Are you sleeping through the night? The answer is likely no.
Even if you’re in bed for an adequate eight to ten hours each night, it’s likely that you’re not sleeping the entire time. Some of you have a hard time falling asleep, some have a hard time staying asleep, and some struggle with both.
Melatonin is the hormone your body uses to fall asleep, but it doesn’t keep you asleep. So if you’re popping a cap of melatonin before you hit the pillow each night and can’t figure out why you’re waking up 3 hours later, it’s because the melatonin wore off and you weren’t set up for good sleep that night anyways.
I actually cringe when clients come in self-prescribing melatonin. When you give your body a substance that it’s supposed to make on its own, the body gets lazy and stops. Why would it go through the effort of making melatonin, when it knows you’re going to provide it, free of charge, an hour before bed?
While melatonin is sold OTC (over-the-counter) in the US and Canada, it’s available prescription-only or not at all, in almost every other country in the world. Remember, it’s a hormone. More on melatonin another time.
Looking for simple ways to improve your quality of sleep? I’ve got you covered. Below is my list of “Sleep Hygiene” tips and tricks that I implement with every client I work with. If you’re not sleeping well, it’s impossible for your body to heal and do the things it’s supposed to be doing while you’re getting some shut-eye. Read more about that here.
Sleep Hygiene
Set a bedtime
Your body thrives on a schedule. Climb into bed at the same time every night, and get up at the same time every morning. I recommend your bedtime be no later than 10 pm.
Aim for 8 - 10 hours of sleep per night.
This allows your body adequate time to enter and maintain deep sleep. It’s in deep sleep that our memories are set, emotions are hashed out, blood pressure decreases, blood sugar is regulated, and immune system works.
Turn the thermostat down to 68 degrees.
When you sleep, your body temperature drops. Turning down the thermostat will help you get into a deeper sleep and your body will save energy in the process.
Invest in light-blocking curtains.
It’s important to sleep in complete darkness. When you stretch out your hand, you shouldn’t be able to see it. Light interferes with your circadian rhythm and sends wake signals to your brain.
Goodbye ARTIFICIAL lights.
On that note, unplug the night light, cover the light from your alarm clock, and remove any other source of artificial light from your room. Plus, it messes with your mind when you’re glancing over to check the time on the clock all night.
Avoid screen-time for 1 hour before bed.
Blue-light from electronic devices interferes with your body’s ability to produce the nighttime surge of melatonin. Melatonin signals your body to shut down for sleep.
Turn off your wi-fi.
This decreases EMF radiation exposure for nearly ⅓ of your life!
Remove phones, tablets, and computers from your room.
Besides reducing EMF radiation even more, your bedroom is for sleeping and sex. Keep it that way. I also recommend that you do not have a TV in your bedroom. It’s a distraction from sleep.
If you wake up in the night, avoid turning on any light.
Light signals your body’s wake response and makes it harder to fall back to sleep.
Bored?
Not sure what to do from the time you put your head on the pillow until you fall asleep? Breathe, meditate, pray. Don’t reach for your phone.
PRO TIP: Keep a journal next to your bed. When you have a hard time shutting your brain off at night, this allows you a place to record your thoughts. Afraid you'll forget something you need to remember for tomorrow? Jot it down, and it'll be waiting for you when you wake!