Wendy's Tips to Sleep Like a Dream

 Most of us live hectic lives. There’s work, friends, family, training, hobbies…and not to mention the barrage of messages we receive daily via email, social media, television, and more. As a result, sleep—or lack of it—is a hot topic. It’s estimated that a third of us aren’t getting the minimum seven hours of sleep per night. And it’s thought that athletes need even more than those seven hours. 

Adequate sleep supports heart health, allows your body to recover, boosts memory, reduces the risk of injury, combats illness, reduces stress and more. 

If you struggle with sleep and think you’re doing all you can to get sleep, maybe you’re not. Below, I’ve compiled over 20 tips that may improve your sleep. I have personally tried most of these, so I know they are effective. They are also backed up by sleep experts or research. I am always on a quest for better sleep, and I hope some of these will help you snooze!  

DURING THE DAY 

Setting yourself up for optimal sleep begins way before you hit the sack. Consider adding these sleep-boosting habits to your daily routine. 

• Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Go to bed and rise at the same time daily, even on weekends. This is because sleep consistency ties in with your circadian rhythm, your body’s “master clock.” 
• Work out in the morning. I don’t know about you, but it takes me longer to wind down when I work out late in the day. Additionally, a study published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine found that one of the advantages of early morning exercise was a greater decline in nighttime blood pressure than exercising in the afternoon or evening. The decrease in blood pressure led to a night of better-quality sleep. Specifically, the study found that those who worked out in the morning slept longer, experienced deeper sleep cycles, and spent 75% more time in the most reparative stages of slumber (both mind and body) than those who exercised at later times in the day. 

• Get vitamin D from the sun. The National Institutes of Health published a study that explained that Vitamin D receptors and the enzymes that control their activation and degradation are expressed in several areas of the brain involved in sleep regulation. Vitamin D is also involved in the pathways of production of melatonin, the hormone involved in the regulation of human circadian rhythms and sleep. Experts say 15 minutes is the magic number. So, if you’re able to spend 15 minutes or more of your work break outside, maybe eating lunch, it could just help you sleep. 
• Cut caffeine well before your bedtime. I listened to a Huberman Lab podcast in which he recommended resisting caffeine ten hours before bed. That would mean that if 10 PM is your bedtime, no caffeine after noon. According to the FDA, the half-life of caffeine—the time it takes for the starting amount of the substance to reduce by half—is between four and six hours. So, six hours would be the bare minimum, and I like to stick to the 10-hour rule. 
• Nix the nightcap. Alcohol is a nervous system depressant that acts as a sedative but can disrupt the sleep cycle and decrease sleep quality. I think any of us who drink can relate to times when alcohol knocks us out, but we wake frequently, get up earlier than we want and wake up feeling anything but refreshed. So, rethink that glass of wine (or two) at night! 

PREP PHASE - BEFORE BEDTIME 

The hours before we go to bed are important and can set you up for high-quality sleep. 

• Finish eating three hours before bed. This NIH study’s results show that eating within three hours of bedtime is associated with a ~40% increase in the odds of nocturnal awakening after accounting for ethnicity and BMI. But, it does not affect sleep latency (the time it takes you to fall asleep) or sleep duration. Pro tip: consuming a balanced and nutrient-rich diet all day may also help to optimize sleep.
• Avoid too many liquids close to bedtime. This is a no-brainer…the more you drink, the more you pee! It’s suggested you cut liquids two hours before bed to avoid having to get up in the middle of the night. Of course, that means you need to stay hydrated all day, so go ahead and chug a lug all during the day. 
• Set an alarm to go to bed and stick to it. Treat bedtime as important as your wake time. Factor in how many hours you need to be in bed (and take into consideration that 100% of those hours will not be spent sleeping), do the math, and set a sleep alarm. When your “sleep alarm” goes off, put down the book, shut off the television, put your phone on “do not disturb,” and get that blissful, sweet sleep. 
• Shut down your screens. Advice varies on how long before bed you should avoid screens (phones, tablets, tv). But most experts say an hour before bed gives your brain time to unwind. This really works - if I read a book before bed (instead of watching TV), I tend to sleep better. But, if you are a hardcore Netflix and chiller, invest in a pair of blueblocking glasses. These magical implements do exactly what the name suggests - block blue light from screens. The blue light mimics daylight, which tricks your body into thinking it’s NOT time to sleep. 
• Try journaling. Well, if you’re going to turn off screens an hour before bed, you can do a little journaling session. The act of writing can help you hit the off switch and can also impact your mental health.  
• Make a to-do list. This is a biggie for me. If I wake up and can’t get back to sleep it’s because I am thinking of all the things I don’t want to forget to accomplish. So, I’ve made a habit of writing a detailed to-do list so I can “set it and forget it.” If my mind does race, I practice some self-talk “It’s OK, you’re going to get it all done,” and Wham-O…back to sleep.  
• Take a hot shower or bath. Research suggests that a warm bath or shower an hour or two before bedtime can help you unwind and fall asleep faster because it will lower your core temperature, which is a circadian sleep signal. 

WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS: THE BEDROOM 

Your sleeping environment (your bedroom) matters. How your room is set up and what you do in bed can make the difference between a great night and a restless one. 

• Create a really dark room. I use blackout shades (mine are actually doubled-up) so that no outside light from street lamps, neighbors' yards or even the full moon will slip in. Pitch darkness reduces potential distractions and disruptions to sleep. And ditch the nightlight as sleeping with a light on interferes with sleep cycles. Some people like an eye mask to block out light. 
• Like limiting light, limiting noise can result in a better night’s sleep. To that point, enter: earplugs. I like the silicone type that molds to your ear, just make sure to replace them after a few uses. Not a fan of earplugs? White noise may help. In this study, the use of white noise improved sleep for those in noisy environments, like cities. 
• Keep the bed for sleeping (and sex). This helps you condition your brain that the bedroom is for sleep. If you use your bed for things like work or watching television, your brain might associate these activities with the bed and make it hard to fall asleep. 
• No pets in the bed. I’ve seen both pros and cons regarding letting your fur babies sleep with you. On the cons side, pets may disrupt your sleep (my Frenchies snore like crazy, so there’s no way those little nuggets can sleep with me) or trigger allergies. If you sleep with no problem with your pet, great! But, if you find yourself tossing and turning, consider the tough decision of kicking your four0legged friends out of the sack.
• Stay cool. Experts say the optimal sleeping temperature is 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, with 65 being the sweet spot. I agree! Cooler room temperatures lower your body’s core temperature, stimulating melatonin production. 
• Breathe intentionally. Breathing exercises help calm your mind and body, relieving stress and allowing you to fall asleep. There are so many techniques you can try, including alternating nostrils, box breathing (four-count in, four-count hold, four-count out, four-count hold), etc. Here’s a great blog post from the meditation app, Calm, with more suggestions and instructions. 
• Progressive muscle relaxation. Similar to breathing exercises, this technique can help you relax. My mother actually taught it to me as a child when I was wired at bedtime (thanks, Mom!). For me, this is valuable when I wake up in the middle of the night and my mind starts racing. I start with the tips of my toes, relaxing every muscle and slowly working up to my head. I usually don’t get as far as my knees before I fall back asleep.  
• Binaural beats. Have you ever zonked out during a massage when they are playing a specific type of music? It may have been binaural beats. I have just a little experience with this, and, it has helped me to relax on those days when I want to take a nap. Binaural beats are a perception of sound created by your brain. If you listen to two tones, each at a different frequency and each in a different ear (you will need headphones for this), your brain creates an additional tone you can hear. This third tone is called a binaural beat. When binaural beats are sustained over a period of time, they can synchronize with your brain waves. As a result, binaural beats can alter your brain wave activity as well as your levels of arousal. So, there are specific types of binaural beats for sleeping. 
• Mouth taping. This one is for all you mouth breathers. You literally tape your mouth shut so that you encourage nasal breathing. If you are someone who snores or wakes up with a dry mouth, this could change your life! My husband has been doing this for over a year and he can now sleep through the night (and me, too, because I’m not nudging him when I hear him sawing wood). There aren’t many studies on this, but if you’ve read the book Breath by James Nestor, you understand the importance of nasal breathing. There are mouth-taping products on the market or you can use kinesiotape. 

SUPPLEMENTATION 

There are sleep supplements galore out there! And, just like any supplement, not every product will work for everyone. My advice is to stick to natural sleep supplements and avoid synthetics. Melatonin causes me to wake up feeling groggy, and it can have some side effects, so I avoid that ingredient.  

And one final note: Some supplements, such as energy drinks/pre-workouts with stimulants, weight loss supplements, B12, coenzyme Q10, etc., may interfere with sleep. So take stock of your supplementation routine, do some research, and consider adjusting the timing of certain things to improve your sleep. 

There you have it! I hope these tips help you sleep like a dream. I’d love to hear from you. Contact me at contact@cerusperformance.com and let me know how it goes. 

Wendy
Co-owner Cerus Performance