Sleep: Why is it important?
A lot of us don’t get enough sleep, or don’t get optimal quality of sleep. In our busy schedules, sleep can often be overlooked.
Our body needs sleep on every level, from the immune system, digestion, mood and hormone regulation, to brain function. Lack of sleep can lead into a variety of other unhealthy cycles, including decreased ability to cope with stress, food cravings, weight gain, and even increasing distraction.
Good quality sleep in the right amount can help to reduce risks of high blood pressure, diabetes, focus, and manage stress. So, what does optimal sleep look like?
Everyone is different, but for most adults around 7-9 hours a night is ideal. We should be able to fall asleep pretty soon after getting into bed. Occasional awakenings are normal, but should not be too frequent. Frequent nightmares that wake us up and keep us up, is our body letting us know something is not right. When we wake up, we should feel refreshed, clear in the mind, and functional throughout the day.
Tips for Better Sleep
Sometimes, factors outside of our control can get in the way of optimal sleep. So, what can we control to get the best quality of sleep we can?
1. Tracking Sleep
If I feel I’m always tired, I like to document the quality and duration of my sleep over the span of a week or more. What time did I go to bed and get up? How deep? Was I waking frequently? How did I feel upon waking up? What was my eating and activity levels like during the day? What was I doing before bedtime?
If this feels like an overwhelming task, that’s ok, start simple with tracking the hours and quality of your sleep. You can find free simple online sleep tracking tools.
2. Avoid Eating Before Bed
Eating too big of a meal too late in the day can disrupt sleep, as the body is busy digesting. However, being too hungry can also make it difficult to rest. Keeping around a 3 hour gap between eating and sleeping should create the best conditions for a proper rest.
Excess caffeine, particularly in the afternoon and evening, can also disrupt our ability to sleep. While alcohol can make us sleepy, it can prevent us from entering deep sleep and isn’t something we want to use as a consistent sleep aid.
3. Wind Down Before Bed
What we do before bed can also affect sleep quality. We’ve all heard to avoid screens before bed and as hard as that is to do, if we struggle with our sleep it’s something we should try. At minimum, we want to avoid being on a screen in our bed. For many people, stimulating, exciting, emotionally charged activities can hype up and distract. Conversely, slower paced, relaxing activities can help with winding down. Everyone is different, but these can include a warm bath, stretching, or reading a boring book.
4. The Big Picture
Sometimes, we need to look at the bigger picture that contributes to our sleep patterns. Excess stress, significant life changes, underlying medical concerns, and even sleep disorders can be the culprit to compromised sleep. If we find ourselves stuck and not able to improve our sleep, seeking out appropriate professional help is advisable. This would be consulting with a medical doctor to rule out any physical condition and working on our mental health in therapy.