Healthy Sleep Habits for Better Rest
Sleep is such a challenge for many of us. Either we struggle to fall asleep, to stay asleep, or to simply get enough sleep, and living in stressful times amidst a pandemic, economic uncertainty and political unrest doesn’t help.
I struggled with insomnia for a long time and I still have trouble with sleep if my life or health gets out of balance, so I’m sharing with you the things that have been most helpful to myself and my clients.
Look for root causes. There are many factors that affect sleep so it’s important to rule out any underlying causes such as hormonal issues, adrenal dysregulation (aka adrenal fatigue), nutrient deficiencies, and even parasitic infections. Something as simple as magnesium deficiency which is SUPER common can cause insomnia so it’s good to see a Naturopathic, Integrative, or Functional Medicine Doctor who can test for these things and create a treatment plan.
Luckily there are lots of things you can do to improve your ability to fall asleep and get enough good quality sleep, no trip to the doctor required. Here are some healthy habits to put into practice for a better night’s rest:
Create a sanctuary.
Your bedroom should be a sanctuary reserved for sleep and sex only – no working or TV!
Avoid letting your kids or pets sleep with you if they disturb your sleep at all.
Skip the liquid stress.
Avoid caffeine on an empty stomach and skip the alcohol if you want a good night’s sleep.
Caffeine and alcohol both act as liquid stress, meaning that they stimulate the production of stress hormones.
Cortisol should be at it’s peak early in the morning to wake us up, but should gradually drop off throughout the day and be at it’s lowest at night when melatonin is produced so we can fall asleep.
If you do drink caffeine, eat some protein and/or healthy fats first and avoid caffeine after 12pm.
Alcohol is deceptive because it is a depressant so initially it makes us feel calmer, but will cause higher cortisol production later which is why we have such poor sleep quality after drinking alcohol.
Eat real food, don’t eat late.
Eat a nutrient-dense low-glycemic diet and avoid at least 2 hours before bedtime.
Regulating blood sugar can prevent post-dinner and late night cravings. Healthy blood sugar/glucose regulation is also necessary to prevent insulin resistance and type II diabetes.
Your body does lots of amazing things during sleep including muscle repair, healing, detoxification and fat burning. These processes can get derailed if it’s also trying to digest food.
Avoid “empty calorie” processed foods including anything high sugar/carbohydrate that is low in fiber and protein.
Move your body.
Get plenty of exercise/movement, but don’t overtrain which can mess with your circadian rhythm or sleep/wake cycle.
Working out too close to bedtime can energize some people and make it hard ti wind down.
Use light to regulate your circadian rhythms.
Get as much exposure as possible to natural light during daylight hours.
Avoid backlit screens 1-2 hours before bed and dim your lights after sundown. Light, especially blue or cooler toned light shining into your eyes degrades melatonin and can disturb your circadian rhythms. Yeah, I know this one is tough because we’re all glued to our smartphones and tablets, but this is a REALLY important one.
Stick to the same basic sleep/wake schedule every day.
Practice relaxing rituals before bed.
Deep breathing, stretching, meditation, prayer, soaking in a warm bath, etc. are all good ways to wind down and prepare your body and nervous system for sleep.
Drink a calming tea after dinner like chamomile or any of these teas by Yogi.
Read a physical book but choose something relaxing and fun. Skip anything work related, overly cerebral, violent or riveting as these will not be calming for your nervous system.
If this seems like a lot I recommend starting with one or two of these practices and adding on as each one becomes a habit for you. Eventually you’ll figure out which steps are most effective for you and hopefully you’ll get back into a happy, healthy groove with sleep.
Do you have other tricks that work for you? If so I’d love to know so please share in the comments.
