Tired of not sleeping well? Counting sheep not doing the trick? Getting a good night's rest full of restorative sleep is crucial to your health and wellbeing. Here are 10 amazing tips on how to get your best night's rest on the regular!
In partnership with WellStart Health
I’m writing this article on my laptop, which tells me it has 4% battery life left. I’ve been ignoring the charge percentage in my top menu bar, as well as the intrusive warning notifications that began at 8%. Because I’m on a deadline, gosh darn it, and I simply can’t afford to waste time finding my charging cord and plugging it into my computer at one end, and the wall at the other. So my delicate little MacBook Air better be willing to go to -10% power so I can finish this thing.
If by now you suspect that I’m insane, I don’t blame you. Obviously, there’s no such thing as -10% battery power.. And the idea that I’m too busy to take a minute to charge the laptop is downright ridiculous.
Ah, but before you dismiss me as a technological neanderthal, here’s a question: do you ever treat your body that way? Do you ever disregard signs of fatigue and “power through” to get things done? Do you believe, even a little, that you can push your body into deficits through caffeine and other stimulants? And do you treat a nightly session of restorative sleep as a luxury that you often can’t afford?
If so, you’re not alone. Our “sleep is for the weak” culture lionizes those who treat their bodies like I treat my laptop. We’re so focused on productivity that we can easily forget that one of the pillars of that productivity is rest. When our cycle of exertion and rest are in balance, we’re actually more productive than if we’re constantly exhausting ourselves in frenetic work marathons. Our mood is better, and we’re healthier, able to fend off chronic disease and stay safe on the road and while doing our jobs.
Sleep is also the foundation for all our other healthy lifestyle habits. If you’re exhausted during the day, you’re less likely to want to exercise, and you’re liable to reach for sugary and caffeinated snacks to give you temporary boosts of energy and focus. And don’t get me started on the connection between fatigue and stress - we’ve all gone from lethargy to freakout in a hot minute, have we not?
Given that next week we lose an hour of sleep in the switch back from Daylight Saving Time, this is as good a time as any to remind ourselves of the importance of restorative sleep, and how we can do a better job of treating ourselves to 7-8 hours on a daily basis.
Here are 10 tips to help you get a good night’s sleep on the regular. (Note: these tips assume you sleep at night. If you’re a shift worker, adapt the suggestions to your schedule as best you can.)
1. Stick to consistent bedtimes and wake-up times
Your body craves routine, and responds predictably to predictable environmental cues. If you turn lights out at 10:30 every night, your body will anticipate and prepare for nighty-night around 10.
Similarly, try to wake up at the same time every morning. Even on weekends and holidays, aim to shift your sleep cycle by as little as possible.
2. Make yourself sleepy in time for bed
We fall asleep when our sleep drive is greater than our ability to override it. When we wake refreshed in the morning, our sleep drive is at its lowest. It gradually increases as the day goes on, depending on factors like how long we’ve been awake, and how much energy we expend. The higher our level of a neurotransmitter called adenosine rises, the sleepier we become. When it hits its peak, falling asleep is as easy as falling off a log.
Two strategies for maximizing adenosine in time for lights out are to avoid late-in-the-day naps, and getting enough physical activity during the day. Since adenosine decreases during sleep, a 4pm nap can fool our bodies into thinking that the time has reset to 7am, which makes 11pm feel like lunchtime. We’re more hungry and restless than properly knackered.
Similarly, physical exertion increases adenosine levels as well. If you have trouble falling asleep at bedtime, you might solve this problem simply by fatiguing your body more. It doesn’t have to be strenuous, either. Walking, stretching, yoga, gardening, and dancing can also prime your body for a restful period of recovery. Make sure that you don’t engage in strenuous activity right before bed, though, as the increase in heart rate can confuse your body into thinking it’s involved in a fight or flight emergency and needs to override fatigue with hypervigilance.
3. Turn your bedroom into a sleep cave
Your bedroom has two purposes only: sleep and sex. Just like training your body to respond predictably to a consistent time for sleep, you want to associate your bedroom with sleep, rather than working, watching movies, scrolling Instagram, and searching for receipts in scary piles of paper. And you want that bedroom to be conducive to sleep. That involves four main qualities.
Dark
The human body has evolved to sleep at night, when it’s dark. In a world of electric lights and artificial environments, we can easily mess up our natural rhythms and have no idea what time it is. Keeping your bedroom dark at night will cue your body to shift into sleep mode. Keep evening lighting muted, avoid lights in the blue spectrum, and get the room as dark as possible after lights out. This might involve blackout curtains or or a good eyeshade. To keep blue light out of your eyes, avoid electronic screens, as they mimic the wavelengths of daylight. If you have a bed partner who insists on screen time in bed, you can mitigate the effect with blue-blocking glasses.
