If you've been struggling with your sleep recently and need a few tips to help you get back on track, here are eight simple steps you can implement into your routine to help you feel your best.
1. Give yourself some time to wind down in the evening
It's really difficult to go from top speed straight to zero. If you're somebody who is busy all day long and then jumps straight into bed expecting to fall asleep easily, you might not actually be saving yourself any time. Research shows that people who spend a few minutes winding down by reading, stretching, or doing something else they find relaxing, fall asleep much quicker than those who don't. Even people who do fall asleep quickly often don't have such a good quality sleep, and are more likely to wake up in the night or feel tired the following morning.
Create a calming bedtime routine to signal to your body that it's time to relax. Whether it's reading a book, practicing gentle yoga, or journalling, avoid stimulating activities and replace them with things that help you unwind and de-stress before heading to bed.
2. Wake up at the same time each morning
Establishing a consistent wake-up time helps regulate your body's internal clock, meaning you feel sleepy at a more regular time in the evening and making it easier to fall asleep. Even on weekends, try to stick to your regular wake-up time to avoid disrupting your sleep patterns. It's tempting to sleep in if you're tired, but evidence shows it doesn't benefit you in the long run and can actually lead to more sleep disturbances.
3. Avoid napping
While a short power nap can sometimes feel good, long or late-afternoon naps can interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night. This happens because your sleep pressure must reach a certain level in order to sleep well at night, anytime you sleep causes a drop in this sleep pressure and so sleeping during the daytime can mean that you're simply not sleepy enough to maintain a good quality sleep when you get into bed at night.
Napping isn't all bad however - if you're someone who doesn't sleep enough, maybe due to work or other commitments, and you don't struggle with falling asleep or staying asleep at night, napping might be a helpful way of getting more sleep. It's not something to be relied upon though as the quality is rarely as good than getting one big chunk of sleep at night. If you're somebody who does sometimes struggle with sleep disturbance at night time, you should avoid napping altogether until you have resolved your insomnia.
4. Regular daytime exercise
Engaging in physical activity during the day can promote better sleep at night. There is plenty of evidence to show that regular exercise helps you to fall asleep quicker, and stay asleep for longer. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week, but try to avoid vigorous workouts close to bedtime. The government recommends a mixture of cardiovascular and resistance training for optimal health. If you're exercising too late at night, it can cause your cortisol (stress hormone) levels to rise and actually have the opposite effect by waking you up instead!
Everyone's different, but if you're an early bird you might benefit more from working out in the mornings when you feel your best. If you're a night owl, maybe early evenings would suit you better. Bonus points for exercising outdoors where you can get some natural daylight exposure and fresh air too.
5. Avoid eating too close to bedtime
Heavy or spicy meals, caffeine, and alcohol can disrupt your sleep. Try to finish eating at least 2-3 hours before bedtime so that your body isn't working hard trying to digest your food all night. If you get hungry after this, opt for light, sleep-friendly snacks after this, something like a banana is perfect.
6. Relax
In point number 1, we emphasised the importance of winding down to relax before bed. Fitting in relaxing activities throughout your week is just as important. Often, we don't get time to relax - we're all so busy, rushing from A to B and with a to-do list as long as our arm. Relaxing easily gets pushed to the side but practicing mindfulness and meditation can help to reduce stress throughout the day, making it easier to fall asleep at night. It's important that relaxation isn't only seen as an activity to do just before bed time, but it's something you implement into your routine to help you keep a clearer head and improve your health.
Some examples include sitting down peacefully whilst drinking your morning coffee rather than drinking it on the go, reading a book instead of watching the television, going to a yoga class, having a short walk on your lunch break, or doing some mindfulness and breathing exercises in the evening.
7. Don't force it
If you're struggling to fall asleep, or you've woken in the night and find yourself lying awake for more than 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy again. If you've already been trying to get back to sleep for 20-30 minutes, it's unlikely that it'll happen soon and trying to force yourself to fall asleep can cause you to feel frustrated and actually become more alert, which is not helpful for sleep.
Instead of lying awake for hours on end, getting more frustrated and more awake by the minute, getting out of bed can distract your mind until you feel sleepy and return to bed again, this time falling asleep quickly because you're no longer alert.
8. Speak to a Sleep Specialist
If you have been struggling with sleeping well for a number of weeks or months, you may have chronic insomnia. All insomnia is treatable with the right approach, but the treatment for chronic insomnia can be much more complex than the tips above which are designed to prevent short-term sleep problems. If you've tried these tips and are still struggling with sleep, it might be time to consult a sleep specialist. Insomnia specialists can help to identify underlying issues that are causing your sleep problems to persist, and they can provide personalised recommendations to improve your sleep quality.
Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTI) encompasses many different techniques to help support you to get a healthy sleeping routine back again. Find out more about the benefits of CBTI, or get in touch with a sleep physiologist to find out what's involved and answer any questions.
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