How to Improve Your Sleep

 Getting a good night’s sleep is a challenge faced by many.

Lack of sleep has become an epidemic in our society and is increasingly common as we age. 

There are many causes for poor sleep, some of which need medical assessment, but mostly our ability to sleep well is within our control. 

Here is a safe and proven framework for sleep. If you are not sleeping well after implementing this, a visit with your physician is warranted.

A good night’s sleep is all about optimizing your behaviours and environment to fit your body’s natural rhythm.

As humans, we have evolved to be awake when it is light and to sleep when dark. Supporting this circadian rhythm is a cascade of different hormones that signal the body to be alert or sleepy. Our days start with a morning burst of our ‘get up and go’ hormone cortisol, signalling that it is time to greet the day. Over the course of the day, our cortisol wanes until in the evening levels are close to zero.  In parallel, adenosine levels build up, signalling fatigue. Adenosine is a by-product of energy expenditure – the more active we are, the greater our adenosine levels.  Finally, when dark, our brains release melatonin signalling it is time to sleep.  (read more about the Importance of Sleep)

Aligning our behaviours to our body’s hormonal symphony is relatively straight-forward:  

First, avoid substances that will alter hormones and affect your sleep:

• Alcohol – As a general rule, you should stop all drinking when you aren’t sleeping well. Once your sleep is restful again, you can resume light (one drink per day) alcohol intake.
• Caffeine – if you aren’t sleeping, stop all caffeine. Once your sleep has been restored, it’s OK to have some caffeine but stop after 12 p.m.
• Some medications – check with your doctor whether any of your medications/supplements (or the time you take them) could be affecting your sleep.

Next, optimize your daytime activities:

• Be active during the day as this will drive up adenosine, telling your body it needs rest.
• Get some exercise, but finish at least three hours before bedtime.
• Eat more during the day, avoiding heavy meals late in the evening. Don’t eat anything within two hours of bedtime.
• Get some natural light during the day and avoid bright lights in the evening.

Next, optimize your environment for sleep:

• Keep your bedroom dark – blackout curtains, eyeshades.
• Keep your bedroom quiet – “white noise” can help – humidifiers, fans or “white noise machines.”
• Keep your bedroom cool.
• Create a comfortable sleep environment – invest in your bed, your sheets, your pillow.
• Keep your electronics out of the bedroom.
• Your bed is only for sleeping (once you have re-established your sleep, you can try reading in bed again).

Finally, optimize your sleep ritual:

• Two hours before bedtime, shut down the screens – TVs, computers and phones. The blue light from these devices will suppress your body’s release of melatonin, and the content (especially the news) will often get your mind racing.
• Sixty minutes before your bedtime, begin a process to relax – reading, light yoga, meditation followed by a sauna or hot bath. This ritual will help you wind down from the day, quiet your mind and set your body up for a great sleep.
• Have fun with this – your sleep ritual should be a joy. Think of the rituals we create for our children – playtime after dinner, followed by a bath, a good read in bed and a loving tuck-in. We should all treat ourselves to such a nightly send-off.

Most often, adopting this framework is all it takes to restore sleep.

What do you do if this doesn’t work?

If you have 

• Eliminated substances that harm your sleep
• Optimized your daytime activities
• Optimized your sleep environment, and
• Optimize your sleep ritual

...and you still cannot sleep - it is time for…

Sleep Restructuring

• Go to bed at the same time every night.
• Get up at the same time every morning
• Since you are having trouble sleeping – do not nap.
• Plan for a set amount of sleeping:
• Calculate the total amount you are currently sleeping (albeit broken) and use this to set your new sleep hours.
• So if you are sleeping six hours in a broken fashion, set your wake-up time precisely six hours after the time that you go to bed.
• Then go to bed and wake up at the set times – no exceptions – even if you have had three hours of sleep, you need to get up and start your day. You will be tired during the day but resist all urges to nap; come bedtime, that fatigue will help you get to sleep.
• Once you sleep soundly through that six hours, add 15 minutes to your sleep (go to bed 15 minutes earlier or set the alarm for 15 minutes later).
• When you find that you are sleeping through the night and waking refreshed, your sleep has been restructured. Generally, the total amount of sleep needed will be between seven and eight hours per night. Resist the urge to stay in bed longer than the sleep you require, as this morning-time slumber may result in your sleep deteriorating again.

This is the second part of our SLEEEPSounder series.  Check out these other posts:

• The Importance of Sleep

At Wellness Garage, we are here to support you in your health journey to take control of your health, restore confidence, and optimize your wellness.  We do this through solid evidence-based medicine, personal health coaching and instruction, providing you with the knowledge, skills and support you need to apply healthy habits to your life.

Learn more about how Wellness Garage can help you take control of your health.