Seven Tips for Better Sleep

Rest and rejuvenation gained from a good sleep pattern keeps us healthy and functioning at our best each day. Here are some tips to help you to get better sleep.

Tip 1: Sync up with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle

Keep a regular daily sleep-wake schedule, even on weekends, to set your body’s internal clock and optimise the quality of your sleep. Determine the time when you normally feel tired, and don’t go to bed if you’re just feeling that after dinner drowsiness. Get up and do something, like preparing clothes or lunch for the next day until your normal bedtime arrives. You should wake up naturally without an alarm if you’re getting the right amount of sleep. If you need an alarm clock, you may need an earlier bedtime.

Tip 2: Control your exposure to light

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone controlled by light exposure that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Your brain secretes more melatonin when it’s dark - making you sleepy - and less when it’s light - making you more alert. As soon as you wake up, expose yourself to bright light, preferably sunlight. Take your work breaks outside in sunlight, exercise outside, or walk your dog during the day instead of at night. Expose yourself to as much natural light during the day as possible, even while indoors. At night, switch off the TV and the bright screens of devices 1-2 hours before your bedtime.  Minimise the impact by using devices with smaller screens or by turning the brightness down or adjusting the settings to night mode. Listen to relaxing music or non-stimulating audio books instead of watching late-night television, as the light from a TV suppresses melatonin, and many programs are stimulating rather than relaxing. Also avoid reading on backlit devices. When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark by closing curtains or shades to block light from windows, or try a sleep mask. Also consider covering up electronics that emit light. If you get up during the night for a loo run, keep light sources low. 

Tip 3: Exercise during the day

People who exercise regularly sleep better at night and feel less sleepy during the day. Regular exercise also improves the symptoms of insomnia and sleep apnoea and increases the amount of time you spend in the deep, restorative stages of sleep. Morning and afternoon exercise is preferable, as the stimulating effects of vigorous exercise may interfere with sleep. Try some Yin yoga or a relaxing stretch session before bed to counter the effects of an active day.

Tip 4: Be smart about what you eat and drink

Your daytime eating habits play a role in how well you sleep, especially in the hours before bedtime. Limit stimulants like caffeine. Try to make dinner time earlier in the evening and avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bedtime. Spicy or acidic foods can cause stomach trouble and heartburn. While an alcoholic nightcap may help you relax, it interferes with your sleep cycle once you’re out. And don’t drink lots of fluids in the evening, as it may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night. Also, sugar and refined carbs such as white bread, white rice and pasta eaten later in the day can trigger wakefulness at night and pull you out of the deep, restorative stages of sleep.

Tip 5: Wind down and clear your head

Do you often find yourself unable to get to sleep or regularly waking up, night after night? Residual stress, worry and anger from your day can make it very difficult to sleep well. Take steps to manage your overall stress levels and learn how to unwind at night. Develop a relaxing bedtime ritual to help you prepare your mind for sleep, such as practising a relaxation technique, taking a warm bath, or dimming the lights and listening to soft music or an audiobook, as mentioned above. If you have things on your mind, write them down to get them out of your head. The daily practice of writing down at least 3 things in your life for which you are grateful leads to more positive thought patterns, and it relaxes the mind. Importantly, practice some form of mindfulness meditation daily each morning upon waking and just before retiring to bed, to relax and to develop more control of your emotions and mental states.

Tip 6: Improve your sleep environment

Keep your room dark, cool, and quiet. If you can’t avoid or eliminate noise from neighbours, traffic or other people in your household, try masking it with a fan or a white noise app. Earplugs may also help. Most people sleep best in a slightly cool room (around 18°) with adequate ventilation. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep. Your bed covers should leave you enough room to stretch and turn comfortably without becoming tangled. If you often wake up with a sore back or an aching neck, you may need to experiment with different levels of mattress firmness, foam toppers, and pillows that provide more or less support. By not working, watching TV, or using your phone, tablet or computer in bed, your brain will associate the bedroom with sleep, which makes it easier to wind down at night.

Tip 7: Learn ways to get back to sleep

Hard as it may be, try not to stress over the fact you've woken up or your inability to fall asleep again, because that stress (cortisol release) only encourages your body to stay awake. Focus on the feelings in your body, or practice the breathing exercises from my previous articles. Make relaxation your goal, not sleep. Try a relaxation technique such as visualisation, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation while lying in bed. While it’s not a replacement for sleep, relaxation can still help rejuvenate your body. If you’ve been awake for more than 15 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet, non-stimulating activity, such as reading a relaxing, light-hearted book. Keep the lights dim and avoid screens so as not to give your body any wake up cues. Have a notepad and pen on your bedside table - if you wake during the night feeling anxious about something, make a brief note of it and postpone further rumination about it until the next day, when it will be easier to resolve. Similarly, if a great idea is keeping you awake, make a note of it and fall back to sleep knowing you’ll be much more productive after a good night’s rest.

Adapted from https://www.helpguide.org/ and supplemented by Brett Dengate – Senior Learning & Development Consultant, Norton Rose Fulbright