5 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Sleep Habits
Photo by Chantelle Watt Photography. Styling by Casa Alma.
For as long as I can remember I've been a terrible sleeper. I have no trouble falling asleep but staying asleep, that's another story. I have, in the past, also experienced bouts of insomnia where I would find myself wide awake at 2 a.m. I'd then end up watching BBC News while internally freaking out about the fact that 'it's 2 a.m. and I have to get up in a few hours and I'm going to be a hot-mess, train wreck at work'. This cycle would go on for days at a time.
When I recently suffered from chronic pain, I was again dealing with sleep issues. But this time, the pain made it impossible to get any sleep. It was so bad; I was waking up almost every hour on the hour and averaging about four hours of interrupted sleep each night. This went on for months and yes, it was brutal.
The lack of sleep began to take a toll on my health, my performance at work, and my relationships – I was, shall we say, uncharacteristically short-tempered. I honestly felt like I'd shaved about 10 years off my lifespan and knew I would have to make some lifestyle changes to get back to feeling like myself again.
Tackling my sleep was one of the areas I knew I could be more intentional about. I needed to find simple ways to improve the quantity and quality of my sleep, even by a little, so that could look and function like a normal human being and not like one of the zombies from the Walking Dead.
Insufficient Sleep Is Bad for Your Health
When you suffer from lack of sufficient sleep it can to ill health including impacting things like your mood, ability to concentrate or problem solve, your judgement, creativity and productivity, your skin, and your overall health (for example, weight and immune system) and longevity.
In his book about sleep, Neuroscientist and sleep expert, Matthew Walker, PhD., says that sleep is like the neglected stepsister in our conversations about health because when we talk about health and wellness we typically focus on things like the benefits of drinking lots of water, eating a well-balanced diet and getting regular exercise. I've heard more about taking daily vitamins than I have about the long-term health benefits of good sleep hygiene.
The book and Dr. Walker's talks about why sleep matters were eye-openers for me in better understanding how crucial sleep is to overall health (including, links to dementia and untimely death) and wellness and the deliberate actions we can take to help us get good quality and sufficient sleep regularly.
Photo by Chantelle Watt Photography. Styling by Casa Alma.
5 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Sleep Habits
To be more intentional about improving your sleep habits and increase the opportunities for getting quality sleep each night, here are five simple actions you can take.
1. Make sleep a priority
Dr. Walker says that he has non-negotiable eight hours of opportunities for sleep. By thinking about 'opportunities for sleep', it takes into account that people lead busy lives and sometimes getting seven, or eight hours, sleep isn't possible. But by prioritizing sleep, as you do with other areas of your life, you have a better chance of increasing the opportunities for consistently getting sufficient sleep and ultimately, improving your overall health and wellbeing.
2. Avoid caffeine before bed (or after 2 pm)
Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that can rob you of the deep sleep you need to feel good in the morning. Caffeine and other stimulants can take up to eight hours to wear off. This includes decaffeinated coffee which, according to Walker, can contain around 15% - 20% of the caffeine in a cup. So, you might want to reconsider that glass of wine or chocolatey nightcap.
3. Set a specific downtime before bed
Ease into your sleep routine by using your phone's 'screen time' and 'do not disturb' features to power down by a specific time each night, for example, two hours before bedtime. If you're in your living room consider putting the phone somewhere that you can't easily reach it, you know, to 'just check it quickly'.
Put the phone away and do something relaxing like take a shower or bath, pick up a book (not an e-book), you've been meaning to read, start gratitude journaling, meditate or a bedtime yoga practice.
4. Don't just dim the glow, eliminate the screens
Reading an e-book before bed may be messing with our body's internal clock and the ability to get a good night's sleep. The blue LED lights can disrupt your natural sleep rhythm and impact not only your quality of sleep but also how alert you feel during the day. That's why it's so important to shut down, log-off and put the devices away well before bedtime.
5. Keep a consistent wake-up time
Who doesn't love sleeping in a little longer on the weekend? That's if you don't have children (they won't understand this concept until they are teenagers). However, by choosing to wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends, your mind and body will be able to maintain a regular sleep schedule and having a consistent sleep schedule is a crucial part of good sleep hygiene.
If you think you are having trouble sleeping or think you may suffer from a sleep disorder, please consult your medical practitioner for advice and help. Your mind and body will thank you for it.
Cassandra is a 9-to-5er and when she’s not at her full-time gig, she’s tapping into her creative superpower as a lifestyle content creator and photographer. Her experience with career burnout has turned her into a wellness warrior who knows the power of healing through slowing down and finding calm in everyday with mindfulness, self-compassion, humour and realistic optimism.
Follow her for some inspiration on Instagram: @swaggerandgreys