For the typical busy professional, maximising the little sleep one can get is crucial for optimal performance at work.
However, the demands of modern-day living, including work emails at all hours and social media at our fingertips, mean that we’ve never been more over-stimulated.
It’s therefore no wonder that many adults aren’t able to get the quality 6-9 hours of sleep they need:
According to a recent study by London’s King’s College, more than half of the UK population have struggled with sleep since lockdown began.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 30% of adult Americans aren’t getting enough sleep.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, approximately one-third of adults in the USA have symptoms of insomnia.
So how can one hope to solve this issue?
The key to a good night’s sleep is practising healthy sleeping habits - known as “sleep hygiene”. For starters, set fixed wake-up and sleep times (even at the weekend) and spend at least 30 minutes unwinding before bedtime. In addition, incorporate some of the sleep hygiene suggestions set out below. Be sure to schedule your sleep hygiene routine in your calendar and set reminders, to help you follow through. And if you’re wanting to shift your sleep times, remember to make small, step-by-step adjustments of up to an hour or two, to help you gradually settle into a new routine.
During the day
1. Exercise
Exercising for as little as 30 minutes per day can improve your sleep quality. If you’re able to exercise outside, the exposure to natural light may help to regulate your sleep cycle. However, avoid exercising within an hour or two of your bedtime, as this can increase your energy levels and body temperature, which may make it harder to fall asleep.
If you’re looking to do some physical activity later in the day, opt for light stretches or yoga.
2. Schedule worry, gratitude & to-do list time
Schedule 15-30 minutes daily at a consistent time (early evening often works well) to write down:
Your worries and at least one action item you can do to help deal with the issue. If you’re getting overwhelmed by a seemingly insurmountable task, try breaking it down into manageable chunks.
3-5 things you are grateful for.
Your to-do list for tomorrow. A recent study found that writing a to-do list assisted people in falling asleep 9 minutes quicker than people who wrote about tasks they’d already accomplished that day. The longer and more detailed the to-do list, the faster they fell asleep. Although it seems counterintuitive to think about tomorrow’s tasks in order to get to sleep, researchers think that listing them helps to prevent rumination, at least temporarily.
Doing the above should ease the extent to which you worry at bedtime and help you go to sleep in a more positive mindframe.
If thoughts related to your worries arise while you’re in bed, remind yourself “I don’t need to think about this right now. I will think about it tomorrow during my scheduled worry time and address it then”.
If you’re worrying about work while you’re in bed, say to yourself “There will always be more to do, but you have done enough for today. Now it’s time to relax and sleep.”
3. Avoid or limit daytime naps
If you absolutely need to nap, limit yourself to up to 30 minutes and avoid doing so later in the afternoon.
4. Watch what you put into your body
Both caffeine and nicotine are stimulants which interfere with your ability to fall asleep, so aim to avoid these later in the day. Some of our common caffeine intakes are through coffee, tea, coke and chocolate, and the caffeine effects can last 3-7 hours after you consume them.
As regards alcohol, whilst this may make it easier to fall asleep initially, it disrupts sleep later in the night. It’s therefore best to moderate alcohol consumption and avoid it later in the evening.
5. Don't go to bed hungry or stuffed
Avoid heavy meals within a couple of hours of bedtime and only have light snacks if you’re hungry before bedtime.
Before bedtime
1. Use a sleep app
For example, Balance (which claims to be the world’s first personalised meditation app) offers:
sleep meditations;
activities such as deep breathing; and
sounds such as white noise,
which are all recommended ways of helping you get to sleep.
At the time of writing this post, Balance has a limited time offer of one free year. Try it out if you haven’t already: https://www.balanceapp.com
2. If you’re not a fan of apps, try the below breathing exercises, visualization exercises or Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Note the below article, which contains these exercises, has been medically reviewed:
3. Have a hot bath, shower or foot soak
Researchers have found that these sorts of warm-water therapies can help get your body into sleep mode. The warmth raises your body temperature and research shows that your body will feel sleepy as your body temperature drops again.
Having even just a half an hour bath whilst using a sleep app like Balance can work a treat!
4. Read a book which is not too stimulating, whilst sipping a cup of caffeine-free herbal tea
This is a good option for when you’re not quite ready to sleep and want to engage your mind in something relaxing, but want to stay away from watching TV. The hot tea in addition is great for helping to calm you.
5. Limit screen usage (phone, TV, tablet, or laptop screen) for an hour or so before bedtime
The reason for this is that screens emit blue light, which can reduce your melatonin levels. Melatonin is a chemical that controls your sleep/wake cycle. When your melatonin levels dip, it can be more difficult to fall asleep.
If you think you’ll struggle with avoiding screens before bed, try putting your electronics in another room and use an alarm clock instead of your phone for an alarm.
In the same vein as the above, consider dimming the lights after you finish dinner.
6. Bed is only for certain activities
So that your body associates bed with sleep, limit your activities in it to sleeping and sex.
Using your bed as a place to watch TV, eat, read, work, talk on the phone, have emotional conversations and do admin will stop your body from learning this connection.
If you get up in the middle of the night
1. Get out of bed after 20 minutes
After about 20 minutes of being awake,
get out of bed and do something calming in low light, such as journaling, reading, meditation or listening to calming music. Avoid doing anything too interesting or stimulating. Once you start getting sleepy, head to bed. The idea is to avoid your brain associating being in bed with not being able to sleep.
2. Write down your worries
Note down any worries you are experiencing, so that you can release them from your mind and allow it to rest.
More generally, create a pleasant bedroom environment to help you doze off. Consider the below.
A comfortable mattress and pillow with the right level of firmness/softness for you.
Soft bedsheets and PJs for optimal coziness.
The right temperature. For most people, a bedroom temperature between 60°F and 67°F (15.6°C and 19.4°C) is the optimal temperature for sleeping. Assuming you don’t have air conditioning, consider opening your windows ahead of bedtime or getting a fan.
Blocking out light. Use thick curtains or an eye mask to prevent light from interrupting your sleep. When you are preparing for bedtime, switch on a bedside lamp rather than the bedroom light to keep you away from bright lights, which can hinder the production of melatonin.
Block out noise with earplugs.
Use an essential oil diffuser and pillow mist to help you relax in the presence of soothing aromas. Fun fact: Lavender is the most used essential oil in sleep mists, mainly because of the natural sedative effect it has on our brains. It is also said to reduce our blood pressure, which helps the body to produce melatonin.
If you are struggling with your sleep on a continuing basis, try keeping a sleep diary to uncover lifestyle habits or activities that are contributing to your sleeplessness. You can also speak to your doctor for further solutions.
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