A good night’s sleep can be hard to come by. With sleep rating highly on the pyramid of health alongside nutrition and exercise, disrupted sleeping patterns can negatively impact your hormones, brain function and physical performance. So, if for whatever reason you’re struggling to hit the Z’s for the recommended 7-9 hours, take some time now to learn how you can get a better night’s sleep.
Increase bright light exposure during the day
Keep your circadian rhythm in sync by exposing your body to natural light and bright light during the daytime hours.
Limit blue light exposure in the evening
Blue light from electronic devices, smart phones, and laptops can impact your circadian rhythm by suppressing your body’s production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for making you feel relaxed and sleepy. When you expose yourself to blue light at night, your body is fooled into feeling awake and alert when it should be winding down in preparation for bed. Make a conscious effort to reduce your screen time 2-hours before bed, try wearing blue light blocking glasses, and install blue light blocking software on all tech devices.
Avoid caffeine later in the day
This one should be a no-brainer. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and causes extreme alertness, which is the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve when you go to bed. Caffeine remains elevated in your bloodstream for up to 6-8 hours. So, do the maths and make sure your last brew is outside that window.
Take a melatonin supplement
A hormone naturally produced by the pineal gland in the brain, melatonin controls the body’s night and day cycles, including sleeping and waking patterns. As day turns to night, generally the body produces melatonin to signal to the body that it’s time for sleep. If the body is exposed to too much light, melatonin production is stalled. The good news is that melatonin can be taken as a supplement to help decrease sleep onset latency, increase total sleep time and improve sleep quality. Just chat with your healthcare provider about whether melatonin is the right avenue for you.
Optimise your sleeping environment
You can’t comfortably fall asleep in an environment that isn’t set up for sleep. External noise is a common cause of sleep disturbance that can lead to long-term health issues. A high bedroom temperature can affect two of the restorative cycles of sleep; the slow wave sleep (SWS) cycle and rapid eye movement (REM) cycle. To optimise your sleeping environment, try to minimise lighting and noise pollution, set the air con or fan to a comfortable temperature, and ensure the space is relaxing and tidy.
Maintain a sleep schedule
The human body is a creature of habit. In fact, circadian rhythm enforces this. It loops on a 24-hour cycle, aligning the body with sunrise and sunset. If you really want to know how you can get a better night’s sleep, try tuning into that cycle through consistent rise and sleep times. So, try to set daily alarms and follow them for a few weeks until your body finds its natural rhythm.