6 Tips to Better, Deeper Sleep
Sleep is such a hot topic these days. Seems like everyone is talking about it, but are we actually hitting our sleep goals? There are 5 simple practices I’ve added into my life that have been a game changer for my sleep - both for duration and quality.
Bright light first thing in the morning. Even if I had the worst night of sleep the night before, as soon as I’m awake, I step outside with my dog or I turn on a bunch of lights. According to neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, this is what starts our circadiam clocks, boosts cortisol in the morning. We want cortisol in the morning because this is what provides us with energy, and helps set our body’s secrete meloatonin in the evenings. I have also recently purchased this clock, which provides lovely sounds and emulates the sunset or sunrise.
Limit caffeine after 2pm. I know, it can be so hard for so many of us, especially when that 3pm slump comes around! However, caffeine can stay in our system for 8 or more hours, which has a direct impact on our body’s natural ability to secrete melatonin, helping us get to sleep.
Allow yourself 30 minutes to wind down before you plan to have the lights out. We all have busy lives, with stress, messages, emails, screens, exercise, and just so much stimulus. It’s very difficult to have a day full of stimulus and all of a sudden expect ourselves to fall right to sleep. Giving yourself 30 minutes to wind down, dim the lights, and turn off electronics. I also again highly recommend The Hatch Restore Clock to emulate a sunset in your bedroom and give you some peaceful ocean waves to relax to.
Get your room cold! Whether that’s 50 degrees for you or 70, making your room colder than the rest of your home has been proven to help with both falling asleep and staying asleep.
Read a book. Doing something without a screen before bed has been a game changer for my sleep. I love reading a few pages of a good book - it always helps me wind down and relax my brain and body. I have an entire list of book recommendations here.
Go to bed when you are tired! Having a consistent bed and wake time can help with this. However, there are many times when I’ve stayed awake past the time when I’m feeling my most tired, and then when I do go to bed, I can’t fall asleep. Become intuitive and allow yourself rest when your body is asking for it.