7 tips to help you get a better sleep.
Is sleep the ultimate productivity hack? One thing is certain though—good sleep is not an option if you are going to be healthy and productive. The quality and quantity of your sleep is closely related to your experience of your days and your life. In this article, I will provide 7 short tips to help you get a better night’s rest so you can have a more productive and enjoyable day after.
Tip #1 – Go back to being 8
One of the most enduring and scientifically established practices to improve sleep is to have a regular sleep and wake time – regardless of the day of the week. Yes, I am suggesting you, an adult, have a regular bedtime just like when you were 8. Remember how much energy you had back then?
Having regular sleep and wake times means no sleeping in on the weekends only to sleep-starve yourself on the weekdays. More importantly, it means training your brain to sleep on queue. Once established, the predictability will ensure that the two most important factors for reaping the benefits of sleep are covered – quantity and quality.
Tip #2 - Remove exposure to back-lit screens – TV, computers, phones and tablets - roughly 2 hours before sleep
There are mechanisms in our brains closely tied in to the earth’s 24-hour day and night (light and dark) cycle. This is why most of the population goes to sleep and night (when the earth is going through a dark phase) and are awake during the day (when its light out).
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is a region of the brain that processes the light signals we receive through our eyes. To quote research from the Department of Cell & Structural Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois,
The tiny suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus plays a central role in the daily programming of organismic functions by regulating day-to-day oscillations...This biological clock drives the daily expression of vital homeostatic functions as diverse as feeding, drinking, body temperature, and neurohormone secretion. It adaptively organizes these body functions into near-24-hour oscillations termed circadian rhythms.
In other words, your body is on a schedule. And that schedule is tied closely with the light and dark cycles of the day. But what does all this have to do with screens?
Well, LED (light-emitting diode) screens - think virtually every modern device with a screen - produce a frequency of light (commonly called blue light) that confuses the SCN. It makes it think it is still daytime and this makes falling asleep more difficult.
Therefore, to prevent this, try to match your exposure to screen light with daylight. If this is too difficult because you do some of your work (or screen-related play) at night, then at least, turn off the screens a few hours before your bedtime. This way, your body can begin winding down before you actually hit the hay. The result— you fall asleep faster and can sleep better and longer.
Tip #3 - More opportunity, better odds
How often do you lay down and instantly fall asleep? My guess is not very often. There is usually a lag between hitting the hay and counting Zs.
Therefore, give yourself more sleep opportunity so you can give yourself enough sleep. I recommend at least 30 minutes. So, if you plan to sleep eight hours, give yourself eight hours and 30 minutes of sleep opportunity. This covers not just sleep time, but also falling asleep time.
The lag between going to bed and falling asleep will get shorter and shorter as you apply the tips in this article. However, it will always be a part of our lives as humans therefore, why not make it work for you instead of against you?
Tip #4 - Have a wind-down routine
A lot of us are familiar with the benefits of a good morning routine. But an evening wind-down routine is just as important especially if you struggle with falling asleep. Without it, you may find yourself lying restlessly and anxiously in bed as the clock ticks and taunts you.
A wind-down routine gets you into a rhythm that culminates in a deep restful sleep.Wind-down routine ideas.An effective wind-down routine will be relaxing. Therefore, perform some relaxing activity as part of your wind-down routine. Have some caffeine-free tea, read a book, have a warm shower – anything that calms you down. This is good time to spend some quality time with your loved ones if they live with you.
You can also meditate or just perform a few minutes of mindful breathing to slow your heart rate.You may also do some stretches – just don’t do anything strenuous as this will increase your heart rate and core temperature and can actually make falling asleep harder (see tip #5).
The aim is to relax and deliberately initiate the gentle cascade into sleep.
Tip #5 - Cool down
Your core temperature drops when your body starts preparing to sleep. You can help this along by setting the thermostat of your home to drop the temperature an hour or two prior to your bedtime. Most people also tend to favour cool over warm ambient temperatures for sound sleep.
Variations exist across age and gender. You might also have variations if you have a bedmate. For me, I favour 17C – 19C. My wife likes it a bit warmer. We make it work – mostly by varying our covers and number of layers. See what works for you.
You want to be comfortable but it should be noticeably cooler than usual. You might find you not only fall asleep faster and easier, but you will probably sleep better throughout the night as well.
Tip #6 - Get dark
There is a reason why parents pull the blinds in the morning to wake their reluctant teen when gentler appeals fail. Bright light disrupts our sleep. And even though some people can fall asleep with a spotlight on their faces, for most of us, a dark room makes falling (and staying asleep) much easier. Even the “lit-room” sleepers may find they sleep better if they turned the lights down.
This is because sleeping in the dark is in line with our bodies close ties to the earth’s light and dark cycle. Keeping your chambers dark will communicate to your SCN (from tip #2) that its time to sleep. It is dark now, let’s turn in. The SCN will oblige and trigger physiological changes that lead to sleep.
Unless you have a fear of the dark, turn the lights off to go to bed. This can be very relaxing all by itself. Your eyes, tired from a day of visual bombardment, finally get some relief – the relief of darkness. This encourages your eyelids to gently fall as you slip into sweet sleep. Sweet dreams.
Tip #7 - Hush
I used to live in the downtown area of a busy city. At the time, it worked for me – commuting to work was easy and I was only a few blocks away from virtually any service I needed. Just one problem – even though I lived on the 20th floor of my apartment building, the occasional midnight noise of sirens was wreaking havoc on my sleep. Especially during the summer when I would leave the windows open for some sweet fresh air. And during the day, there was heavy construction (of another high-rise apartment building) right across the street from me. It was unbearable. Now not only was it hard to sleep at night, I couldn’t even nap in peace!
My Realtor probably thought I was weird
When my wife and I decided to move, the first thing I would do at every house the realtor showed us was go right up to each bedroom window, open it and listen. If I could hear any noise, it was a no. I didn’t care how lovely the house was or how well priced – it was a no. I needed quiet. The location we decided on is decidedly quiet. And we are much happier – and more productive too.
Noise hurts your sleep
From prehistoric times till now, loud noises generally mean bad things are happening. From the roar of a predator thousands of years ago to an explosion or the rustling of a prowler of more modern times, we are generally apprehensive of noises – especially at night.
Noises in your surroundings may not even wake you completely, but they will disrupt your sleep even if you don’t realize it. You may be “asleep”, but you will not be getting the full benefits of rejuvenation because your brain does not tune down completely due to the auditory inputs that may be signalling danger – even if its just a late-night laugh track from the show you left playing on your T.V.
Speaking of the TV, why do you still have one on in your bedroom? Didn’t you read Tip #2?
Turn it down – or plug it
Therefore, to get a good night’s rest, keep things quiet in your bedroom. If you cannot control the outside noises of your neighborhood, then maybe you can get some earplugs. Get the soft, foamy kind. They won’t injure you and they do a good job of blocking out ambient sounds. I only wish I had thought of them when I lived downtown. Well, you live and learn.In short, to ensure you sleep well, eliminate (or block out) any noise in your surroundings while you sleep.
Sweet dreams
Good sleep is linked to more than productivity – it is correlated with health, happiness (mood) and even attractiveness. A good night’s rest should be an important part of your day-to-day work and rejuvenation cycle. And with these seven tips, you will get the most of your nightly shuteye sessions so you can rise and shine in the morning.
Until the next article, pleasant dreams.
