16 Tips for Better Sleep

The 'how-to' for getting a healthier night's rest for your overall well-being.

Sleep is such a beautiful thing. A good night’s sleep helps you feel energized, relaxed, alert, and overall happier. So why aren’t we getting enough of it and how can we improve the sleep we do get? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 3 adult Americans are not getting a healthy amount of sleep. So how much sleep should we actually be getting every night? The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommends that adults aged 18–60 years sleep at least 7 hours each night to promote optimal health and well-being, stating that,

“Sleeping less than seven hours per night is associated with increased risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, frequent mental distress, and all-cause mortality.”

“As a nation we are not getting enough sleep.” Dr. Wayne Giles, director of CDC’s Division of Population Health, “Lifestyle changes can help people get the healthy sleep they need.” Easier said that done, right? Every year Americans, on average, are getting less and less sleep. Technological advances and availability are one factor. Artificial light from our TVs, phones, and computers allow us to stay alert and engaged for longer periods of time. “With artificial lighting we’ve been able to fool our brain and internal clocks that it’s still daylight and remain alert,” said Phyllis C. Zee, MD, PhD, a neurology professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and director of its Sleep Disorders Center in Chicago. “Bedtimes have become later, but wake times have not.”

HOW CAN YOU CATCH A FEW MORE Z'S?

16 EASY CHANGES TO IMPROVE SLEEP + HEALTH + OVERALL WELL BEING

Practice the regular rhythms of sleep

Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.

No TV in the bedroom

Watching TV before bed can keep you awake longer + disrupts sleep cycles.

Create an aesthetic environment in your bedroom that encourages sleep

Use serene and restful colors and eliminate clutter and distraction.

Create total darkness and quiet

Consider using eyeshades and earplugs.

Avoid caffeine or reduce consumption after noon

On average, caffeine stays in your body for 4-6 hours making it more difficult to fall + stay asleep.

Get regular exposure to daylight for at least 20 minutes daily

This triggers your brain to release specific chemicals and hormones that are vital to healthy sleep, mood, and aging.

Avoid alcohol

It may help you get to sleep, but interrupts REM cycle and worsens sleep quality.

Eat no later that 2 hours before bed

Eating a heavy meal prior to bed will impede the body's overnight detoxification process.

Write down your worries

This will free up your mind and energy to move into a deep and restful sleep.

Get a massage, stretch, or have sex before bed

Or all 3. These increase your muscles' strength and flexibility, and promotes relaxation.

Take a hot salt or aromatherapy bath

Raising your body temperature before bed helps to induce sleep, relaxes your muscles, and reduces tension physically and psychically.

Warm your middle with a hot water bottle

This raises your core temperature and helps trigger the proper chemistry for sleep.

Take relaxing minerals such as magnesium and calcium

Magnesium helps decrease cortisol (the “stress hormone”) + relaxes muscles. Calcium helps body produce melatonin.

Avoid medications that interfere with sleep

This include sedatives, antihistamines, stimulants, cold medication, steroids, headache medication that contains caffeine.

Get a relaxing tape or CD to help you get to sleep

Relaxing sounds reduce intrusive thoughts and mental noise.

Consider getting tested for a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea

If you experience excessive fatigue, snoring, daytime sleepiness, and breathing problems while you sleep.

A healthier, happier you is possible.

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