3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Sleep
How do you feel when you get a bad night of sleep?
There are lots of ways consistently bad sleep—or sleep deprivation—can impact a person. A bad night’s sleep affects us the next day on both a physical and mental level. If it goes on night after night, there can even be long-term effects over time. In short, good sleep is very important.
But all is not lost! Here are three great ways to improve your sleep.
1. Become aware of your sleeping patterns
Improving sleep hygiene starts with awareness. Being aware of your body’s needs helps you plan a bedtime routine that works for you. To increase awareness, ask yourself:
What type of sleeper am I?
How many hours of sleep do I need to feel rested?
What conditions do I need to sleep well?
Your sleep-wake cycle: Each person has a unique sleep-wake cycle. That cycle is dictated by your circadian rhythm, which regulates many things in the body and especially when you naturally want to sleep or wake up. Age, environment, hormone levels, gender, genetics, and many other factors will have an impact on your circadian rhythm and your sleep. Some people are “morning larks” who naturally wake up early in the day and feel well-rested but may have a hard time staying up late. Others are the “night owls” who struggle to wake up early but find themselves wide awake and energized at nighttime. These are two ends of a large spectrum of sleep types. Where do you fall on the spectrum?
How much sleep do you need?: While the ideal amount of sleep is between 7 and 8 hours, some outliers need 6 or 9 hours. Pay attention to when you personally feel the most well-rested. Once you have a rough estimate of how much sleep you need, see how you can adjust your schedule to fit that!
Sleeping environment: Are you setting yourself up for success? If you are sensitive to light, noise, temperature, or other stimulants, you may need to take steps to cultivate a better sleeping space.
Take some time to reflect on your current sleep habits this week. Try using a journal, app, or general mindfulness to track your sleep!
2. Make a change
Now that you know your sleeping habits, it’s time to make some changes! There are three areas of life that each person can generally control: food, screens, and time. Each of these tends to hinder a person from getting a good night’s sleep.
Food: Did you know your eating habits impact your sleep? Eating too late or something that doesn’t agree with you can actually make falling asleep much more difficult. Some specific culprits are caffeine, large meals, and alcohol. Try to limit after-hours snacking and be mindful about what you consume close to bedtime.
Screen habits: Blue light and stimulation from screens can keep our brains awake and active. That means social media alerts, texts, or phone calls that demand our attention can jolt us out of our body’s natural winding down process. Think of a realistic way you can limit your screen time before bed. Whether it’s buying a real alarm clock, leaving your phone in another room, or limiting TV time before bed, there are simple ways to reduce your exposure to screens.
Your schedule: Life will get crazy, but sometimes we need to put boundaries up to protect things we value—such as getting a good night’s sleep. For example, if you have determined 11:00 to be your ideal bedtime, your boundary could be that you need to be home getting ready for bed by 10:30. An overscheduled day that leaves no room for relaxing may seem like it’s making the most of your time, but you may be harming yourself in the long run. You know yourself best, so see what kinds of boundaries you can put in place to craft a schedule that fits your needs!
3. Practice consistency
Our last tool is consistency. This tool may be the most important of the three—and the most underappreciated. The key to all of this sleep knowledge is whether you can incorporate it into your schedule effectively. Once you know your needs and the changes you need to make, stick to it! Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, regardless of whether it’s a weekend or weekday. Maybe this means setting reminders for yourself to go to bed, writing out your bedtime schedule, or partnering up with a friend to help each other get better sleep. Whatever it takes for you, know that the best change you can make for your sleep is to be as consistent as possible each day!
With awareness of your sleep habits, taking action to change your sleep patterns, and consistency to stick to it, you’re on your way toward better sleep and a healthier lifestyle overall.
Walker, M. (2017). Why We Sleep. Scribner.
Westcombe, A., & Green, A. (2012). Sleep : Multi-Professional Perspectives. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Williams, L. (2017). Sleep Deprivation: Global Prevalence, Dangers and Impacts on Cognitive Performance. Nova Science Publishers, Inc.