Mastering Sleep Part I - Getting There
Feb 27, 2022
If I told you by mastering one healthy habit you could improve your productivity, boost your immune system, improve your memory, increase your exercise performance and put you in a better mood, would you know what I am referring to?
SLEEP. Mastering the quality and amount of time that you sleep every night will help you achieve all of the above. This is why I want to take a few minutes to discuss ways that you can improve this habit that creates a varying degree of challenges for the majority of us.
I hear from many of my patients that they either have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or both - so let’s discuss falling asleep in this blog.
Like anything that we work on to improve in our lives, there is training or “hygiene” involved. Here are some tips to get started:
- Be in bed before midnight
- Keep your room cool and dark
- Reduce the amount of blue light 1-2 hours before bed
- Avoid eating 2-3 hours before you go to bed so your digestive system is not busy working while you try and wind down
Harness the power of the Circadian Rhythm
What’s your circadian rhythm? In short, it is the natural sleep/wake cycle that we all have and it is controlled when particular hormones like melatonin are released.
This is why it is important to get outside in the morning and spend 15 to 20 minutes in the light so that this rhythm is triggered. Your body naturally knows that in 12 hours it will be time for rest again and it will begin to produce melatonin.
What you do during your waking hours contributes to how quickly you can fall asleep as well. Ensuring that you have had enough exercise/movement throughout the day to avoid having excess energy when trying to go to bed will also help you fall asleep faster.
Supplements for falling asleep
For those who have been working on improving their sleep hygiene and are still having trouble falling asleep, you may want to look into taking supplements. Two of the more common ones are melatonin and magnesium glycinate.
Magnesium helps by calming the central nervous system and also by helping your muscles relax. Some magnesium supplements can affect the bowel but the glycinate form typically does not and the dose is usually 200-400mg at night.
Epsom salts are another form of magnesium that can be used in a bath to help induce relaxation. I typically use ½-1 cup of Epsom salts in a nice hot bath weekly.
Although we naturally produce melatonin, it’s production can be interfered with due to lack of sun exposure and too much blue light in the evening from our devices.
You can take a melatonin supplement on it’s own or it is also commonly added to sleep formulas. Some of my patients have commented that they are groggy when they wake up, so in that situation, I recommend reducing the dose by half. Check with your health food store like our favorite Parks Health Shop for recommendations.
There are also herbs and teas that can help with reducing stress levels, winding down and offering calmness after a stressful day.
Calm your mind
The last habit is probably one of the most difficult for people to incorporate into their sleep routine, but I feel like it is the most important. What you have going through your mind when it is time for sleep can gravely impact not only how long it takes you to go to sleep, but also the quality of your sleep.
We need to be able to control the “mental movie” we replay in our heads at the end of the day. (I know - it’s easier said than done). This includes decisions we’ve made, the conversations we’ve had, and the best way to move forward with challenges we are struggling with. While it’s difficult to do, we need to be able to press PAUSE. Going to sleep with a clean slate has been a game-changer for me.
The easiest way to do this is to meditate, listen to calming music or do breathing exercises. Some people are intimidated at the thought of meditation so maybe start with music or work on some box breathing exercises. I like this one.
If you are interested in learning more about any of the habits listed above or if you have another health question that you would like us to help you with, please reach out to us at [email protected]
Lastly, if you have not been introduced to our Longevity Membership yet, please take a moment to check it out here. For less than $1 per day, you can have access to information and support that you need to meet your health goals. There is no reason for you to be on this journey alone. We are here to provide information, encourage you to take on new habits and celebrate your successes with you.