Sleep Like a Pro: 10 Ways to Boost Your Sleep
In this post I’m diving into 10 ways to boost your sleep backed by science. Let’s roll!
Consistent Sleep Patterns
Studies reveal that 40% of Americans get less than the recommended amount of sleep. Improving your sleep quality is paramount for maintaining overall health and well-being, significantly impacting your physical health, cognitive function, and mental health. The foundation of good sleep health lies in the consistency of your sleep patterns. Our bodies are governed by a circadian rhythm, an intrinsic internal process that regulates our sleep-wake cycle, cycling approximately every 24 hours. Synchronizing your sleep schedule with your body’s natural clock by consistently going to bed and waking up at the same time daily, including weekends, can profoundly enhance the quality of your sleep. Extensive research has shown the detrimental effects that irregular sleep patterns can have on this rhythm and the production of melatonin, the hormone that cues your brain to sleep. This body of evidence emphasizes the critical nature of maintaining a regular sleep schedule to achieve deep, restorative sleep, highlighting how deviations from this pattern can disrupt sleep quality and overall health.
Bed Time Routine
About half of all insomnia cases stem from psychological factors like anxiety, depression, or simply stress. Setting up a solid routine before bed to decompress can make a significant difference. The selection of activities in which you engage during the hour before bedtime can drastically influence your capacity to fall asleep and remain asleep. Setting up a tranquil pre-sleep routine signals to your body that it’s time to begin the process of winding down, easing the transition into sleep. Incorporating activities like reading, meditation, enjoying a warm bath or hot shower, light stretching, or engaging in relaxation exercises like deep box breathing can significantly improve sleep quality by diminishing stress and anxiety levels. These practices help in mentally and physically preparing your body for sleep, creating an ideal state for restfulness. By establishing a nightly routine that includes such calming activities, you foster an environment conducive to quality sleep, aiding in the relaxation of the mind and body, making it easier to drift off to sleep and stay asleep throughout the night.
Supportive Sleeping Environment
The quality of your sleeping environment plays a pivotal role in how well you sleep. External factors such as noise, light, temperature, and bedding quality can all influence your sleep. An optimal sleep environment is characterized by quietness, darkness, and cool temperatures, with research supporting the significance of these elements in facilitating quality sleep. Investing in high-quality mattresses and pillows that provide adequate support and comfort, utilizing blackout curtains or an eye mask to minimize light intrusion, and maintaining a bedroom temperature between 60-67°F (15-19°C) which allows the pineal gland to secrete more melatonin, can significantly contribute to creating an ideal sleep setting. Additionally, considering the use of earplugs or a white noise machine to mask disruptive sounds can further enhance your sleep environment, making it more conducive to uninterrupted, restful sleep.
Blue Light Exposure
According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2022 Sleep in America Poll, 58% of people look at some form of screen within an hour before bedtime. In today’s technology-driven world, exposure to blue light during the evening, particularly from screens, poses a significant challenge to natural sleep patterns. The pervasive glow from smartphones, tablets, and computers can interfere with the production of melatonin, impeding your ability to fall asleep. Proactively reducing exposure to blue light by switching off electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime can have a significant impact on improving your sleep quality. Incorporating alternative activities that do not involve screens as part of your pre-sleep routine can also aid in mitigating the effects of blue light exposure, thereby enhancing the quality of your sleep. There are also ways to block blue light, which I’ve placed in the description below.
Physical Activity and Sleep
The role of physical activity in promoting better sleep is well-documented, however the timing of exercise is crucial. Working out too close to bedtime might leave you feeling overly energized, making it difficult to fall asleep. Conversely, engaging in regular physical activity, particularly during the morning or afternoon, can facilitate quicker sleep onset and more profound sleep stages. It is recommended to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, as suggested by health authorities. I say exercise to the point you’re craving sleep at night, push it. Having said that, it is equally important to avoid intense workouts within about 3 hours of bedtime, allowing your body’s temperature and heart rate to normalize, conducive to sleep. If you’re planning to knock an evening workout out, opt for something a little more low key, mobility workouts, smaller muscle groups, etc… Lastly, try if that is your only window to workout, go for it, see what happens, shower, hit the hay and see what happens. You’ll never know if you don’t try.
Diet and Sleep
About 70% of U.S. adults have food within two hours of dinner. This ends up being about 8 or 9 at night, pushing the sleep start time back because we are telling the body it’s still daytime. you don’t eat at night, unless you are using artificial light. The clock says its nighttime, but our internal clock just got the message it’s 4 or 5 in the evening. Dietary habits play a crucial role in influencing sleep quality. Consuming heavy or large meals shortly before bedtime can lead to discomfort and indigestion, while stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine are known to disrupt sleep patterns. Moreover, alcohol consumption, despite its sedative effects, can significantly interfere with the sleep cycle, leading to fragmented and poor-quality sleep. Being mindful of your dietary intake, especially in the hours leading up to bedtime, is essential. Opting for a light, easily digestible snack if hunger strikes before bed can help avoid the negative impact on sleep. I’ll personal knock out a protein shake or high protein greek yogurt (maybe I’ll even add some raw honey in too). Foods that promote sleep, such as those containing tryptophan, magnesium, and calcium, can also be beneficial when consumed in moderation before bedtime. Turkey is a great go-to.
Managing Stress and Anxiety
According to a recent study anxiety over the next day keeps 41% of Americans up at night.
Napping and Sleep Quality
Napping, while beneficial for catching up on lost sleep, can have a mixed impact on nighttime sleep quality. Long or irregular naps during the day, especially late in the day, can disrupt nighttime sleep patterns. To mitigate this, it’s advisable to limit naps to 20-30 minutes and schedule them earlier in the day, preferably before 3 p.m. This approach ensures that daytime naps refresh rather than detract from nighttime sleep quality. Understanding the role of naps in your overall sleep pattern is essential for maintaining a balance that supports rather than hinders your sleep health.
Natural Light and Sleep
The influence of natural light exposure and darkness on our sleep-wake cycle cannot be overstated. Ensuring adequate exposure to natural light during the day and minimizing artificial light in the evening plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm. Spending time outdoors in natural daylight, even on cloudy days, and dimming indoor lights in the evening can help synchronize your body’s internal clock with the natural light-dark cycle, promoting better sleep. If you have limited access to natural sunlight, utilizing a light therapy box during the morning hours can mimic the effects of sunlight, aiding in the regulation of sleep patterns.
Assessing Sleep Health
Assessing Sleep Health is vital for identifying and addressing any sleep-related issues. Consistently feeling tired or unrefreshed despite getting sufficient sleep may indicate the need to reassess your sleep habits. Keeping a sleep diary or sleep tracking app can be an invaluable tool in tracking sleep and wake times, nighttime awakenings, and any factors that may influence your sleep, such as caffeine intake, exercise, and stress levels, etc… This detailed record can help you identify patterns or behaviors that negatively impact your sleep quality, enabling you to make informed adjustments.
Enhancing your sleep quality encompasses a multifaceted approach that includes adjustments to your lifestyle, diet, and environment. By implementing the strategies outlined in this guide, you can significantly improve your sleep, enhancing your health and fitness goals, and improving your overall quality of life. Recognizing sleep as a crucial component of your health and fitness regimen is essential, warranting as much attention and care as diet and exercise. Through patience, consistency, and proactive approach of your sleep environment and habits, achieving restorative and rejuvenating sleep is entirely achievable, setting the foundation for improved health and well-being. I’ve included a free cheat sheet for better sleep in the description below, as well as a full workout and nutrition video series with outlined workouts. Interested in on-on-one coaching, shoot me an email
