Tired of waking up tired? Here are 11 simple tips to help you improve your sleep

Sleep has been on my mind recently…but not because I’ve been tired. To the contrary! I’ve finally entered the 21st century and now have a Fitbit that tracks my sleep. Well, actually it was gifted to me. So technically speaking, I was more so nudged into the 21st century than voluntarily entering it. Nonetheless, the feedback it gives me on my shut-eye has been, well…eye opening.
 
I’ve always been a pretty good sleeper. My mom tells me that as a baby I would…sleep like a baby! Like most people though, I’ve had my own sleep inconsistencies over the years.
 
There was a period of time recently when I kept jolting awake from a surge of adrenaline every time I started to drift off to sleep. That horrific experience fortunately lasted for “only” about a week or two. I never did discover the exact cause of that but am grateful it disappeared as quickly as it came.
 
Then there were my 20’s…when my sleep schedule was totally out of whack, not unlike many other young adults. I used to stay up into the wee morning hours writing college essays and cramming for exams. It wasn’t uncommon to witness sunsets and sunrises with little to no sleep in between.  I’d nap extensively during the days whenever the opportunity arose.
 
 I experienced jet lag countless times. I’ve had post-work insomnia from stressful 13 hour nursing shifts more times than I could count. My sleep schedule on weekends was completely different than on weekdays. I fell asleep with the television on, the lights on and would sometimes work out just before bedtime. I often went straight to sleep immediately after eating heavy meals at late night diners at 2 a.m. Basically, I’ve broken just about every single sleep hygiene rule out there. And I’ve lived to tell about it!

But things are different now. Like the rest of us, I’m getting older. If I want to live a healthy life, I need to more mindful about getting enough sleep these days. Our bodies simply need more time to recover as we age. This goes for physical and mental recovery. My Fitbit has made me more mindful and it’s got me researching more about sleep. Now I want to share with you what I am learning on my newly embarked sleep journey!
 
Benefits of sleep
Research has not yet identified the exact purpose of sleep. I mean, it seems odd that 1/3 of our lives has to be spent in this odd state of being. A third of our lives are spent lying down, our eyes and brains totally shut off from the world around us. Why can’t we restore ourselves in a different way? Why does this only happen when we close our eyes and drift off into another universe? Strange indeed.
 
But I digress…regardless of the reason for this bizarre but universal behavior, research has done a pretty good job sharing with us the many benefits of sleep. Sleep is restorative. I don’t need to tell you that without sleep you feel terrible. But quality sleep also has some less tangible benefits.
 
Sleep helps to:

1. Strengthen your immune system
2. Control your weight (lack of sleep causes stress and cortisol release. Excess cortisol leads to junk food cravings!)
3. Keep your heart healthy (again, less cortisol is better for your heart too)
4. Improve your mood
5. Improve your memory
6. Increase your daytime energy levels and alertness

 
The stages of sleep
It’s believed that just about every animal sleeps but what sleep looks like between species can vary. The amount of time different animals spend in the various sleep stages also varies. Heck, the sleep patterns and specific needs even vary within a species.
 
We may spend different amounts of time in each stage of sleep. But throughout the night, all of us cycle through being awake, being in light sleep, being in deep sleep and dreaming (REM sleep). And then we repeat this cycle over and over until we finally wake up to face the day ahead. A Fitbit or similar tracker can do a great job enlightening you on how much time you spend in each stage, as well as offering a simple breakdown about what’s ideal.

Helpful sleep hygiene tips
I’ll bet you didn’t know that a giraffe sleeps in measly 5-minute increments. Did you know that deer and sheep only sleep about 3-4 hours per night? Or how about, that a lion sleeps a whopping 16-20 hours per day?
 
Quite simply, it’s detrimental to spend too much time in deep sleep when you think danger could be lurking around every corner. It makes sense that prey animals must spend more time on guard and less time catching up on their Zzz’s. It also makes sense that lions, confident in their standing at the top of the food chain, don’t stress much and can afford to lounge without restraint.
 
Ever wonder why you have insomnia when you’re feeling stressed? It’s because your body doesn’t know the difference between a legitimate physical threat looming in the bushes and your boss pressuring you to meet a deadline. It’s just your inner giraffe kicking in!
 
So, what can you do to enhance your sleep experience? It could be that your sleep habits are just triggering alertness at the wrong times. This can be fixed.
 
