Sleep Hygiene
Oh sleep hygiene, where do I begin with you?! First off, sleep is EXTREMELY underrated when it comes to talking about our overall health. I don’t know about you but I rarely get asked how many hours I’m sleeping each night when I go to the doctor. It’s usually just “Do you drink? Do you smoke? Do you exercise?” Yawn (no pun intended). Did you know though that sleep can really affect how we function each day?
I have always been sensitive to sleep. What I mean by this is that my body needs it. Since I was younger I’ve been this way. If I went to a sleep over and stayed up late I was bound to have a stomach ache the next day due to lack of sleep, which sounds crazy but it’s true. Now I wouldn’t know what happens because I haven’t stayed up past 11 PM in…. who knows how long. I will say though if I go to bed later than usual and have to wake up early the next day I usually feel a little groggy and have to fight off a headache. I am definitely not as productive and usually can’t wait to jump in bed early that night.
Studies have actually shown(1) that sleep affects our mood and vice versa. Meaning when we don’t get enough sleep we are irritable, become stressed, and feel mentally exhausted. After a few good nights of sleep that tends to go away and we feel better. That said, those who are suffering from anxiety and depression are more likely to have trouble sleeping and this, of course, plays into the cycle.
In my experience working with clients with anxiety and depression, I often see they either don’t sleep well or they don’t sleep a full 8 hours (which is the recommended hours of sleep we should get each night). In my own experience with anxiety I know it is much harder for me to fall asleep and stay asleep when I feel anxious. There have been many nights I’ve woken up at 2-3 AM and have not been able to fall back asleep, only to be dragging the next day or two.
Sleep can also mess with our hunger fullness cues because it increases our hunger hormone, ghrelin, and decreases our satiety hormone, leptin. I don’t know about you but I love being able to tune into my true hunger fullness cues and not have my body trying to play tricks on me! Not too mention, research has been done showing that sleep can affect our immune response(2). So basically when flu season rolls around this year, you don’t need to worry about all of the supplements that claim to boost your immune system, just get better sleep. Okay okay, I’m somewhat kidding. Of course I do amp up some of my vitamins during flu season, but that said I think it’s super important to focus on basic functions, like sleep, and how they affect our bodies.
Alright, I think we can see that sleep is VERY important. If you currently struggle with getting enough sleep, don’t freak out. I am going to share some simple steps you can start implementing today to work towards better sleep hygiene. Please keep in mind I am not a doctor and these tips are shared for general audience, however if sleep hygiene is something you are really struggling with I recommend you reach out to your doctor.
-No screens an hour before bed. Before you stop reading right now, hear me out! It has been shown(3) that staring at blue lights before bed can mess with our circadian rhythm, making it harder for us to fall asleep and leaving us feeling groggy in the morning. I try (keyword - try!) to plug in my phone as soon as I get in bed at night and then don’t touch it again. I will read a book, meditate, or just pet Lulu (if you’re new around here, Lulu is my chocolate lab and I’m obsessed with her). I find on nights when I unwind like this versus scrolling on the ‘gram I feel much more at ease and calm when I shut my eyes to go to sleep. If I’m being honest here… reading a book (no matter how intriguing it is) usually puts me to sleep in about 15 minutes tops.
-Write down what is on your mind before shutting your eyes. Do you ever go to bed with something on your mind and wake up in the middle of the night still thinking about it? I know that has definitely happened to me many times. Something that I have found to be helpful is writing down what is on my mind before going to bed. Physically writing things down seems to almost immediately give me a sigh of relief. This particularly helps if you are stressed about something that you can make a plan for. For example if I have a really busy few days I will write down my plan for each of them to make sure I stay on schedule and also plan in times to help with stress, like meditating. If it is another life stressor that you can’t do anything to help in the moment, I still find writing down your thoughts to be helpful. Keep a journal at your bedside so that you can jot things down before you get some shut eye.
-Magnesium. If you are feeling like you need extra support to step up your sleep game, it wouldn’t hurt to look into magnesium. Magnesium is essential for our bodies, and studies have shown(4) that magnesium can increase GABA which can help calm you and help you fall asleep. Many of the studies done have been on older adults, but that’s not to say young adults cannot benefit as well. Some foods rich in magnesium include dark chocolate, avocados, leafy greens, bananas, fatty fish, and whole grains. I am linking the magnesium I like to take here, however, as with all supplements consult with your doctor before introducing them into your life, as some can have adverse side effects on other medications.
-Take a bath. So I’ll admit, I was never a big bath girl before Covid. I never felt like I had time to just relax and take a bath (who did, right?!) Then the world shut down and all I did was sit at home, anxious as can be, and I realized - I have time for baths. Not only that, but I actually enjoy baths. They help ease stress after a long day and it seems like your worries can just melt away, even if for only a few moments. Don’t just take it from me though. Studies show(5) that our core temperature effects how we sleep, taking a bath of 104 degrees Fahrenheit for ~10 minutes drops our core temperature by bringing our blood to the surface. When the core temperature drops by 2-3 degrees Fahrenheit we sleep better! I am linking my favorite bath soak here, and I don’t have a bath tray but I definitely want one in my near future.
-Meditate. Okay not much needs to be said about this! Meditation is so calming for the mind and body. It offers a variety of benefits including tapping into your inner peace. Meditating at night can be particularly beneficial for sleep, as it helps set you up for rest. I use an app, but there are so many free meditations out there. Try googling some or looking them up on YouTube.
Now that we’ve walked through some of the many benefits of getting good sleep, and some ways to achieve better sleep hygiene - I’d love to hear from you! Have you tried any of these methods? Have they worked for you? Do you have anything else to add to the list? Reach out and let me know! Happy sleeping.
References:
1. Sleep and Mood - https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/whats-in-it-for-you/mood
2. Sleep and Immune System - https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/work-hour-training-for-nurses/longhours/mod2/05.html
3. Evening Screen Time Can Sabotage Sleep - https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/evening-screen-time-can-sabotage-sleep#:~:text=Screentime%20before%20bedtime%20may%20leave,number%20of%20minutes%20people%20slept.
4. Power (Down) Vitamins: Promote Better Sleep With Magnesium - https://www.sleep.org/power-vitamins-promote-better-sleep-magnesium/
5. A Warm Bedtime Bath Can Help You. Cool Down and Sleep Better - https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/07/25/745010965/a-warm-bedtime-bath-can-help-you-cool-down-and-sleep-better#:~:text=Based%20on%20scientists'%20review%20of,overall%20amount%20of%20time%20slept.