7 Tips For Better Sleep
Believe it or not, a good night’s sleep starts the moment you wake up in the morning.
It’s not intuitive, but our sleep quality depends on more than just a great night-time routine. In fact, there are little tweaks you can make throughout the day to optimize your sleep-wake cycles and have the best sleep ever.
Here are 7 easy tips to have a better sleep tonight.
1. Get outside for at least two minutes within the first hour of waking.
Light is the #1 thing that regulates your sleep-wake cycles, so getting outside first thing in the morning signals to your body that a new day has begun – time to be awake and alert! Staying inside all morning can leave you feeling slow and groggy throughout the day, so step onto your balcony or go for a quick walk to start the day off right.
2. Get enough movement.
We need physical activity to make us feel tired and to help us sleep properly at night. A good rule of thumb is to aim for between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day. Most adults only get about 3,000 steps – while moving less is the norm, it’s not optimal and can impact our sleep quality. In addition to taking walks, try adding another form of exercise like weight lifting into your routine. Combined, these forms of exercise lower stress, improve mood and dramatically impact your sleep quality.
3. Have a technology curfew.
I know, I know, you don’t wanna hear it. But it’s true: scrolling through TikTok or watching TV before bed is a recipe for poor sleep and a surefire way to wake up feeling groggy. This is because looking at a screen delays (and can even shut down) melatonin production, which interrupts our sleep cycles. Melatonin is one of our bodies’ most important good-sleep-hormones and it needs to be abundant as the sun goes down. Interestingly, research even shows that bright light exposure between the hours of 10pm-4am significantly reduces dopamine levels the next day, leaving you feeling low and unmotivated.
Try to turn off electronics at least 30 minutes before bed. Instead, pick up a book, chat with a friend or partner, stretch or listen to a podcast.
4. Take a hot bath before bed
One of the main biological steps that prepares us for sleep is lowering our core body temperature; a hot bath, sauna or shower can help move this process along faster. As we heat up our external body, our internal systems work on overdrive to cool our core body temperature back down. This helps us feel cozy, relaxed and ready for sleep.
5. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day
Our bodies love routine – they thrive when we get to bed and wake up at roughly the same time each day. If you have a Monday to Friday sleep schedule that gets blown up on weekends, you might be experiencing “social jetlag.” Recovering from the weekend-hours can leave you feeling groggy, foggy, slow and tired. Instead, do your best to set a consistent bedtime that ensures that you can get 7-9 hours of sleep.
6. Limit caffeine after lunch
It’s no surprise that drinking coffee or energy drinks late in the day will interrupt your sleep quality and leave you feeling exhausted the next day. When that happens, you’re more likely to reach for another coffee – and so the cycle continues. A good rule of thumb is to consume caffeine up until about noon or 2pm. This may be difficult at first, but it will be a game changer for your sleep quality and energy levels!
7. Get intimate before bed
Finally, a fun one. Organsms and intimacy (alone or a partner) increases endorphins and the hormone oxytocin, which promotes feelings of relaxation, peace and calm. All amazing things to feel right before bed!
