I’ve become slightly obsessed with sleep
The seed for the obsession was planted when I noticed just how much my mental state suffered from lack of sleep when my kids were little.
It wasn’t good.
I could not think straight or reliably control my emotions, and anxiety and depression took turns hijacking my mental state.
Luckily my kids are no longer infants, I am sleeping more, and my fascination for the power of sleep has grown!
And I’ve learned a lot.
For example, lack of sleep:
- Makes it harder to learn new things or remember what you already know
- Makes you less attractive
- Makes it more difficult to lose weight
- Produces cognitive impairments similar to being drunk!
So you really need to sleep. I’m sorry, but there is no way around this one.
Nearly everyone will function best if they are sleeping (not just in bed, but actually sleeping!) for 7-9 hours every night. If you are not currently doing that, here is your Priority List of Sleep Dos and Don’ts:
DO go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. It is really hard for the brain to adjust to large changes in sleep/wake patterns. Treat this like building endurance. If you are not regularly getting enough sleep, you may need to be more strict about this for a period of time (3-6 weeks). Once you have built up some “sleep change endurance,” you may be able to adjust your schedule for more occasional late evenings and sleep-ins.
DON’T use drugs to help you sleep. For one thing, recent studies have shown that most sleeping pills are no more effective than placebos at helping people fall or stay asleep. But beside that, “sleeping pills” are a misnomer – to date we do not have drugs that recreate natural sleep. Instead, the drugs we have heavily sedate the brain, so even though it appears to help you sleep, you do not end up getting the benefits of actual sleep.
DO exercise, but not too late in the day. 30 minutes of exercise or movement daily is all you need, but keep it at least 2-3 hours away from your bedtime.
DON’T have caffeine or alcohol late in the day. Caffeine stays in your system for up to 8 hours so avoid caffeine in the afternoon. While alcohol can help you relax, it also does not allow you to get into the deeper stages of sleep and can impair breathing during sleep.
DO set up a relaxing bedtime routine. Try to keep a stable routine that includes a relaxing activity, such as reading or taking a bath or shower (speaking of which, the drop in body temperature after getting out of the bath/shower can help you feel sleepy, so it is a great part of a nighttime routine for that reason too).
DON’T eat large meals or drink a lot of beverages late at night. Your digestion relies on gravity so eating a large meal right before lying down can interfere with sleep. Drinking too many fluids will cause you to have to wake up to urinate.
DO adjust the timing of medications and supplements that can affect sleep (when possible). Several blood pressure, asthma, and allergy medications, as well as Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D can disrupt sleep patterns, so they are best taken earlier in the day if possible. Ask your prescribing doctor if you can take these medications earlier in the day.
DON’T take naps after 3 p.m. Short naps can be very beneficial for some to hit their sleep requirements, but late afternoon naps can interfere with “sleep pressure” that helps you get to sleep at night.
DO take steps to control your sleep environment as much as possible. Humans sleep better when it is dark, cool and quiet, so do what you can to make those a part of your bedroom. Get black out curtains, put tech far out of reach and away, and turn clock faces away from you to limit anxiety and light while you fall asleep.
DON’T lie in bed awake. Use the 20-minute rule: If you have not been able to fall asleep after 20 minutes of trying, get up and go to another room to do some relaxing activity until you feel sleepy. That brief change in environment is often enough to arrest sleep anxiety and allow you to fall back asleep.
DO get sunlight exposure early in the day in order to regulate melatonin production. Try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least thirty minutes each day, the earlier the better. Once the sun is down, take steps to limit your exposure to bright lights to help your brain start to produce melatonin and transition to sleep
Got questions?! That’s great! Book your next appointment here and we will answer your questions and help you sleep better.