Quiet
Loud and low frequency noises are the enemy of restful sleep. Even if you don’t wake up to a noise, your body is constantly scanning the environment and assessing if there’s a threat. The low rumble of an HVAC unit or the sounds of airliners navigating a flight path over your head both sound enough like the roar or chuffle of a predator to raise your stress level to Defcon 3. If you can’t control the ambient noise in your bedroom, invest in a pair of earplugs.
Cool
At night, the temperature drops, another signal to the body that it’s time to sleep. In the climate controlled boxes that we live in, we have to purposefully cool our bedrooms at night. The ideal temperature is the one that requires you to cover yourself with a sheet or light blanket in order to be comfortable.
Uncluttered
Keep your bedroom tidy and minimalist to avoid overtaxing the brain at bedtime. Piles of papers, or other forms of clutter signify “this is something that must get done,” and sends our minds into open loops of worry and planning. Nighttime is the time for putting up and putting by, thus allowing our minds to set the day down and focus entirely on restoration.
4. Avoid caffeine 6 hours before bedtime
Caffeine goes to work quickly, and stays in the body for a long time. It can take up to 10 hours for all the caffeine from a cup of coffee to be fully metabolized by the body. If you’re planning a 10:00pm bedtime, then your last cup should be no later than 4pm. That’s a general guideline - depending on your unique physiology, and the amount of caffeine you’re consuming, you might have to move that back an hour or two to fully eliminate its stimulant effects at bedtime.
5. Don’t use alcohol to relax in the evening
If you find yourself needing a drink to relax at the end of the day, you might assume that that glass of Pinot Noir is aiding your sleep. The opposite is true, unfortunately. Alcohol consumed shortly before bedtime can mess with your deep sleep later in the night, as your liver has to wake up to process it. Also, alcohol before bed is a significant contributor to weight gain.
Instead, consider a warm mug of herbal tea: chamomile, lavender, and peppermint all have relaxing effects.
6. Destress yourself
Many of us have trouble falling asleep because of the stressful thoughts racing through our minds as the distractions of the day cease. Stress management can be very helpful here. Cognitive techniques (questioning catastrophic thoughts), mindfulness practices (paying attention to breath and physical sensations), and muscle tension and relaxation exercises can all decrease stress and decrease the RPM of the mind’s motor.
7. Stimulate your circadian rhythms with light during the day
Just as nighttime is for darkness, daytime is for light. Many of us live and work indoors, where the light never gets nearly as bright as outdoors. If possible, work near windows, take time to walk or sit outside to get some sun exposure, and install indoor lighting in your daytime spaces that is bright and simulates natural daylight. This not only helps your alertness and mood during the day, but sensitizes you to the contrast with your dark bedroom.
8. Stimulate the sleep drive with hydrotherapy
Remember how the body interprets coolness as a signal that the day is ending? You can use water to tell your body to get ready for sleep in a couple of ways. A hot or warm bath can cause a rebound effect in the core of the body, as it cools off to compensate for the external heat. And paradoxically, a cool or cold shower can directly instruct your body to prepare for a night of shuteye.
9. Create an evening sleep routine
One of the most empowering things you can do to improve sleep is to create an evening routine that allows you to transition from your workaday self to your sleep self. This might include spending a few minutes transitioning from work to home life. A ritual like closing your laptop and announcing, “Work is done for today” can highlight the shift. Then after dinner, when the chores are done, you can perform a second ritual that lets go of the cares and responsibilities of the day - perhaps a leisurely cup of tea, or a bath with essential oils.
10. Stop eating 2+ hours before bed
Finally, there’s the food. The internet is full of tips on particular foods that are good for sleep (pistachios, almonds, rice, etc.), and I suppose they can’t hurt. But mainly I want to stress the importance of not consuming food in the 2-3 hours prior to bed. At night, your body has a lot of important housekeeping to do; cleaning, memory storage, repair, etc. If you’ve eaten before bed, your body can’t get to those chores until it finishes its top priority: metabolizing that food. When you start your fast two or more hours before you fall asleep, your body has the opportunity to get the most out of that sleep, leaving you feeling refreshed and energized in the morning.
Howard Jacobson, PhD, is Chief of Behavioral Science at WellStart Health, and host of the Plant Yourself Podcast. He's co-author, with Josh LaJaunie, of Sick to Fit, and contributing author to Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition, by T. Colin Campbell, PhD.
WellStart Health helps prevent and reverse chronic disease through lifestyle change. We support participants via coaching, content and community.
