The Benefits of Getting a Full Night's Sleep (7 to 8 hours)
Sleep improves memory function
A good night's sleep can reduce stress
Sleep can increase exercise performance
Sleep can boost your immune system
Can help prevent weight gain
Sleep can strengthen your heart
Sleep can help with insulin sensitivity
Better Sleep = Better Mood
Sleeping can increase productivity
I use an Oura ring to track my sleep. This gadget gives me all the data I need to learn about my body- what affects my sleep and I use that information to try to make small improvements, as I'll discuss. You don't need an Oura ring, but briefly what I enjoy about it is that it provides a sleep score by analyzing your deep sleep, REM sleep, light sleep, and nightly heart rate. It also helps you to keep a bedtime schedule. It also provides a readiness score, which is a combination of how much rest you had, your activity level from the previous day, daily movement, and your heart rate variability, and how this compares to your own "normal". This had helped me to fine-tune my sleep hygiene and helped me to prioritize things that improve my scores, like daily exercise, balance rest and recovery, the timing of food and beverages, and which supplements to take. Some of the tips I share below are directly a result of the Oura ring data, while some are the result of years of trial and error. Take what works for you and leave the rest. These suggestions are some of my favorites.
Top Tips:
Limited caffeine consumption in the afternoon, especially if you are a slow metabolizer. Caffeine hangs around in your system for several hours, so consider avoiding caffeine starting mid-afternoon or earlier if you want a good night's sleep. Caffeine interferes with the brain system that causes sleepiness. A molecule called adenosine acts as a signal between brain cells to bring on sleepiness. Caffeine blocks adenosine's signals, making you feel more alert. This is also why caffeine can make it hard to fall asleep and can interfere with deep sleep.
Avoid Alcohol: For me, I notice that when I have alcohol in my system my sleep definitely suffers, so I choose to avoid it. That is how much I prioritize sleep. And let's face it alcohol isn't doing us any favors, it's dehydrating and aging, it wreaks havoc on our hormones and waistline. I've finally come to the conclusion that I am better off without it. If I do choose to imbibe from time to time it is one glass of low sugar wine (I love Dry Farms) and preferable at lunch or early evening so I can burn it off. If I do have a glass of wine, I like to go for a walk afterward, as I find this helps to burn off the sugar, and then the alcohol is out of my system and doesn't interfere as much with my sleep.
Have a nighttime routine: Another thing I love about the Oura ring is it gently reminds me (at around 7:30 PM) that it is time to start winding down for bed. Try to finish up any household chores and work before your winddown time. Then create a bedtime routine that your body can use to calm down and prepare the mind for bed. For me this looks like this:
Finish dinner before 7 PM so I have time to digest before bed. Bonus if I can get in an after-dinner stroll around the neighborhood.
Around 8:30 PM I head upstairs to the bedroom to wash my face and brush my teeth, I also take my evening supplements at this time.
Next, I may take a warm bath with lavender oil and Epson salts or use one of the bath teas from Wild Air candle Co. or do some foam rolling, stretching, or restorative yoga. These relaxing activities help my mind to wind down and know that it is time for rest.
At 9:15 PM I do a sleep meditation with my daughter, we love the Peloton app for this, they have some great sleep meditations. The Oura ring also has some sleep meditations and sleep stories that I love (there are other options with the Calm App, Headspace, or free on Youtube). This puts me in a relaxed state, but since I am not in my own bed for this I try not to drift off to sleep.
From 9:30 to 10:00 PM I read in bed until I can't keep my eyes open and fall asleep.
4. Bluelight: Some people take blue light blocking to the next level, eating by candlelight or replacing their lightbulbs with red bulbs. I'm not that extreme, but if that works for you then go for it. However, a few years back when I was having trouble falling asleep, I did switch to reading only paper books before bed and that definitely seemed to help. As I got a bit older my eyesight became an issue and I needed to switch back to the iPad for reading. I do have blue light blocking on my glasses and I do turn on the warm light or night mode on my device. I think this helps, I have no issues falling asleep reading with these two things in place. If those aren't working, try some of the other tips in conjunction, or maybe try replacing the light bulbs in your bedroom.
5. Supplements: There are a few herbal supplements that I find work really well if I need a little help falling asleep. Let's face it as we get older our hormones start to shift and a little support in the form of a supplement may be all the help you need.
Here are my top 3:
CBD + CBG: There are CBD products out there that may not work as well as others, but I have tried many different products and I swear by this one from Wyld. I take it every night and it definitely helps me fall asleep. The benefits of consuming CBN include improved sleep quality, pain relief, and anti-inflammation. However, CBN is far more powerful when it comes to sleep. I like that these gummies have both and this is a whole plant extract, which means it's more potent and you get all the synergistic benefits of consuming the whole plant.
Valerian: studies show that valerian reduces the time it takes to fall asleep and improves the quality of sleep. I've taken this for years, sometimes alone, but more recently I discovered this product from HUM Nutrition called Mighty Night. This contains valerian along with hops, and passionflower to promote deeper sleep, as an added bonus it also contains antioxidant ferulic acid + CoQ10 to help combat free radicals that cause early signs of aging and nutrients with skin benefits. There are many sleep products out there that contain valerian, I've tried many and they all supported a deeper sleep.
Melatonin: Reduces the time it takes to fall asleep and boosts daytime alertness, helps adjust your internal body clock, and promotes a deeper rest. I like the one from HUM Nutrition because it contains vitamin B6, a precursor to serotonin, that helps normalize the circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle).
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