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6 Ways to Ensure you’re Getting the Best Sleep
Improve your sleep quality by taking these steps
- Written by Shani Kaplan
Sleep these days is everything to me. I actually jump into bed with pure excitement (wow have times changed!). As the years tick over, I begin to understand how sleep controls my mood (trust me, you don’t want to be around me when I am crabby); my focus and productivity at work; and also how much I can show up for my relationships. On a health level, sleep also affects the choices I make with my food throughout the day, as well as my energy levels, determining how much I can devote to exercise and any social activity, really.
On a scientific level, this all makes sense. Research shows that poor sleep has a negative effect on your hormones, metabolic rate and weight, and also brain performance and decision making. [1,2,3,4,5] So, a night of good sleep can help you be the healthiest version of yourself.
So, now that we have reiterated the many benefits of sleep, what are some of the best pre-bed routines to ensure you are in the right zone to get the best sleep?
Here are 6 ideas for you:
#1 Keep to a regular sleep time
Your circadian rhythm is defined as a 24-hour cycle in the physiological processes of living beings and is important in determining the sleeping and feeding patterns of all animals and humans.[6] As the old adage goes, ‘consistency is key’, and this applies for sleep too. Your body likes regular habits, so try and keep to a similar sleep and wake pattern - yes, even on weekends where you can!
#2 Write, write, write
Many famous people throughout the ages have kept diaries/journals. Whether it be inventors, businessmen, presidents, authors and more. You can keep a journal for many things, but here are a few suggestions:
Reflection -write out the things you achieved on that day, aka the ‘wins’. They don’t need to be a huge accomplishment, it could even be something as simple as squeezing in time to catch up with that friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with.
Gratitude -you can write down the things you are grateful for within that day. Again, this could be something as simple as health or family.
Improvements - Lastly, you can write about things you could work or improve on from that day.
Planning and future-focused thoughts -write down your to-do list and all the little worries that pop up, or all the things you must remember for that next day. On a larger scale, why not write out your goals and visualisations for the future? Manifest that dream home, dream job, trip or life!
#3 Watch your food and drink habits pre-bed
We all know that caffeine can affect sleep. Try and avoid alcohol at least 4 hours prior to bed! Secondly, there’s food. While the jury is out about carbs before bed, with some saying they benefit from a carb meal before sleep and others eating a lower carb meal, one thing is obvious: watch the type of carbs at play. Personally, I know that if I eat a pizza and dessert before bed, I am in for a horrible sleep. My body really does not appreciate the mix of rich, dense flavours and sugar (and the hefty load to digest). So, if you’re anything like me, try and have meals that are simpler to digest at night and eat the richer foods for lunch and see if it benefits you!
#4 Create a night ritual
This is great for signalling to your body that it is time to wind down and prepare for sleep. This can range from anything that is calming for you. I love to have a bath, switch off from devices by 9:30 pm, and read or listen to a podcast; I am working on adding in the journaling.
Other ideas are:
- A bit of self-care like that aforementioned bath or a face mask.
- A short yoga/stretching routine.
- Something creative like sewing, drawing, or playing a puzzle.
- Curl up and read a book. Researchers at the University of Sussex found that just six minutes of reading per day can reduce stress levels by 68%. [7]
- Indulge in something soothing like listening to calming music and sipping on a (decaf) tea.
#3 Watch your food and drink habits pre-bed
We all know that caffeine can affect sleep. Try and avoid alcohol at least 4 hours prior to bed! Secondly, there’s food. While the jury is out about carbs before bed, with some saying they benefit from a carb meal before sleep and others eating a lower carb meal, one thing is obvious: watch the type of carbs at play. Personally, I know that if I eat a pizza and dessert before bed, I am in for a horrible sleep. My body really does not appreciate the mix of rich, dense flavours and sugar (and the hefty load to digest). So, if you’re anything like me, try and have meals that are simpler to digest at night and eat the richer foods for lunch and see if it benefits you!
#4 Create a night ritual
This is great for signalling to your body that it is time to wind down and prepare for sleep. This can range from anything that is calming for you. I love to have a bath, switch off from devices by 9:30 pm, and read or listen to a podcast; I am working on adding in the journaling.
Other ideas are:
- A bit of self-care like that aforementioned bath or a face mask.
- A short yoga/stretching routine.
- Something creative like sewing, drawing, or playing a puzzle.
- Curl up and read a book. Researchers at the University of Sussex found that just six minutes of reading per day can reduce stress levels by 68%. [7]
- Indulge in something soothing like listening to calming music and sipping on a (decaf) tea.
#5 Exercise
Exercise regularly. We all know the benefits of exercise for your health, but it can also seriously help with sleep. One study found that in people with severe insomnia, exercise resulted in a reduced time to fall asleep, night wakefulness, and anxiety and increased total sleep time by 18%! [8]
Something to be mindful of is not performing high-intensity exercise too close to sleep time. Avoid late-night gym sessions if you can help it! Exercise has a stimulatory effect on the body and increases adrenaline and energy, which isn’t ideal. Instead, a great form of movement before bed is a nighttime walk after dinner with your partner, dog, or yourself and a trusty podcast. This is one I can attest to. I started a little walk club with my two friends who live down the road 1-2x a week. If the weather doesn't permit it, download an app or YouTube series and perform a light yoga session. Our sister brand, Truth Naturals, has a yoga series here.
#6 Create a great sleep environment
Last but not least, make sure your bedroom is set up perfectly for a great night's sleep. Some simple tips:
- Switch off blue lights from computers, tablets and phones. It really interferes with your sleep. It tricks your body into thinking it is still daylight and switches on that alertness!
- Make sure your pillows, sheets and duvet are to your liking. Create an oasis.
- Consider upgrading your mattress. You spend enough hours there to justify it!
We hope you enjoyed our Sleep Awareness Week blog! Try implementing these strategies and see for yourself how they could change your sleep for the better 😴
Shani Kaplan
Shani Kaplan is a contributing writer for Truth Origins. She combines her knowledge gained from working within the fitness/wellness industry in Sydney and London for the last seven years as a Personal Trainer, and class instructor, with her addiction to research as a result of her BA in Business Marketing. Shani loves martial arts, resistance training, dance and yoga, nutrition, travel, design, photography, and art.
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References
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17308390metabolic function
[2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929498/metabolism
[3[ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8776790
[9]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23319909
[5]Harrison, Y. and Home, J., 1999. One Night Of Sleep Loss Impairs Innovative Thinking And Flexible Decision Making. - Pubmed - NCBI. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10329298> [Accessed 12 March 2020].
[6] ScienceDaily. 2020. Circadian Rhythm. [online] Available at: <https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/circadian_rhythm.htm> [Accessed 12 March 2020].
[7] Lewis, D. 2009, Galaxy Stress Research. Mindlab International, Sussex University, UK.
[8] Passos, G., 2010. Effect Of Acute Physical Exercise On Patients With Chronic Primary Insomnia. - Pubmed - NCBI. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20572421> [Accessed 12 March 2020].
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