Tired of not sleeping well? Counting sheep not doing the trick? Getting a good night's rest full of restorative sleep is crucial to your health and wellbeing. Here are 10 amazing tips on how to get your best night's rest on the regular!
In partnership with WellStart Health
I’m writing this article on my laptop, which tells me it has 4% battery life left. I’ve been ignoring the charge percentage in my top menu bar, as well as the intrusive warning notifications that began at 8%. Because I’m on a deadline, gosh darn it, and I simply can’t afford to waste time finding my charging cord and plugging it into my computer at one end, and the wall at the other. So my delicate little MacBook Air better be willing to go to -10% power so I can finish this thing.
If by now you suspect that I’m insane, I don’t blame you. Obviously, there’s no such thing as -10% battery power.. And the idea that I’m too busy to take a minute to charge the laptop is downright ridiculous.
Ah, but before you dismiss me as a technological neanderthal, here’s a question: do you ever treat your body that way? Do you ever disregard signs of fatigue and “power through” to get things done? Do you believe, even a little, that you can push your body into deficits through caffeine and other stimulants? And do you treat a nightly session of restorative sleep as a luxury that you often can’t afford?
If so, you’re not alone. Our “sleep is for the weak” culture lionizes those who treat their bodies like I treat my laptop. We’re so focused on productivity that we can easily forget that one of the pillars of that productivity is rest. When our cycle of exertion and rest are in balance, we’re actually more productive than if we’re constantly exhausting ourselves in frenetic work marathons. Our mood is better, and we’re healthier, able to fend off chronic disease and stay safe on the road and while doing our jobs.
Sleep is also the foundation for all our other healthy lifestyle habits. If you’re exhausted during the day, you’re less likely to want to exercise, and you’re liable to reach for sugary and caffeinated snacks to give you temporary boosts of energy and focus. And don’t get me started on the connection between fatigue and stress - we’ve all gone from lethargy to freakout in a hot minute, have we not?
Given that next week we lose an hour of sleep in the switch back from Daylight Saving Time, this is as good a time as any to remind ourselves of the importance of restorative sleep, and how we can do a better job of treating ourselves to 7-8 hours on a daily basis.
Here are 10 tips to help you get a good night’s sleep on the regular. (Note: these tips assume you sleep at night. If you’re a shift worker, adapt the suggestions to your schedule as best you can.)
1. Stick to consistent bedtimes and wake-up times
Your body craves routine, and responds predictably to predictable environmental cues. If you turn lights out at 10:30 every night, your body will anticipate and prepare for nighty-night around 10.
Similarly, try to wake up at the same time every morning. Even on weekends and holidays, aim to shift your sleep cycle by as little as possible.
2. Make yourself sleepy in time for bed
We fall asleep when our sleep drive is greater than our ability to override it. When we wake refreshed in the morning, our sleep drive is at its lowest. It gradually increases as the day goes on, depending on factors like how long we’ve been awake, and how much energy we expend. The higher our level of a neurotransmitter called adenosine rises, the sleepier we become. When it hits its peak, falling asleep is as easy as falling off a log.
Two strategies for maximizing adenosine in time for lights out are to avoid late-in-the-day naps, and getting enough physical activity during the day. Since adenosine decreases during sleep, a 4pm nap can fool our bodies into thinking that the time has reset to 7am, which makes 11pm feel like lunchtime. We’re more hungry and restless than properly knackered.
Similarly, physical exertion increases adenosine levels as well. If you have trouble falling asleep at bedtime, you might solve this problem simply by fatiguing your body more. It doesn’t have to be strenuous, either. Walking, stretching, yoga, gardening, and dancing can also prime your body for a restful period of recovery. Make sure that you don’t engage in strenuous activity right before bed, though, as the increase in heart rate can confuse your body into thinking it’s involved in a fight or flight emergency and needs to override fatigue with hypervigilance.
3. Turn your bedroom into a sleep cave
Your bedroom has two purposes only: sleep and sex. Just like training your body to respond predictably to a consistent time for sleep, you want to associate your bedroom with sleep, rather than working, watching movies, scrolling Instagram, and searching for receipts in scary piles of paper. And you want that bedroom to be conducive to sleep. That involves four main qualities.
Dark
The human body has evolved to sleep at night, when it’s dark. In a world of electric lights and artificial environments, we can easily mess up our natural rhythms and have no idea what time it is. Keeping your bedroom dark at night will cue your body to shift into sleep mode. Keep evening lighting muted, avoid lights in the blue spectrum, and get the room as dark as possible after lights out. This might involve blackout curtains or or a good eyeshade. To keep blue light out of your eyes, avoid electronic screens, as they mimic the wavelengths of daylight. If you have a bed partner who insists on screen time in bed, you can mitigate the effect with blue-blocking glasses.
