“Only when one cannot sleep does one know how long the night is” – Chinese Proverb
Sleep deprivation is an epidemic in our society. Our western culture promotes a late-night, early morning, fast paced, stressful lifestyle. In addition, we are surrounded by light pollution from the streets, our phones and other technological devices in and around the home. Due to this modern lifestyle, our bodies are not only sleep deprived, but the sleep we get is often poor quality. An adult should be getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night.
We have all heard that sleep is important but how important is it really?
Sleep is imperative for mental, emotional and physical health. Sleep deprivation can alter brain activity, making it difficult to make decisions, solve problems, control behaviour and emotions, as well as cope with change. It has been linked to an increased risk of depression, risk- taking behaviour and suicide.
In addition, when you sleep your body repairs. Lack of sleep can greatly affect your heart and blood vessels, increasing your risk of heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and stroke.
Signs of sleep deficiency include dosing off while:
watching TV or reading
sitting still in a public place
riding or driving in a car
sitting after lunch
sitting while talking to someone
sitting in traffic
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mood swings
irritability
depression
lack of motivation
difficulty concentrating
poor memory
If you can relate to one or more of the above symptoms, then you need to be getting more sleep. Below are 10 steps toward getting a better nights rest.
Get some sun!
Daylight sun exposure is incredibly important for an appropriate circadian rhythm. If you work in an office or indoors, it is likely that you are not getting enough sunlight. Try to eat outside during your lunch break or spend at least 30 minutes before or after work outside in the sun.
Exercise
It is important to exercise in the day and can drastically improve sleep quality. Aim to get 30 minutes of exercise every day. Avoid exercising too late in the day as this can be too stimulating.
Last coffee before noon
Caffeine from coffee, tea, soft drink or other sources as well as nicotine from tobacco are stimulants and can cause difficulty falling asleep or create a night of poor quality sleep. Aim to not consume any of these stimulants after midday.
Avoid afternoon naps
Napping after 3 can make it difficult to fall asleep at night. If you need a nap try for a mid morning one.
Avoid large meals and alcohol before bed
It may seem as though that glass of wine or beer before bed is helping you to drift off to sleep but in fact what it’s actually doing is causing you to stay in a light sleep, keeping you from ever getting into a deep REM sleep meaning that you wake unrefreshed and unrested. In addition, the excess fluid can be the cause of frequent night wakings due to increased urination. Eating a large meal before bed means extra work for the body. When you fall asleep soon after you eat your body is digesting the food you just consumed, meaning you miss out on that vital repair and healing process that your body should be doing while sleeping.
Have some consistency
Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day. Our bodies love routine, having some consistency to your nighttime and morning routine can help reset your biological clock.
Create a sleeping sanctuary
Make your room a relaxing sleep haven. That means leave your room and your bed for sleeping only. If you have a habit of working, eating, or watching television in your room, it may be time to move those activities somewhere else. Remove all electronics, ensure you have blinds if you have street light pollution, maybe even burn some calming essential oils such as lavender. Wash your sheets regularly and make sure your mattress and pillows are comfortable and suit your sleep position. If you are waking up with a sore back or neck, you probably have to look into replacing your mattress and/or pillow.
The general rule for choosing pillows:
Back sleeper: thinner pillow
Front/ stomach sleeper: consider no pillow
Side sleeper: a thicker pillow may be indicated
No artificial light in and around the bedroom
Artificial light when the sun goes down has a negative effect on our circadian rhythm. Sleep problems arose simultaneously with the advent of electricity. Try to get off your computer and phone at least 2 hours before you go to sleep. Also if you have any lights from printers, chargers, clocks, routers, etc. turn them off before bed. Removing light can make such a huge difference to your sleep quality, one study even found that 2 nights of camping increased melatonin (the sleep hormone) production and helped to reset the circadian rhythm (Stothard et al., 2017). If you have street lights outside your window you may want to consider getting a black-out curtain.
Create a bedtime routine
This can be the game changer to your best nights sleep. It may be drinking a cup of chamomile, brushing your teeth, reading a book, listening to soft relaxing music, taking a long bath maybe with some lavender essential oil and/or Epsom salts, or doing 10 minutes of meditation or self-massage. Setting the stage for relaxation at nighttime can mean that you ease into a deep sleep and wake up refreshed ready to take on the day.
Don’t stay in bed if you can’t sleep
If you cannot sleep after 30 minutes, get up and do something relaxing like making yourself a cup of non-caffeinated herbal tea, or reading a chapter of your book. Maybe try meditation for 10 minutes, focusing on your breathing. This is a common mistake and the anxiety of not being able to fall asleep can make it even more difficult to sleep meaning you stay up all night.
In addition, many medications, including natural herbs and supplements can affect your sleep. Speak to your naturopath and doctor to find out if any of these are contributing to your sleep disturbances and if so see if you can take these medications earlier in the day.
Whether you decide to do one step or all ten, you will find an improvement in your sleep. When your sleep improves, you will find your mood, relationships, memory, work, efficiency, and energy all improve. Good luck and happy sleeping!
Resources
National Heat, Lung, and Blood Insitiute, (2017). Why is Sleep Important. Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd.
Stothard ER, McHill AW, Depner CM, et al. (2017). Circadian entrainment to the natural light-dark cycle across seasons and the weekend. Curr Biol;27(4):508-513.