The Importance of Sleep
Sleep is arguably number one in the health department. It is what regulates our emotions, provides cognitive clarity, stimulates focus, and the list goes on. If you don’t get enough sleep, it definitely shows. It’s one thing to say you’ll get your seven to height hours, but it’s another to actually get it. I struggle with this myself, but I’ve found that with certain changes I made, I’m able to sleep soundly and function on a much higher level during the day.
But let’s be honest with ourselves… in today’s digital landscape, it becomes that much harder to follow through on that plan. Distractions before bed are boundless, but with proper discipline and the right solutions at your disposal, you’ll be able to reap the benefits of a full night’s rest. Here is how to get better sleep tonight:
- Don’t sleep with your phone beside you. I’m sure that if you’ve delved into this topic before, you’ve probably come across this tip in our modern age. Our devices emit blue-light, which disrupts your circadian rhythm (the sleep-wake cycle) that is crucial to your wellbeing. This makes it harder to fall asleep, and doesn’t allow your brain to destress from the day during that last hour. In order to minimize your temptation to look on Instagram or check Snapchat, move your phone to the other side of the room – or better yet – keep it in another room. And turn on airplane mode. If you decide to completely move it from your vicinity, try investing in an alarm clock so as not to rely on your phone’s alarm in the morning.
2. Exercise during the day. Aside from the obvious benefits that aerobic (running) and anaerobic (weightlifting) exercise brings us, doing so leaves us physically drained. This is especially true in the P.M. hours. By the time you’re in your bed, your body will have felt the accumulation of those physical outlets, allowing for a quicker conversion into sleep. Not to mention the sheer satisfaction of feeling exhausted after working on your body.
3. Don’t consume caffeine or sugar after 5 P.M. Coffee and black or green tea can truly stimulate your focus, but it’s best to consume it in the early hours of the day or, at the latest, the early afternoon. Sugar has a similar effect, but it has more consequences than benefits in the long run (stay away from sugar as much as you can). Drinking a cup of coffee or eating a donut after 5:00 will stimulate your senses for several hours following that, and that intake will make it more difficult for you to fall asleep. You might try to convince yourself that a small cup of coffee is needed for whatever reason, but you’ll pay the price in bed – believe that.
4. Try to fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day. This one is under-looked. Our bodies love routine, and a large part of this routine is correlated with your sleep/wake cycle. The repeated cycle of falling asleep and waking up at the same times will optimize not only the quality of your sleep every night, but also your physical and mental health. Your immune system will function better, your focus levels will increase, and your ability to regulate emotions will be easier. To be honest with you, this is still a personal struggle for me, so if you’re anything like the way I am, take the time to discipline yourself in this regard! It’s imperative in order to get better sleep.
5. Create complete darkness in your sleeping space. When we sleep, our bodies produce a hormone called melatonin; and one of the ways this is internally produced is by allowing your sleeping space to be completely dark. Any artificial light that you are exposed to during this time disrupts the production of this hormone, which in turn leads to a sub-par quality of sleep. This tip is closely related to the first, as blue light from device screens creates the same problem. In short, no light at all is what you want to go for.
6. Sleep in a cool environment. Much like sleeping in a dark area, sleeping in a cool to cold temperature-based room also increases the production of melatonin. There are variations of ensuring that this can be done. You can turn on your A/C. If you don’t have access to A/C, crack a window open. If you live in a humid area all year-round, take a cold shower just before bed. A cold shower isn’t exactly the same as you’re not submerging yourself into a constantly cool temperature for the entire duration of your sleep, but it will successfully change your body temperature just before you sleep – and that’s good enough.
7. Consume sleep-inducing beverages. I’m not going to dispute the effectiveness of cannabis or CBD products as it pertains to sleep duration and quality, but there are other consumables available if that isn’t your thing. My personal favourite is chamomile tea. It’s regarded as a mild sedative and aids in sleep quality; if you don’t like the taste, mix it with some honey and/or milk. In general, herbal teas like this, or valerian tea, are known to help if you’re having trouble falling asleep.
I can guarantee you that ensuring you get better sleep will be one of the best things you could ever do for yourself. You’ll be feeling more confident, more lively, more focused, and have more energy to maximize your productivity throughout the day.