Taking a leisurely bath, performing self-massage, inhaling lovely scents and doing a stretching routine before bed can all help you wind down, but this type of self-care routine can take ages! If you want to know how to sleep better, make consistent, small daily habits that start the moment you wake up, says personal trainer Jenny Devonshire
Words: Jenny Devonshire | Images: Shutterstock
Seek early morning daylight
Morning sunlight helps you to sleep via the regulation of the circadian rhythm, so by exposing yourself to natural light in the morning and throughout the day, this will help maintain a healthy circadian rhythm and regulates your sleep/wake cycle. A study featured in the journal Sleep Health found that participants who were exposed to daylight in the morning slept better and had improved mood and reduced stress levels.
In the morning, you have high levels of dopamine, epinephrine and cortisol, the hormones that help to get you going. Natural light results in a further release of these hormones, which helps you focus and be more alert. Morning light exposure also results in you being better able to produce melatonin at bedtime, resulting in improved sleep quality.
Cut caffeine after midday
Caffeine has a half-life of five hours, which means that if you have a coffee at 12pm, there will still be half of the caffeine left in your body five hours later. Even if you feel you can nod off after caffeine, it often causes disrupted sleep. Adenosine is a molecule found in the body that inhibits arousal and causes sleepiness. Levels of adenosine build up over the day, which results in us getting sleepy. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, which is how caffeine keeps you awake. Levels of adenosine continue to build, which is why when the caffeine wears off you are hit with a crash in energy as your body is being signalled to sleep. Drinking caffeine later in the day will suppress the adenosine receptors so that you find it challenging to sleep.
Take the right exercise
Exercise helps to tire your mind and body and has been shown to improve sleep. Moderate aerobic exercise has been shown to increase the amount of slow-wave sleep you get. This type of sleep is also known as deep sleep, and this is where the body and brain rejuvenate. Deep sleep also helps to support your immune system, cardiac health, and reduces stress and anxiety. Exercising results in more energy expenditure, which can make you feel more tired and therefore find it easier to get to sleep. Stress and anxiety often lead to sleep problems, so mind-body exercise such as yoga can help reduce cortisol levels and improve mood, and it can also be used to improve your sleep.
Be careful not to exercise too close to bedtime though as it can elevate your core temperature and the endorphins released can make it harder to get to sleep.
Devote your bedroom to sleep and relaxation
Many people spend a lot of time in their bedroom for work and non-sleep activities. Watching TV or eating food should not be done in your bedroom. What you use a room for regularly forms an association in your brain, which subconsciously signals that action. Wherever possible, avoid working in your bedroom. You want entry into your bedroom to signal to your brain that it is time to sleep. Try to keep your room as tidy as possible to help you feel calm before sleep, and don’t be tempted to take your phone in with you. Even if it is on aeroplane mode, if you wake in the night and it is on your bedside table, you might be tempted to check it, which will further disrupt your sleep.
Keep your room cool and dark
Darkness results in the release of melatonin, which signals to the body that it is time to sleep. The perfect environment for a good night’s sleep is one that is extremely dark without any disturbance from artificial light. If your room has some light coming through the curtains, invest in some blackout blinds and perhaps add tape along the edges so that no light comes through the sides. You could also buy an eye mask for an easy alternative.
Did you know that when your core temperature drops, you fall asleep easier? Your body temperature naturally drops, which signals that it is time to relax and go to sleep. By having a cool bedroom, you are reinforcing this message to sleep. Cooler bedrooms are also associated with staying asleep, allowing you to cycle through the stages of sleep so you wake up feeling refreshed.
Avoid blue light from screens
Blue light from electrical devices such as mobile phones, laptops and televisions can inhibit melatonin, which is the hormone released to signal sleep. Blue light is composed of electromagnetic radiation, although do note that the sky contains natural blue light and this
is good for you in the morning.
Your circadian rhythm is your internal body clock, which signals when you should wake and sleep. Light is important for regulating this system. Artificial blue light suppresses the release of melatonin, which as stated above, makes us feel sleepy. Exposure to blue light in the evening can trick your body into thinking it is daytime, resulting in disruption of the circadian rhythm and difficulty sleeping. Chronic disruption can even lead to metabolic disorders and depression, so it’s important to support this natural rhythm as best you can. You can do this by morning light exposure (see point one) and either avoiding the use of blue-light devices in the evening or investing in some blue-light-blocking glasses.
Jenny Devonshire is the founder of workplace wellness portal Pause2Perform. Visit pause2perform.com and also find Jenny at instagram.com/jennycdevonshire.
