Ten tips for a better night’s sleep
As I said in my Facebook post recently, if you’re sleep deprived like me, you don’t need an expert to tell you sleep is wonderful.
My sleep deprivation is thanks to children waking at all hours, and I know some of you are struggling with this too.
I also know many of you are being kept awake at the moment by that other sleep deprivation fiend – the thought horse. Know that one? The thought horse only comes out at about 10pm, just when you’re really to rest. Out she comes, thundering around your head, over thinking things, reassessing the events of the day and making mental notes. And the more you wish her away, the more intense she thunders, right?
There are other reasons for being kept awake but whatever the case, feeling sleep deprived is all one and the same, really.
Sleep is a mysterious friend
It’s interesting to find that while sleep is one of the most important functions for the body, from a research perspective, we actually don’t know that much about it.
We don’t know why the body needs to sleep, and there is no definitive answer as to why we dream.
What we do know is that we need roughly one hour of sleep for every two hours we are awake. For most of us, that means we need 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
We also know that getting enough good quality sleep is important for our health and wellbeing. So it’s one thing to get sleep, but another entirely to get the kind of restorative sleep that makes us feel like we want to bounce out of bed (does anyone actually do that?).
If you’re tired and you know it, clap your hands
Outside reporting how we feel and counting the hours we’ve been asleep, there is no definitive measure of sleep deprivation. There is no biological marker like there is for stress (scientists typically assess changes in the hormone cortisol when measuring stress).
Instead, we can look at a cluster of symptoms and bodily changes. When you’re sleep deprived:
- Your blood pressure increases
- Your metabolism changes, and craves carbohydrates
- Your body temperate drops
- Your become prone to illness as your immune system decreases in efficiency
- You find it more difficult to make simple decisions and problem solve
- It gets harder to remember things
- It gets more difficult to communicate ideas
- You feel more emotional and it gets harder to control your feelings and actions.
In short, being sleep deprived makes us more accident prone, more emotional and a greater risk to ourselves and those around us.
There is also new research that shows that sleep helps to clear toxins from the brain, so with less sleep, your brain becomes a bit of a junk yard.
More than likely though, you won’t need a batch of tests to tell you’re tired. You’ll know. So what to do?
I will do anything for sleep, but I won’t do that
While scientists have tried to find the sleep panacea, “no drug or procedure has been found to replicate and replace the benefits of sleep.” This is a quote from journalist David K. Randall. I thought it was quite a powerful statement.
While there is no magic cure, there are a number of easy things you can do improve your likelihood of a good night’s sleep.
These tips are relatively straightforward, and don’t require you to hum in the dark or count sheep (although you can if you want to).
It’s worth mentioning here that there are some drugs that can help you if you’re at that point – but sleeping tablets are best used sparingly because they can be addictive and they don’t give you the same quality of sleep as a natural slumber. Even if you are taking drugs, these tips can also help your overall sleep experience.
10 tips for a better night’s sleep
1. Prioritize sleep, as you would with food and exercise
Give sleep the same attention as food and exercise. You could even argue that sleep is more important to your health than food and exercise, so should be prioritized first. Without a good night’s sleep, it’s hard to keep up regular exercise as all you’ll want to do is rest. Being sleep deprived also makes you crave sugar and fat, so can have a big impact on what you eat. As we’ve mentioned, sleep also has a big impact on your overall mood and ability to function.
2. Limit alcohol and caffeine before bed
Alcohol and caffeine can disturb your ability to fall asleep and the quality of your sleep.
3. Choose a consistent bed time and create a calm environment 30 minutes before
Start to wind down well before you get into bed. Obviously, being wired before you jump into bed makes sleep a little harder to obtain. Reading, stretching, a warm shower or even just talking quietly with your loved ones can make a difference.
4. Check your room temperate
For most people the ideal room temperate for sleep is around 18oC.
5. Think positively about sleep and your ability to fall asleep
This can’t be understated. The more you worry about sleep, and let that anxiety and frustration build, the harder it is to fall into a deep restful sleep. The next step can be a useful aid to this problem.
6. Use relaxation strategies that focus on breathing
Meditation can be a great help and there are plenty of great audio resources available on the iTunes or Android stores to get you started.
7. Reduce your exposure to artificial light
Too much artificial light (including from mobile devices) can disrupt your circadian rhythm and delay the release of melatonin, which is a hormone that helps regulate sleep. Consider removing bright lights from your room too – that bright alarm clock won’t be helping your cause.
8. If you get woken by children in the night, make early nights a priority
Going to bed early means that even if you get woken up, you’ve given yourself the best chance of having as much sleep as possible before morning.
9. Ask for help
At some point, and you’ll know when this is, it can be useful to go and see a health professional who can help you find a way to get the restful sleep you need. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, and if you suffer from medical conditions like insomnia or sleep apnea there are some very effective treatments available. I suggest having a chat with your GP as a start.
10. Know that at a certain point the body will do anything to get sleep, with or without your input.
Just make sure you’re somewhere safe when that happens!
For more information on sleep, check out:
- These TED Talks on sleep
- The book Dreamland, by journalist David K. Randall (witty and informative at the same time)
- The Australian Sleep Health Foundation’s fact sheets