But first a quick disclaimer here: I am no sleep specialist. What works for me may not work for you. You also may have legitimate medical issues that might need to be treated by your healthcare provider. Sleep apnea is an increasingly common condition that causes a person to temporarily stop breathing, sometimes up to 400 times per night, without the person even being aware of these micro-awakenings! In this case none of the tips below would work. You would need medical intervention.
 
But if your sleep issues are just related to poor sleep hygiene habits, then there might just be hope!

11 easy and helpful sleep hygiene tips

1.) Tell your body it’s safe to fall asleep. You can do this with calming sleep apps, meditation or peaceful music. Deep breathing also triggers your body’s parasympathetic system (the “rest & digest” response), signaling it to chill out.
 
2.) Don’t stress over sleep. Ironically, the more you stress about not being able to fall sleep, the less likely you are to fall asleep! This can lead to a frustrating cycle of tossing and turning. So don’t stress if you don’t get exactly 8 hours of sleep every night. You might have some sleepless nights. Tell yourself this is okay and that when you are tired enough you will fall asleep.
 
3.) Set a bedtime alarm and stick to a bedtime routine. Try not to stray from it, even on weekends. Consistency is key. Our bodies love routines. This goes for sleep too. Bedtime routines are just as important as morning routines. Make a routine that helps you unwind. Examples include taking a bath, reading, or listening to soothing music. Basically anything that signals your brain that it's time to relax.
 
4.) Limit caffeine to the earlier part of the day. It can take up to 12 hours for caffeine to entirely leave your system. I’m personally very sensitive to caffeine and cannot have any coffee after 4 p.m. if I am going to get any sleep at night. Then I have friends who can drink a cup of coffee right before bed and they can still sleep soundly. Experiment with what works for you.
 
5.) Be mindful of your meal timing. Don’t go to bed stuffed or starving. Digestion is a taxing process on the body. Sleep is the time your entire body restores itself and it relies on energy not spent on digesting food to do this.  Also, eating late at night might keep the brain more alert…this is the last thing we want when we’re trying to get shuteye!
 
6.) If you ever have issues with low blood sugar, a light snack with protein and healthy fat might be helpful. I’ve experienced this one firsthand. If I had an early dinner, particularly a dinner higher in carbs and low in protein and fat, I am restless at bedtime. Something as simple as a banana with peanut butter can do the trick in these instances.
 
7.) No late naps! Try to limit napping to early afternoon hours and limit them to 30 minutes or less. I’m a big proponent of naps but not if they come at the expense of my nighttime sleep. But really there’s nothing quite like a rejuvenating siesta!
 
8.) We’ve all heard that blue lights from our screens might be messing with our melatonin levels. Shut off electronics 30-60 minutes before bedtime. Give your body a chance to experience a darker environment so your body can start making some of that sleep-inducing melatonin.
 
9.) Exercise! Physical activity during the day can really help you sleep better at night. It’s also an amazing stress reliever and we already know that stress can keep us awake at night!
 
10.) Set aside a certain time of day to get your worries out of your head and onto paper. Think of this activity as a brain purge, liberating your brain from holding onto all its worries and trying to keep track of them. Write out to-do lists if that’s your thing.  Racing thoughts at bedtime are never fun.

I don’t know why, but my brain views bedtime as the perfect time to start asking existential questions. It also loves to wait until bedtime to replay my entire day and search for all the possible mishaps or missteps from the past 24 hours. Don’t let it do this. Practice mindfulness and notice when these thoughts creep in. Redirect your mind to the present. Set aside a separate time to work through your thoughts and worries.  Just anytime except for bedtime!
 
11.) Make your bedroom your sanctuary. Make it ultra cozy. Invest in a good mattress. It’s been said that the ideal room temperature for sleep is around 65 degrees F. But it might also be less about the actual temperature and more about allowing your body to experience a drop in temperature around bedtime. See what works best for you.
 
 
Takeaway
These days we seem to be in constant competition with each other. Who can work the hardest? Who is the most stressed? Who can get by with the least amount of sleep? Who is the least lazy? This mindset is simply a race to the bottom. Don’t engage in it. There should be absolutely no shame in prioritizing your sleep. Prioritizing your sleep is prioritizing your health, plain and simple. If you value yourself then you will value your health.  
 
Shorter sleep is a shorter life. Sleep deprivation is no joke. It can lead to weight gain, can increase your stress levels and it can age you. It can make you forgetful and it can lead to poor decision-making. Quite frankly, it can make you sick and it can ultimately shorten your life expectancy.
 
With this said, decide today that your body deserves its down time. It deserves time to restore itself so it can perform at its best for you throughout the day. So, what small thing can you start doing today to start prioritizing your sleep?