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The information on this website is designed to offer self-care tips and recommendations based on evidence-based research and literature from professionals in each field. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any specific medical condition. Please consult with your healthcare provider before making any health-related decisions.
Do you have problems falling asleep, or are you feeling tired the next day, or would you like to increase your current physical performance? You may be disrupting the body’s automatic functioning system that enables an effective sleep pattern. You can take simple steps to greatly improve your sleep, resulting in a more joyful, productive day. Below are some simple solutions to improving your sleep. The hyperlinks in this article lead you to more in-depth research that can further increase your knowledge of a self-reliant approach to your sleep.
The human body has many natural processes and functions that operate automatically. Still, we can often get in the way or disrupt this automatic process making it more difficult for the body to recover and repair itself naturally. One of these processes is the body‘s internal timekeeping system, known as the circadian rhythm, a biological clock set to a timer that influences sleepiness and prepares the body to fall asleep. There are several things you can do to help you’re your circadian rhythm work efficiently. Even if you are currently happy with your sleep pattern, following the tips in this article can help build upon your current sleep and increase your performance.
The circadian rhythm not only manages sleep but also manages hunger, digestion, and hormone release. The circadian clock is located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), located in the lower portion of the brain inside the hypothalamus. Melatonin is synthesized within the SCN, which causes sleepiness enabling the body to fall asleep and stay asleep. While sleeping, multiple cleaning processes occur throughout the entire body, which must be complete before you wake up the next day to ensure you have a productive day free of fatigue, brain fog, energy reduction, and decreased problem-solving; the SCN ensures you stay asleep during this process.
Learn How Melatonin is Synthesized
There are various actions we can take during the day to ensure quality sleep. Our sleep patterns can be enabled or disrupted by a variety of factors. From stress, nutrition, exposure to chemicals, and levels of intense exercise. Below are some dos and don’ts of helping your circadian rhythm execute its job without interruptions.
- Immediately upon waking up, expose your eyes to natural light for 10 minutes. Do not look at your phone or any screen. Artificial light can impact the circadian rhythm. Exposing your eyes to 10 minutes of natural light ensures your SCN prepares to induce fatigue in the evening. When I wake up, I roll out of bed and hang out with our dog for 10 minutes before grabbing my phone.
- Stop caffeine consumption 4-6 hours before bedtime. Caffeine can remain in your system for 4-6 hours. We want to avoid any stimulants that weaken the effects of melatonin. Additionally, caffeine blocks the release of adenosine, a molecule that promotes fatigue. The longer you consume caffeine, the more adenosine is built up, creating increased fatigue the next day as the adenosine reserves are released.
- Stop intense exercise 2-3 hours before bed. Exercise influences the release of endorphins, hindering a less active mind and body, preventing the brain from unwinding. Additionally, when exercise raises your body temperature, it signals the SCN that it’s time to wake up. Cool body temperature is critical for a healthy night’s sleep.
- Alcohol consumption will hinder healthy sleep. Alcohol stays in the system for 4-5 hours. Alcohol is a relaxant and can relax the esophageal muscles allowing acid to enter the throat and disrupt breathing. The molecular breakdown of alcohol creates subcomponents that impact the body’s ability to conduct its nighttime repair processes.
- Eat dinner 3-4 hours before bed. You do not want your body digesting food while you are sleeping. Eating early enough ensures that your foods have time to digest and begin metabolization in the small intestine before falling asleep. This also ensures an empty digestive tract when the repair and cleaning crew conducts its digestive maintenance while you sleep. Decreased activity in the digestive system when sleeping is key for productive sleep.
- Prepare to wind down 2 hours before bedtime. During this time, you can prepare for the next day by preparing clothing or gear; walk the dog, take a warm bath, watch a relaxing show that keeps the brain at ease; finish up internet tasks, and screen time on phones or computers.
- Wind down 1 hour before bed. This is when you will turn down all lights, only leaving enough light to function. Stop all screen time. If your phone is your alarm clock, set the clock during this time, and don’t look at your phone again until you wake up. Drink a calming sleepy-time tea. Take a warm bath; massage legs, mediation/mindfulness, eliminate all sounds, avoid any blue light. Studies have shown that blue light will impact the SCN and halt melatonin production. Do a scan of your room with the lights off and identify any lights that can stimulate your eyes at night. If you can not remove these lights or cover them use an eye mask. I discovered that I wake up more often in the middle of the night when my eyes are exposed to any light. Try an eye mask and see if you notice the difference.
Making these changes is a free simple solution to begin to improve your overall health and wellness. I recommend you reflect upon these ideas, test them out and modify them to fit your needs. It is key that you follow the same sleep pattern every night, even on weekends. Over time you will rewire your brain’s sleep pattern, and this will become automatic. Test out these steps on yourself. Start a sleep journal and analyze the effects of caffeine or exposure to light to see how it impacts your sleep.
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