Sleep Check – Are You Doing These?

For the typical 16 – 65-year-old, if you are sleeping less than 7 hours a night, your ability to perform decreases and your susceptibility to being affected by disease risk increases.

If you are sleeping more than 9 hours a night, you may likely wake-up feeling even more tired and lethargic.

If you have been performing strenuous activity, including high-end sport or very labour-intensive work, then it is likely you may need more sleep to recover properly. We also need more sleep when we are sick, to help our bodies battle whatever it is up against; however, if that’s occurring during the day, regular walks should then be taken, if able to break it up.

So, what practical strategies can you take to improve your sleep hygiene and sleep quality? Well, let’s start with trying to set a regular bedtime and wake-up time. If you work backwards from what time you need to wake up most days, you can work back 8 hours from there. Aim for your wake-up time on the weekend to be within 90 minutes of your usual wake-up time. Most people will wake-up around then, anyway. And NO, you cannot make for missed sleep during the week by sleeping away most of your weekend. Part of maintaining your energy levels is based on you getting up and telling your body you have a need to be awake and be alert. I’m also not saying that you can’t go and enjoy a night out from time to time, breaking your bedtime. This is for when it’s business as usual for you. If you do have to wake up early for sport/work and this cuts your sleep short, by up to 90 minutes or so, then it is advisable to take a nap if you can; but not after 4pm (it’s too late then), you are better off just staying up and going to bed a little earlier, if possible.

The next thing you should consider is if your sleeping environment is set up correctly for you.

Are your bed and pillow comfy? Do you have the appropriate number of layers over you? The literature says the ideal sleeping temperature is between 18°C and 22°C.

It also suggests that we get better sleep in complete darkness, so for those without block out windows or blinds, an eye mask would be an affordable option. There are some mixed messages with regards to noise, in general, the less noise, the better (I like silence). Still, for some, they may need something like the calm app to provide “white noise” tailored to their preferences. If you sleep with a partner who snores or you snore, you should get that investigated to see if anything can be done to correct the situation or find a solution that works for you.

Should you need to wake up in the middle of the night, to use the bathroom, do you have enough light or are you able to navigate your way there without it being so bright that you are unable to return to sleep when you are done. There is some good research to suggest that we sleep better naked, of course, preference and circumstances comes into this. However, if you haven’t tried sleeping naked and you can, it is worth giving it a try. Keep it clean and aim to change bedsheets, roughly every 2 weeks.

Consideration should be given to your pre-bed rituals. One of the worst things we can do is look at the blue light within 30 minutes of going to bed. So that means having your mobile phone on your bedside table is the ideal option.

It’s better if you can leave your phone on the other side of the room, it is even better if you do not bring a screen into your bedroom. Most smartphones have a dark mode and a night mode function that helps with this, but it is not enough. To help us get drowsy, if we are struggling to wind down for bed, try reading a book in dim light until the words get fuzzy on the page (I do not know the evidence behind this one, but if it works for some, then why not give it a try).

Doing exercise right before we sleep seems to be counterproductive, as it winds us up and keeps us alert for longer. However, sex with ejaculation has been linked to getting a good night’s sleep.

Drinking too much alcohol before bed dramatically reduces the quality of sleep. How much is too much? It depends on you, but generally, 4 or more drinks can become somewhat problematical.

Drinking coffee or tea before bed affects everyone differently, some people should not drink coffee after 3pm, as they won’t be able to get to sleep. In contrast, for other people, it has the complete opposite effect where coffee can put someone to sleep.

Avoid creating to-do lists right before you go to bed. A good time to practise meditation and gratitude is right before you go to bed and first thing when you wake up. You sleep better when you exercise regularly and more so, on the days you do exercise. You end up going to bed having used your days’ energy, and so it is easier to fall asleep.

Other things to consider, where the evidence is not so clear, is the use of scents and essential oils, such as lavender to help calm you and make you feel more relaxed. Some people put these into diffusers and humidifiers and find some benefit from the. It is also becoming an increasingly popular idea to bring indoor plants into your bedroom to help clean the air. One that does have “some evidence” is the use of the Himalayan salt lamp as a form of purifying agent.

Another decent one for those athletic types, with heavy training loads, is using tart cherry juice from Montmorency Cherry’s, as it is naturally high in melatonin and will help with exercise recovery. There are some other supplements out there and melatonin products, consult with your doctor and/or dietician to get the best advice.