The Right Ingredients for a Good Night’s Sleep
Most of us do not realise how truly remarkable sleep is. Sleep is not simply the absence of being awake. It has a multitude of health-ensuring benefits. Sleep enhances your memory and makes you more creative. It keeps you slim, lowers food cravings and makes you look more attractive. It wards off colds and flu. It lowers your risk of heart attacks, stroke and diabetes. It protects you from cancer, dementia and adds years onto your life. It even makes you feel happier, less depressed and less anxious. In fact, getting adequate levels of sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now declared a sleep loss epidemic throughout the industrialised nations. Two thirds of adults living in the developed world fail to get the recommended 8 hours of sleep a night. Whilst this fact may not surprise you, the health consequences of insufficient sleep might do. A lack of sleep doesn’t only reduce your ability to concentrate and make you more forgetful. Routinely sleeping less than 6 or 7 hours a night also impairs your immune system, disrupts blood sugar levels, increases the likelihood of your arteries becoming blocked and brittle, and contributes to various neurological and mental health conditions.
Even if we don’t suffer from a sleep disorder such as insomnia, many of us are sleep deprived. So, what’s stopping us from sleeping soundly? Five key factors of modernisation have had a powerful impact on how much, and how well, we sleep: (1) constant artificial light exposure, (2) regularised temperature, (3) caffeine, (4) alcohol, (5) late night television and electronic device use.
Our modern lifestyle is characterised by reduced light exposure during the day and increased light exposure at the night. Because the brain uses cues from sunlight to determine when we should be alert, this has the affect of disrupting our circadian rhythm (or internal body clock). Getting as much natural daylight as possible, particularly in the morning, supports a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
Artificial evening light fools the brain into thinking the sun has not yet set and puts the brakes on melatonin production (the sleep inducing hormone). By delaying the release of melatonin, evening light makes it considerably less likely that you’ll be able to fall asleep quickly once you do turn out the lights. Minimising light exposure, especially blue LED light from device use, for 1.5 to 2 hours prior to bedtime helps to reduce levels of alertness and to support natural sleep rhythms.
Caffeine is the most widely used stimulant in the world and one of the most common culprits that prevents people from sleeping well. Caffeine helps you feel more alert and awake by blocking sleepiness signals in the brain. It has a half-life of 5 to 7 hours, which means it persists in your system for many hours after you drink it. Sleep will not come easily whilst your brain continues to battle the opposing force of caffeine.
Perhaps the most misunderstood of all ‘sleep aids’ is alcohol. Many people believe that alcohol helps them to fall asleep more easily and to sleep more soundly throughout the night. Although alcohol is a sedative, it does not induce natural sleep. Alcohol-infused sleep is not continuous and restorative, but fragmented with brief awakenings, which leads to next-day exhaustion. Alcohol is also a powerful suppressor of REM sleep, the sleep stage vital to memory processing and storage.
Top Tips for Better Sleep:
1. Minimise Stimulants – limit alcohol consumption and avoid having any wine, beer or spirits within 3 hours of bedtime. Avoid caffeine-containing beverages or foods after 12 noon (tea, coffee, chocolate, Coke and other caffeinated drinks). Complete any aerobic exercise before 6 pm (or at least 3 hours before bedtime).
2. Sleep Preparation - as much as possible, go to sleep and wake up at the same times each day. Keeping to a good routine will help to train your body clock. Plan your sleep by putting it into your schedule - allow for a 8.5 to 9 hour sleep window. Begin preparing for sleep 30 minutes before bed. Avoid going to bed after 11 pm as late-hour sleep is not as helpful as earlier sleep. Avoid large meals or spicy foods before bed and try to finish eating 3 hours prior to going to sleep.
3. Night-time Anxiety - avoid watching the news or reading stimulating materials just before going to bed. Try writing in a journal any disturbing thoughts that are running through your mind. Have a wind down routine before bed - there are many relaxing yoga or mindful breathing apps available to help you find a relaxing bedtime ritual that works for you.
4. Lighting - dim the lights or only use mood lighting at night. Try using blue light blocking glasses to reduce your evening light exposure. Create a dark sleep space using blackout curtains or consider wearing an eye mask when trying to sleep or if you wake up too early because of the sunlight.
5. Temperature - your body temperature naturally lowers at night. To help maintain your body’s natural rhythm, make sure your bedroom is the correct temperature (cool but not cold). Take a hot bath - raising your body temperature before sleep helps to induce sleep, whilst also relaxing your muscles and reducing tension. Add 1 to 2 cups of Epson salts (magnesium sulphate absorbed through the skin is very relaxing) and 10 drops of lavender oil (helps to lower stress hormone levels).
6. Noise - reduce irritating noises which may disturb your sleep by closing windows or using ear plugs. Turn off or remove any appliances or clocks that make noise.
7. Bedding - choose a mattress and pillow that are the right firmness for you. Sleep in the highest quality bed sheets you can afford.
8. Device Use - if using a tablet or phone for reading, make sure they are on the night-time setting to disable blue light emissions and that the brightness is as low as possible.
