Getting Better Sleep
There are no quick fixes, but there are some proven effective ways to improve sleep quality (and hopefully sleep length, too).
Having and maintaining a sleep and nighttime routine
The main idea of a sleep routine is to go to sleep and wake up at roughly the same time each day. This isn’t something that’s attainable for everyone, but some suggestions:
Wake up at the same time on weekdays, sleep in on weekends
A short nap* during the day to replenish energy, and subsequently stay up later if you find that your typical go-to-sleep time is later at night
A nighttime routine, slightly different from a “sleep routine,” would be a process that you maintain every night before bed. This might mean that you always have a small snack, brush your teeth, and read 20 pages of a book before bed every night. The key point is to play out this routine every night before bed so your body begins to associate certain cues with sleep - it’ll likely get you to fall asleep faster. See below re: avoiding electronics as part of this routine!
If you are a night shift person, a routine may look very different from these suggestions, but is so important to ensure good sleep. You may also want to consider things like blackout shades, eye masks, ear plugs, meditation before your sleep time. Plan out your eating during your shift so you are not eating a large meal after your shift. Consider using “Do Not Disturb” on your phone since you are sleeping when most other people are awake!
If you are an alternating shift person, take some time to consider how you can best support your body and mind as you change from one shift to another. Check out this page for some tips!
Dark at night, light in the morning
We probably slept a lot better before the invention of electricity. Our brains are naturally trained to release melatonin (“sleep hormone”) in the dark and cortisol & other “alertness” hormones when it’s light out. Creating a dark space (no electronics! sorry!) for the 30 mins to 1 hour before you go to bed, and opening the shades or having a light-up alarm clock for the morning, can aid your ability to fall asleep and wake up easily.
Keeping your mind at ease
This is probably the hardest one. Try to find what relaxes you before you sleep, but keeping your mind at ease also means not stressing out about not being able to sleep. I’m sure we’ve all had those nights where it just feels like you cannot get to sleep, no matter what you do. Sometimes, all we need is to relax and let our body get tired enough. Those fewer hours of regular, deeper sleep will serve you better than more hours of interrupted, stressed, restless sleep & thoughts. Suggestions for this include: meditation, prayer, music (try Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata!), or apps such as Calm.
*If you do nap, keep it to 30 mins or less. Longer naps often interfere with sleep ability and quality. But, if you already regularly nap during the day and sleep fine, keep doing it!
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