Many people struggle with sleep disturbances and may not fully understand how daily habits and lifestyle choices are impacting their sleep quality. Not to mention obsessing over our sleep issues, unfortunately often exacerbates the problem. Investing in expensive holistic remedies like melatonin, lavender, and various natural sleep aids sometimes works, but often doesn’t.
Here are some practical lifestyle and dietary changes that truly helped me overcome chronic sleep disturbances, I hope some of the information here can also be of use to you in your journey to restful sleep.
Acceptance and Letting Go
A significant first step is letting go of the constant effort to improve sleep, as ironic as that may seem. Accepting the situation as it is, without obsessing over it, can reduce anxiety and foster a calmer approach to sleep. This shift in mindset can help you approach the sleep journey with a more relaxed attitude.
Balancing Circadian Rhythms
Aligning daily routines with natural light patterns plays a crucial role:
– Morning Sun Exposure: Start your day with a sunshine boost! Get direct sunlight every morning within 30 minutes of waking for at least 10 minutes. Leave the sunglasses and sunblock inside for this one as they interfere with the way our body receives the suns rays as well as interfering with vitamin D production.
– Daytime Light: Soak up the sun throughout the day by spending more time outside, like taking more frequent walks or enjoying more time spent in a park or wherever you can feel the sunlight. Gradually increase sun exposure and eliminate processed inflammatory oils from your diet. These oils can mess with how your skin processes sunlight. Use an organic sunblock, a hat, or sunglasses only when necessary.
– Evening Light: Catch the sunset to benefit from the unique rays at that time. Once the sun sets, avoid bright lights, especially blue light from screens. Switch your screens to an orange tint, dim your home lights, use warm lighting, and wear orange-tinted blue light-blocking glasses at night. Incorporating all of these habits into your routine will do wonders for your overall circadian rhythms, your bodies internal clock, as well as improving your overall health and metabolic function.
Creating an Ideal Sleep Environment
Transforming your bedroom into a sleep-friendly sanctuary is essential:
– Clutter-Free Space: Keep your bedroom clean and simple. Turn off phone & Wi-Fi while sleeping to avoid unnecessary EMF exposure.
– Complete Darkness: Ensure your room is completely pitch dark at night, covering or turning off any devices and using blackout curtains if necessary.
– Cool Temperature: Maintain a cool room temperature by opening a window or using a fan. A cool environment makes it much easier to fall asleep.
Establishing a Bedtime Routine
Developing a consistent bedtime routine helps signal your body that it’s time to wind down:
– Solo Time: Reserve the last hour before bed just for yourself.
– Relaxing Activities: Dive into a good book, journal your thoughts to release them from your mind and onto paper, or practice gentle yoga postures like child’s pose, downward dog, and legs up the wall to relax your body and calm your mind.
Mindful Eating Habits
Adjusting your eating habits can support better sleep:
– Early Dinners: Avoid eating dinner after 8 pm. If hunger strikes later, opt for a light snack like warm milk with honey, a slice of raw cheese, or fresh fruit. Healthy carbohydrates in the evening can lower stress hormones in the body for a deeper sleep.
– Daily Exercise: Incorporate activities like biking, walking, yoga, and Pilates to support your overall metabolism and hormonal health and to release excess restlessness and stimulation.
– Post-Meal Walks: Take a walk after every meal to aid digestion and enjoy some fresh air and natural light.
– Limited Caffeine: Limit yourself to one coffee per day, never on an empty stomach, and no coffee after 2 pm. Drinking coffee, especially black coffee on an empty stomach can cause a significant increase in stress hormones for many people.
– Protein with Every Meal: Make sure to have a source of protein with every meal to support your metabolic health and blood sugar regulation. Complete protein sources include meat, seafood, eggs & dairy.
– Regular Meals: Eat breakfast daily, ensure sufficient intake throughout the day, and avoid skipping meals. Fasting or skipping meals can add unnecessary stress, especially for those easily stimulated and wound up.
Breathing and Meditation Practices
Incorporating breathing techniques and meditation can calm your mind and body:
– Deep Belly Breathing: Practice slow, rhythmic, deep belly breathing while lying in bed, focusing on breathing through your nostrils. Nasal breathing optimizes O2 and CO2 levels, supporting relaxation and providing physiological benefits such as improved hormonal balance, immune function, and digestion.
– Meditation: Include guided or silent seated meditations in your daily routine will help you to learn to shift your attention from your mind and thoughts, into your body and all that is arising in the present moment.
Avoiding Drugs and Alcohol
Avoiding drugs and alcohol is crucial for maintaining sleep quality. Both substances can significantly disrupt sleep patterns:
– Alcohol: While alcohol might initially make you feel drowsy, it disrupts the sleep cycle and reduces the quality of sleep especially in larger amounts.
– Drugs: Many recreational drugs and certain medications can interfere with your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Always consult with a healthcare professional regarding the impact of any prescribed medication on your sleep.
Additional Tips for Better Sleep
– Power Naps: Take short naps during the day if tired, instead of consuming more food or caffeine for energy. This will not ‘steal’ from your nighttime sleep but support better sleep at night, as you are taking rest to relax and balance your system.
– Device-Free Time: Avoid using devices 1-2 hours before bed, such as phones, TV, or computers. The light and information we take in from these devices can be extremely stimulating to our bodies mentally and physiologically.
– Herbal Teas: Incorporating sleepy tea into your bedtime routine can aid relaxation and support better sleep, try quality sedative herbs such as chamomile, skullcap or lavender.
– Magnesium Supplement: Consider taking a magnesium bisglycinate supplement with dinner, as it is an anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxant, and cofactor for 300+ metabolic reactions in the body.
By implementing these changes, significant improvements in sleep quality can be experienced. Simple, consistent, and natural adjustments to daily routines and environments can be very effective. If you’re struggling with sleep disturbances, these recommendations might offer useful insights and encourage you to find what works best for you.