5 Tips for Better Sleep

In a recent study, researchers from Oregon Health & Science University found sleep quality stood out as a primary predictor of life expectancy, second only to smoking. It was a much greater indicator than diet, exercise or loneliness. What does this mean for the average adult today, and what can you do to ensure you are getting enough sleep?

“I didn’t expect sleep to be so strongly correlated to life expectancy,” said senior author Andrew McHill. “We’ve always thought sleep is important, but this research really drives that point home: People should strive to get seven to nine hours of sleep if at all possible.”

Over a third of adults fail to get the recommended seven hours of sleep each night, and 50 million to 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders. 

While previous research has shown prolonged sleep loss can lead to several health problems — including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression — this study is the first to reveal the correlation between sleep and life expectancy.

“This research shows that we need to prioritize sleep at least as much as we do to what we eat or how we exercise,” said McHill.

But knowing more sleep is better for you doesn’t mean getting those extra ZZZs is easy. If you’re struggling to get a solid eight hours, these tricks might help:

Cognitive shuffling 

Similar to shuffling a deck of cards, cognitive shuffling is a technique that rearranges thoughts, distracting the mind from the problematic patterns that prevent sleep.

To begin, pick a non-emotional word, such as “lake.” Take the first letter of the word, and think of several other words that begin with the same letter: list, last, lost, etc. Move on to the remaining letters. When you reach the end of the word, pick a new one and keep going.

Experts claim cognitive shuffling works by easing the restless mind into a relaxed, ready-for-sleep state, signaling it is safe to slumber.

Voodoo eye trick

Keeping your eyes closed, look to the right, then to the left, up, down, then around in a circle and around the other way — repeating the process as many times as needed to drift off.

Experts liken the hack to eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, in which eye movements are used to calm the body as it processes traumatic memories. Evidence suggests that these eye movements may increase parasympathetic nervous system activity and help you return to a state of rest.

Alpha bridge method

The “alpha bridge” sleep technique was originally developed by the U.S. Navy to support pilots who needed to snooze on command. It boosts alpha brain wave activity, which is crucial to calming the mind and supporting the transition to sleep. 

Here’s a quick rundown: 

5-minute cognitive offloading trick

 Writing a short list of tasks to tackle the following day, and one good thing that happened during your day, can help you hit the hay unburdened.

Experts say writing down a few tasks lets you jettison your worries, so you don’t need to think about them while trying to sleep. The concept is called “cognitive offloading.” It reduces the mental effort required to complete an assignment, in this case, sleep, which can lead to better performance or rest.

A 2017 study found participants who wrote a to-do list before bed instead of journaling about their accomplishments fell asleep “significantly faster.”

Pre-dreaming method

Dreams are visual, and experts say the more you can invoke the visual system, the faster you’ll be setting sail to slumber land.

If you’re struggling to sleep, picture a beautiful scene that makes you feel relaxed, such as floating on your back in a canoe on a serene lake. This process, known as “pre-dreaming,” slows down the verbal thinking mind, which can be a source of anxiety, and puts the focus on visualization.

Read the full article here.

What’s great about these tips is you don’t need apps, sound machines, or anything special. You just need a bed and your brain. So lie down, get comfy, and give them a try tonight. Sweet dreams!