The inability to sleep well can be extremely frustrating, and can add to health issues. The stress of the holiday season tends to exacerbate any issues you may already be having. Want to get better sleep? Sleep coach Claire Davies shares her top three tips for getting better sleep year round:
Wake up at the same time every day
Life happens and it isn’t always possible to go to bed at the same time each night, but you really should stick to a consistent wake-up time. Why? It’s all about reinforcing your circadian rhythm (body clock).
Your circadian rhythm regulates your sleep-wake cycle but it relies on clues from your environment to do so. Getting up at the same time each morning is the equivalent of programming your body for better sleep at night. This has now become my number one golden sleep rule.
Most healthy adults need seven to nine hours’ sleep a night. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, a consistent wake up time will help you get back on track by helping you to feel sleepier at bedtime (your sleep drive will be really high), so you'll fall asleep faster and get the hours you need.
Eat breakfast then take an early morning walk
I was never a ‘breakfast person’, and the sleep inertia (grogginess) I felt when I had depression was enough to knock me out for the entire morning. But I learned that eating soon after waking up is a powerful way to strengthen your circadian rhythm, signaling that it’s time to be ‘up and at ’em’.
For years now my morning routine has been to get out of bed as soon as my alarm goes off. I open my curtains and blinds, down a glass of water to ease the effects of sleep inertia, then eat breakfast before getting outside for a walk.
In fact, a new study shows that the earlier you get daylight exposure, the faster you’ll fall asleep at night and the better you’ll sleep. It works for me.
Always relax before bed
In the early parts of my career I would burn the candle at both ends, fully expecting to simply switch off my computer, jump into bed and instantly fall asleep. Instead, night after night I’d lie there with my brain on fire, churning through every second of what happened that day and what I needed to do the next day.
As part of my insomnia treatment, my therapist helped me develop a nighttime routine. I still use it now – and it actually starts the moment I finish work. The first part is called ‘active worry time’. This is when I go to a different part of my house (away from my bedroom – I want that to remain my sleep sanctuary) – and allow myself 10 minutes of worry time. I also scribble down all my to-do lists for the next day.
That ‘purging’ of worry and reminders from my brain gives me a clean slate for the rest of the evening. 30 minutes before actual bedtime I then start the second half of my nighttime routine: I shower, change into nightclothes, then relax with either a guided sleep meditation or a full body scan.
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Sleep issues can be something we overthink. We believe we need some sort of remedy, when in fact some simple changes may be all we need. These tips are certainly worth trying. Here’s wishing you can get the sleep you need tonight!