Last time, I wrote about why sleep is so important. However, I know for some, sleep is a difficult task. For those who struggle, I thought I'd share some sleep hygiene info in the hopes that it will help you prioritise this vital body function.
Step away from the phone
To begin, it's best to put your phone on its charger at least 30 minutes before you go to bed. I know, this probably seems prohibitively hard. There's always another email to send or a cute cat video to watch. However, it is one of the most helpful things you can do when sleep is a high maintenance friend.
The rationale is this: the blue light from your phone (you can't see it, but it's there) will keep you from falling to sleep easily because it disrupts your sleep hormone, melatonin. So while scrolling Instagram while lying in bed may seem relaxing, science tells us that it will make sleep more elusive. Which in turn makes waking up harder. A vicious cycle.
And if this wasn’t challenging enough, I’m going a step further to recommend you keep your phone outside of the bedroom to help avoid the temptation to check email (or whatever) in the middle of night.
What's that you say? You need your phone at your bedside because it's your alarm clock? Well luckily, traditional alarm clocks are still available. Perhaps it's time to consider one of those to adorn your bedside table.
Night time ritual
Once you've put your phone away, you may be wondering what to do with yourself before your head hits the pillow. This is the perfect opportunity to follow a routine that gets you primed and ready for sleepy time. In the same way that babies and young children need a routine to help them go to bed without complaint, this is equally important for adults. Your nightly dental care is probably already a well-established ritual, but our bodies need more than this brief activity to prepare us for lights out.
First, I recommend you dim or restrict the lighting when you enter the bedroom. Our circadian rhythms are triggered by light, so anything you can do to cue your body that it's time for shut eye is helpful.
Turning off our brains at night is often much more difficult than powering down a computer. With so much stimulating us each day, making the transition to an empty or at least non-racing mind, can be tough. Lavender spray on your pillow will promote relaxation and it’s also recommended that you finish your caffeine intake by 3 pm so that it doesn’t keep you awake.
If you need more than a calming scent and chamomile tea, consider nightly meditation, writing in a gratitude journal or this great breathing technique from Dr Andrew Weil.
Please don't get overwhelmed and let these suggestions keep your mind whirring. You don't need to do all of these things! You just need to find what works for you.
Sounds of silence
Sleep is usually associated with quiet, however in a noisy city environment, some people use white noise to help reduce outdoor sounds with a small electronic device. There are also white noise apps you can download to your phone, however these will clearly be hard to hear if your phone is in another room. Which may mean two new items for your bedside table.
And if white noise isn't your thing, nature sounds, or pink noise, may be what you need to soothe. Think of how well you sleep when you hear waves on your beach holiday or the gentle sound of rain.
Not too hot, not too cold, but just right
While we sleep, our bodies cool down allowing for overnight renewal. While we may have a blanket or duvet on our bed to keep toasty, a warm room makes it more difficult to sleep. The ideal room temperature is 18 degrees Celsius (65 degrees Fahrenheit).
In the winter, this temperature feels "frigid" to me in the morning so I programme my heating to turn on about 20 minutes before I get out of bed.
While some of these suggestions may sound familiar, hopefully they inspire you with a variety of options to try so that you can avoid lying in bed staring at the ceiling. While I am generally blessed with the gift of easy sleep, the 4-7-8 breathing has been great for me if my mind needs calming as I climb into bed and also if I can’t get back to sleep in the middle of the night.
Do you have a favourite sleep hack?