We all crave a good night’s sleep. Sleeping well helps us feel less groggy in the morning, focus during the day, and have energy for both work and our hobbies. From a physical perspective, sleep also helps us fight off illnesses, maintain a healthy weight, and reduce our chances of developing diabetes and heart disease.
Unfortunately, one in three adults worldwide suffers from insomnia, which is classed as difficulty getting to sleep or struggling to stay asleep for long periods of time. Whilst there sometimes can be medical factors to consider, the truth is that our busy modern lives don’t often leave enough time to consider how we can support our sleep cycles. In this post, we look at what you can do to help yourself get a good night’s rest.
Keep things consistent
To understand why consistency is important, we first need to understand how our bodies know when to sleep. Circadian rhythms control the timing of sleep, reacting to stimuli around us such as light and temperature to know when to sleep and when to be awake. These rhythms are based on a 24-hour clock and are so strong that they work even without cues. Additionally, our sleep-wake homeostasis tracks how tired we are, forcing us to sleep when we need to as well as managing how deep that sleep is.
Supporting these natural instincts will help you have a better night’s sleep. If you go to bed at 9 pm one night, midnight another, 1 am the night after, and then 10 pm the next day, your body can’t create any kind of pattern. Whilst the natural cycles will mean that you do sleep, you’d drift off faster and sleep better if you keep a consistent sleep schedule.
Leave some time to wind down
Your body can’t go to sleep at the touch of a button. As our circadian rhythm reacts to stimuli like light, think about your normal bedtime routine. Do you try to go to bed right after watching TV, or staring at your phone? If so, you’re making it harder for your body to know when to sleep. Blue light emitted by electronic devices negatively affects our circadian rhythms, meaning that it takes your body longer to get to sleep, even after you’ve switched them off.
Instead, try and give yourself some electronic-free time before you want to sleep – ideally, an hour. Leave your phone out of the bedroom and settle down with a good book instead. Business owners or employees who feel anxious at leaving their phones out of the room and therefore being unavailable should look for other solutions, such as call-handling services, as well as setting clear guidelines with their team about when they’re available.
Get some daylight
Getting out in the daylight may seem counterintuitive to having a good night’s sleep, but research has shown that a morning walk can help keep your circadian rhythm in sync. Your body is most sensitive to light around one hour after you wake up, so try and prioritize this at the start of your day. Sunlight also helps boost serotonin, which can make you feel happier – so making time for a pre-work walk is well worth the effort.
