12 Steps to Sleep Hygiene
The only way to get through the day is to get through the night first. That’s right, we’re talking about sleep again. I told you this was one of my pet peeves so pardon me the fact that this is probably the 7th blog post on this topic.. Sleep is the most important part of your day. The way you sleep affects how much you eat, how happy you are, and how much you do. Know how much sleep you need by reading this post and if you are not getting it, and everything else was ruled out (psychiatric and medical conditions, medications etc), try a better sleep behavior aka “sleep hygiene”.
Here are 12 steps to it:
Resist the quicksand. If you don’t sleep very well or oversleep at night, you might wake up feeling tired and dragging. This can make it very difficult to get out of bed at all, but you must resist your memory foam’s evil pull. Getting out of bed now and sticking to the routine you had planned the night before means falling asleep at a proper time later.
Never say nap-time. Okay, maybe not never, but excessive napping has been proven to shorten your sleep cycle at night, making it much more difficult to fall asleep when you want. However, if you are going to take a nap, the perfect time is around 2pm when your body gets naturally tired. Just make sure not to let yourself nap too long. A nap over 40 minutes can increase sleep inertia (nice word to express how much it sucks to get up from it) right after and insomnia at night. Taking a 20 minute nap, on the other hand, can increase your productivity in the second half of the day. Just ask the people in charge at The Huffington Post, NASA, or Ben & Jerry’s, companies that all provide nap rooms for their employees.
Be like Bill Murray. Obviously, a healthy and well-balanced diet will help you sleep at night, but timing is everything. Overeating late at night is bad for your body and your sleep cycle, but an empty stomach at bedtime can be distracting and uncomfortable. Having a light snack before bed can help you sleep as long as you pick the right foods. Foods high in tryptophan and serotonin can help induce sleep like bananas, cheese, and that old Bill Murray classic: a warm glass of milk. Look up my favorite recipe in this post.
No frenemies before bed. I’m talking to you, Real Housewives. They say you shouldn’t go to bed angry, but you shouldn’t fight before bed either. Having an argument close to bedtime can raise your blood pressure and lower the chances of you having a peaceful night’s sleep. Speak to someone who soothes you at the end of every day to encourage a calm and deep sleep at night.
Train your body like Ivan. Reminding your body that it’s time to sleep can be very helpful. You can do this by turning relaxing activities into rituals before bed and like Pavlov’s bell, they can trigger a calming physiological response. Examples of rituals that can help calm your body include doing relaxing stretches and breathing exercises, sitting with a cup of caffeine-free tea, getting a massage, and listening to soothing music or ASMR videos. Taking a hot bath and having good sex are also wonderful examples of rituals that can relax your body, but it’s good to do them an hour or two before bed, that way you can let your body temperature drop which is more conducive to somnolence.
Unplug and unwind. Avoid overstimulation as much as possible. Caffeine and nicotine should not be consumed within 4-6 hours of sleep because they act as stimulants to your body (more on this and the role of alcohol here). Shutting down your computers and televisions and putting away your phones are extremely important as well. Set a firm time to disconnect from these distractions to allow your mind to stop running. Don’t let yourself run either, exercise before bed prevents your body from being able to slow down and relax.
Avoid rigorous exercise within 4 hours prior to bedtime to send a soothing message to your body.
Don’t worry, be happy. We know you have a lot to think about. You have a million and one things to do today and you’ll have a million and one to do tomorrow. However, worrying at night can be detrimental to your sleeping patterns and, as a result, your day. Put your worries on a piece of paper or in your diary and set a time tomorrow to get back to them. Trust me, they’ll still be there in the morning. This might be easier said than done, but it is extremely beneficial to your sleeping habits.
A watched clock never stops. Granted, a clock shouldn’t stop at all, unless it’s broken or out of batteries, but that’s not really the point here. Whatever you do, don’t watch the clock! Frequently checking the time keeps your mind active and worried. As time ticks by, your anxiety will build, filling your mind with pessimistic thoughts like, “Oh no, look how late it is, I’ll never get to sleep.” This will make you upset and raise your pulse/blood pressure. Remember your optimal pulse for sleep is below 60 (I showed you ways to get there in this post). Turn around your clocks and flip your phones.
Dear Diary, I fell asleep. You’re not allowed to watch the clock all night, but you can reap the benefits of tracking when you go to sleep and when you wake up. Keeping a sleep diary can be a useful way of tracking and understanding your sleep habits. Track the patterns you follow naturally and then add some sleep hygiene tips into your routine to see what helps and what doesn’t. You can use this to help train your body to go to sleep and wake up at the same times every day, even on the weekends. But, don’t forget #9.
Location, location, location. If you’re having trouble sleeping, turning your room into the optimal setting for sleep can really help. You don’t even have to go to a feng shui expert. Dim the lights, cool the air, pile up on blanket options, and keep an eyemask and earplugs handy incase the outside world tries to disrupt your zen. Set your bed in a cozy and calm corner of your room and don’t use it unless you’re sleeping or having sex. Sitting up in bed to read, eat, surf the web, and watch TV conditions your body and mind to see the bed as a place to get things done. If you associate your bed with sleep, your body will follow suit.
11+1 Figure what works for you. Listen to your body. Not all these methods work for everyone. Figure what helps you and ditch the rest. Create your own ritual. For some it’s a hot bath, for others is chamomile tea for me it’s frothed milk. What is yours?
