Sleep is your superpower. It reduces stress, enhances creativity, boosts your immune system and stabilises your emotions. Without sleep, every single aspect of your physical and mental health will decline. If there is one thing you can do that guarantees an improvement in your health - it is to improve the quality of your sleep.
Here are 7 tips that are shown to improve the quality or quantity of your sleep:
1. Embrace Sunlight
- Morning: Go outside within 30-60 minutes of waking up. Aim for 10 minutes of sunlight on bright days, 20 minutes on cloudy days, and 30-60 minutes on very overcast days.
- Afternoon: Repeat this exposure in the late afternoon, prior to sunset.
Doing this will set your body's circadian rhythm, which allows your brain to understand when it is time to sleep or wake up.
2. Consistent Wake and Sleep Times
- Wake up at the same time every day.
- Go to sleep when you first start to feel sleepy. Ignoring this can lead to waking up at 3 am and being unable to fall back asleep.
Consistency is key. Having a consistent bed time and wake time is shown to drastically improve the ease of falling asleep and also the quality of that sleep.
3. Avoid Bright Lights at Night
- Between 10 pm and 4 am, use minimal artificial lighting to move safely.
- Dim lights are preferable, and blue blockers can help reduce light exposure.
- Candlelight and moonlight are acceptable alternatives.
Bright light exposure, especially blue light, tricks your brain into thinking it is daytime which halts melatonin production. Even though it is difficult, avoiding screen time before sleep can massively improve your health
4. Manage Caffeine Intake
- Avoid caffeine 8-10 hours before bedtime. Some experts, like Dr. Matt Walker, suggest avoiding it for 12-14 hours before bed.
- Personal tolerance varies, so experiment to find what works best for you.
You do not have to completely cut out caffeine, just manage it. Caffeine has tremendous benefits however consumption of it later in the day can negatively impact your sleep.
5. Consider Supplements
Potential Supplements for Better Sleep Include:
- Magnesium Threonate: 145 mg
- Magnesium Bisglycinate: 200 mg
- Apigenin: 50 mg
- Theanine: 100-400 mg
Guidelines:
- Start with one supplement and add others as needed.
- Avoid theanine if you experience intense dreams, sleep-walk, or have night terrors.
- If magnesium upsets your stomach, discontinue use
These supplements are proven to increase tiredness before sleep, and also improve the amount of deep sleep an individual may experience during the night. Take these supplements with caution and discuss with a medical advisor before taking them.
Final thoughts
Sleep is the driving factor of our health and performance in all aspects of our life. To improve your sleep is to improve your life with 100% guarantee. It is okay to deviate away from the tips discussed here, but if your sleeping habits are consistently poor then I would urge you to fix them. Start with just implementing on of these tips over the next week and notice the difference in your sleep and energy throughout the day.
Thank you for your interest in health!