Getting good sleep often can feel impossible. What we need to remember is that it’s not necessarily about how many hours we sleep, but about the quality. Ultimately, improving the quality of your sleep is one of the best things you can do for your health because you know that when you are rested properly, you have more patience, a better mood, and you can show up for your family. Here’s some ways to ensure that you are getting smarter about your sleep:
Consider the Right Supplements
Supplements are a massive topic anyway, but a lot of people in this busy world are reaching for the bottle in the right ways. Products that are marketed as CBD for sleep could be part of a broader routine alongside options such as melatonin or magnesium glycinate, but it’s always important to remember that you get to go-ahead from a health professional and start with low doses. Supplements are there to supplement your lifestyle, not to replace unhealthy habits.
Do You Know Your Sleep Cycles?
Your brain moves through repeating sleep cycles that last approximately 90 minutes, going from light sleep to deep sleep and REM sleep, then going back to deep and light sleep, and the cycle is complete. This is why if you wake up feeling really groggy and then focused, you’ve actually woken up in the middle of a cycle.
You should aim for between 7 and 9 hours of total sleep and experiment with consistent bed and wake times that line up roughly with these 90-minute blocks because this can help your body to predict when it should be winding down and when it should be alert, which is also why you may find yourself getting sleepy at a certain time. What you may notice is that your energy feels far smoother throughout the day, and this is really what we should be going for!
Get Morning Sunlight to Set Your Clock
Your circadian rhythm, which is your internal 24-hour clock, relies heavily on light exposure so your body knows when it should be awake and when it should be asleep.
This is why turning on lots of bright overhead lights slightly in the evening keeps you awake, so if you dim your lights and screens after dinner, you’re going to support your circadian clock, but also remember that getting natural light within an hour of waking, even on a cloudy day, sends a strong daytime signal to your brain.
It doesn’t have to be much; even 15 minutes or less could be all you need.
Mind Your Caffeine, Alcohol, and Screen Intake
The problem we have with caffeine is that we feel we need it to power us along, but that afternoon coffee or your energy drink may still be in your system at bedtime, particularly as caffeine has a half life of approximately 12 hours, which can fragment your deep sleep and REM, leaving you feel drained even if you have a full night in bed.
The fact is that sleep is amazing for us and can do so much beyond what we can comprehend, and it’s truly the one thing that can repair us, so focus on the quality, and you may see a huge difference in the quality of your life.