Quiet
Loud and low frequency noises are the enemy of restful sleep. Even if you don’t wake up to a noise, your body is constantly scanning the environment and assessing if there’s a threat. The low rumble of an HVAC unit or the sounds of airliners navigating a flight path over your head both sound enough like the roar or chuffle of a predator to raise your stress level to Defcon 3. If you can’t control the ambient noise in your bedroom, invest in a pair of earplugs.
Cool
At night, the temperature drops, another signal to the body that it’s time to sleep. In the climate controlled boxes that we live in, we have to purposefully cool our bedrooms at night. The ideal temperature is the one that requires you to cover yourself with a sheet or light blanket in order to be comfortable.
Uncluttered
Keep your bedroom tidy and minimalist to avoid overtaxing the brain at bedtime. Piles of papers, or other forms of clutter signify “this is something that must get done,” and sends our minds into open loops of worry and planning. Nighttime is the time for putting up and putting by, thus allowing our minds to set the day down and focus entirely on restoration.
4. Avoid caffeine 6 hours before bedtime
Caffeine goes to work quickly, and stays in the body for a long time. It can take up to 10 hours for all the caffeine from a cup of coffee to be fully metabolized by the body. If you’re planning a 10:00pm bedtime, then your last cup should be no later than 4pm. That’s a general guideline - depending on your unique physiology, and the amount of caffeine you’re consuming, you might have to move that back an hour or two to fully eliminate its stimulant effects at bedtime.
5. Don’t use alcohol to relax in the evening
If you find yourself needing a drink to relax at the end of the day, you might assume that that glass of Pinot Noir is aiding your sleep. The opposite is true, unfortunately. Alcohol consumed shortly before bedtime can mess with your deep sleep later in the night, as your liver has to wake up to process it. Also, alcohol before bed is a significant contributor to weight gain.
Instead, consider a warm mug of herbal tea: chamomile, lavender, and peppermint all have relaxing effects.
6. Destress yourself
Many of us have trouble falling asleep because of the stressful thoughts racing through our minds as the distractions of the day cease. Stress management can be very helpful here. Cognitive techniques (questioning catastrophic thoughts), mindfulness practices (paying attention to breath and physical sensations), and muscle tension and relaxation exercises can all decrease stress and decrease the RPM of the mind’s motor.
7. Stimulate your circadian rhythms with light during the day
Just as nighttime is for darkness, daytime is for light. Many of us live and work indoors, where the light never gets nearly as bright as outdoors. If possible, work near windows, take time to walk or sit outside to get some sun exposure, and install indoor lighting in your daytime spaces that is bright and simulates natural daylight. This not only helps your alertness and mood during the day, but sensitizes you to the contrast with your dark bedroom.
8. Stimulate the sleep drive with hydrotherapy
Remember how the body interprets coolness as a signal that the day is ending? You can use water to tell your body to get ready for sleep in a couple of ways. A hot or warm bath can cause a rebound effect in the core of the body, as it cools off to compensate for the external heat. And paradoxically, a cool or cold shower can directly instruct your body to prepare for a night of shuteye.
9. Create an evening sleep routine
One of the most empowering things you can do to improve sleep is to create an evening routine that allows you to transition from your workaday self to your sleep self. This might include spending a few minutes transitioning from work to home life. A ritual like closing your laptop and announcing, “Work is done for today” can highlight the shift. Then after dinner, when the chores are done, you can perform a second ritual that lets go of the cares and responsibilities of the day - perhaps a leisurely cup of tea, or a bath with essential oils.
10. Stop eating 2+ hours before bed
Finally, there’s the food. The internet is full of tips on particular foods that are good for sleep (pistachios, almonds, rice, etc.), and I suppose they can’t hurt. But mainly I want to stress the importance of not consuming food in the 2-3 hours prior to bed. At night, your body has a lot of important housekeeping to do; cleaning, memory storage, repair, etc. If you’ve eaten before bed, your body can’t get to those chores until it finishes its top priority: metabolizing that food. When you start your fast two or more hours before you fall asleep, your body has the opportunity to get the most out of that sleep, leaving you feeling refreshed and energized in the morning.
Howard Jacobson, PhD, is Chief of Behavioral Science at WellStart Health, and host of the Plant Yourself Podcast. He's co-author, with Josh LaJaunie, of Sick to Fit, and contributing author to Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition, by T. Colin Campbell, PhD.
WellStart Health helps prevent and reverse chronic disease through lifestyle change. We support participants via coaching, content and community.
