiety issues, weighted blankets have also been found to be helpful,
but you need to have it cool enough to not make you hot in those more heavy blankets. If
you are worried about expensive energy costs, you don’t necessarily have to set the
temperature really low, you could sleep with lighter pajamas and cover yourself with a
sheet instead of a big blanket.
5. Decrease your worries at night
This one might be the hardest to do, but it is very
important. You need to help your brain know that it is okay to “turn off”. Let me offer 2
mini-suggestions here- first, if you are going to set an alarm, set it and forget about it. Do
not keep looking back at the time, you will stress yourself out more realizing how late it
gets without you being able to fall asleep. Second, don’t worry if you can’t sleep; don’t
focus on the fact that it is difficult to fall asleep, just focus on finding a comfortable
position and allow yourself to “soak in” the comfortable feeling- stay with that feeling
instead of the worry or stress of not being able to fall asleep.
6. Exercise
This is such an important element to sleep hygiene (along with its many other
health benefits). Cardiovascular exercise, in particular is beneficial to sleep hygiene. It
helps to make yourself tired for the day to more easily fall asleep at night and to improve
your sleep quality. Just do not go exercise, RIGHT before going to sleep. This will have
an opposite effect, sending signals to your brain that it is “awake time” or time to keep
moving, giving you more energy that you don’t need at the time.
7. Prepare with the right neurotransmitters
Before going to bed, you really want to
minimize the dopamine-producing activities; dopamine is the brain chemical that gives
you pleasure. You usually get dopamine from activities that are exciting, fun and
stimulating. Instead of dopamine before going to bed, give your brain a healthy dose of
serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that helps you relax. Do relaxing activities before
going to bed, like reading, meditating, or other mindfulness activities. If you are going to
read, make sure it is not a dopamine producing book (e.g. comics, murder mysteries,
romance novels, etc.)
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