Mr. Sandman…Forget the Dream, Just Bring Me Some Sleep
Sleep has gained a lot of attention as it has become more apparent just how vital a role proper sleep plays in our health and well-being. Good sleep is about more than beauty and its perks are far more than skin deep. Getting adequate sleep each night can bring a host of benefits including a well functioning immune system, improved mental function and maintaining a healthy weight to name a few. You can read more about these benefits and others here. On the flipside, not getting enough quality sleep, i.e. sleep deficiency, can increase risks for many chronic conditions.
Wondering how much sleep you need for optimal health? The CDC offers these recommendations based on age. You’ll see that for the largest part of our lifespan, between the ages of 18-60, we should be aiming for at least 7 hours each night for optimal physical and mental health. So for easy math, let’s say 7 hours out of a 24 hour day is roughly 30% of our day and these 7 hours can have a profound effect on the waking 70%. So how do we set ourselves up for success with sleep and give our body the restoration it needs.
Good sleep habits, sometimes referred to as sleep hygiene, are practices we put in place to help promote a good night's sleep. Here are a few I have found to be most practical and helpful with my own sleep and where I am in life.
Prioritize sleep. It seems like common sense and in a world where going without sleep so you can get more done is held in high regard, it can be an easy trap to fall into. Consider setting some healthy boundaries that protect your time for sleep.
Get some physical activity in your day. This can look different for everyone. The point is to find some movement in your day. If you have a physically demanding job, it might be built into your day. If your job is more sedentary like mine, you may need to be more intentional about carving out time to get it in. Aim to make it something enjoyable you can do on a consistent basis.
Limit caffeine. To my fellow coffee lovers, this one hurt a bit. While the idea of switching to decaf coffee felt a little like ending a relationship I was very happy in, I can report that for me, it’s been a good change. Turns out it was the ritual of coffee I enjoyed more than the actual caffeine. I no longer have the mid-afternoon sleepies and you guessed it, I find my sleep has improved.
Create an inviting sleep environment. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy (unless you want it to be). Investing in a mattress that feels good for you, along with sheets/blankets that you look forward to crawling into, can offer some wonderful return on your sleep. Keeping the room dark with black out curtains and a white noise machine have also proven to be worthwhile investments. Lastly, the temperature of your bedroom. As a person who thinks 70 degrees is cool, it took me a while to come around to the recommended sleep temperature of 60-67 degrees fahrenheit. Having said that, I know I sleep better between 65-67 degrees so I suck it up and endure the initial chilliness for a good night’s sleep.
Consistency with bedtime and wake routine. Hitting the hay and rising at the same time on a regular schedule can allow your body to find a rhythm. It doesn’t need to be super rigid either. For myself, I find not deviating more than an hour on either end allows for a bit of flexibility without negatively impacting my sleep.
While these have worked for me, the Sleep Foundation shares many other sleep hygiene strategies you might consider. I’ll also share that I rarely have issues falling asleep; however, if I wake up in the night, which I inevitably do because nature calls, I sometimes struggle to go back to sleep. It is these times I wish my brain came with an off switch. If you’ve read my previous blogs, you know breathing exercises are my go to when I’m looking for some calmness and control and it applies here as well. In addition to controlled breathing, progressive muscle relaxation techniques can also help bring my mind and body back to sleep ready state.
In closing, it’s important to note that while most of us experience a poor night’s sleep from time to time, there are sleep disorders which may require a medical diagnosis and treatment. Whatever the case may be, I hope this has highlighted the importance of sleep for all aspects of health and offered some helpful ideas on what you can do to help set yourself up for better sleep. While the consequences of sleep deficiency are serious, I’ll leave you with a bit of humor. This quote by JoJo Jensen made me laugh and I find it to be very true for myself.
“Without enough sleep, we all become tall two year olds.”