Chapter 3
Practical Methods to Sleep Longer and Better
Regularity is King
Go to bed at the same time, and wake up at the same time. It does not matter if its the weekday or the weekend. stay consistent. In our brains, the circadian rhythm responds best under regularity. When we give our brain signals that we wake up at the same time and go to bed at the same time, we are more likely to get a higher quantity and quality of sleep.
Wind Down
When many individuals get into bed and turn off their lights, we can expect to smoothly fall into deep sleep. This is not an effective method. Develop a wind down routine. Some people like to shower before bed. Others might meditate, I personally like to read something (preferably paper). Give your body a chance to wind down. In the last hour or two before bed, if you can, cut out screens as much as possible. If you have an english reading due the next day, maybe save it for before you go to bed.
Keep the Temperature Cool
The optimal temperature for good sleep is around 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Your body would prefer to drop its body temperature for you to stay asleep throughout the night. How many people do you know who truly get amazing sleep in a hot environment? It is better to sleep in a room that is too cold than too hot, but try to find the right temperature for you.
Light
Society today is deprived of dark environments. Try to be mindful in the hour before bed by dimming the lights in your house. I have done this in my room and often find myself getting 2 or more hours of deep sleep. The screens and devices we use in the last hour before bed needs to stop. i am guilty of this, but I have been wearing blue light blocking glasses and lowering the brightness on devices. In general, light exposure in the evening is not optimal for our sleep.
What to Avoid?
Try to stay away from caffeine in the evening. If you want to have a glass of alcohol, try to make sure you do not go to bed tipsy. Do not consume nicotine in the hours before bed, as it is an activating chemical. It can stimulate the brain, challenging your brain to fall asleep. Sleeping pills are classified as sedative hypnotics. They do not produce natural sleep; all they do is shut the brain down. Sleeping pills are associated with forgetfulness and a higher risk of mortality and cancer. The best advice I can give is go see your doctor, and see what their best recommendation is.
Your Sanctuary
Your bedroom needs to be primarily for sleeping. Don’t associate your bedroom with activities such as watching TV, eating, or working. This will confuse your brain, and you will associate it with everything but a sound night of sleep. Install curtains, get a noise machine, and get a humidifier; all of these can help.
Track Your Sleep
If you are interested in tracking your sleep, there are many options available for us. There are rings, watches, and now mattresses that are starting to gain popularity. Ask yourself: What are you comfortable with? What will not distract your sleep, but rather enhance it? I strongly advise people to track their sleep, You can be able to identify issues in your sleep pretty quickly after getting feedback and data to analyze. If you had a terrible night of sleep, check your wearable device to see how much deep and REM sleep you got last night. Were there moments when you were awake in the middle of the night? Sleep trackers look at all of these factors. I would argue that in order to get high quality sleep, it is necessary to have a wearable device.
