Daytime Sleep: Achieving Restful Slumber Amidst The Chaos

Sleep is essential for our physical and mental well-being, but many factors can affect our ability to fall asleep. These include lifestyle habits, medications, negative thinking, or physical or mental health conditions. If you work night shifts or experience jet lag, your body's natural sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, can be disrupted, making it difficult to fall asleep during the day. To improve daytime sleep, it's important to create a relaxing sleep environment, establish a consistent sleep routine, and practice good sleep hygiene. This includes blocking out light and noise, maintaining a cool temperature, and avoiding caffeine and electronic devices before bed. Additionally, winding down with relaxing activities, such as meditation or reading, can help prepare your mind and body for sleep.

Block out light and noise

Blocking out light and noise is essential for creating a relaxing sleep environment during the day. Sunlight is an obvious obstacle to sleeping during the day, especially if you have multiple windows in your bedroom. To block out light, you can use blackout curtains or other thick window coverings to prevent most outside light from entering your room. An eye mask can also be effective.

Outside noises may also be a distraction during the day. To reduce noise-related disruptions, you can use earplugs or a white noise machine. A white noise machine can help to drown out other sounds and promote relaxation.

In addition to blocking out light and noise, maintaining a comfortable sleep temperature is crucial. The ideal sleep temperature is generally considered to be around 65°F (18.3°C). Since the body naturally cools down at night, this temperature will ensure you don't get too warm.

To enhance your sleep environment, it is also recommended to turn off your phone and other electronic devices, as these emit blue light, which can interfere with your sleep.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals

Caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals can all negatively impact your sleep quality. Here are some tips to avoid these sleep disruptors and improve your daytime sleep:

Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant that can make it difficult to fall asleep and cause lighter sleep, resulting in frequent awakenings during the night. Its effects can last for hours, and it takes about 24 hours for your body to completely eliminate it. To improve your sleep, limit your caffeine intake and avoid it close to bedtime. Here are some specific guidelines:

• Avoid caffeine at least 4 hours before bedtime.
• If you have sleep problems, consider avoiding caffeine after lunchtime.
• If you consume a lot of caffeine, gradually reduce your intake to avoid withdrawal symptoms like headaches, tiredness, and anxiety.
• Be mindful that caffeine is found in various foods and drinks, including tea, coffee, chocolate, and cola drinks.

Alcohol

Although alcohol may make you feel sleepy initially, it can disrupt your sleep later in the night. It interferes with staying asleep and is associated with more frequent awakenings, night sweats, nightmares, and headaches. Here are some tips to minimize alcohol's impact on your sleep:

• Avoid alcohol close to bedtime, preferably at least 3 hours before.
• Binge drinking can affect your melatonin levels for up to a week, so moderation is key.

Heavy Meals

Consuming heavy meals close to bedtime can disrupt your sleep. Allow sufficient time between your last main meal and bedtime, and avoid going to bed hungry or right after a meal. Here are some recommendations:

• Allow a gap of 2-3 hours between your last main meal and bedtime.
• A small bedtime snack or a milk drink before bed can aid sleep.
• Rich or spicy foods in the evening may make it more challenging to sleep well.

Exercise and yoga

Exercising is a great way to improve your sleep quality, especially if you work out during the day. However, recent studies have found that moderate-intensity exercise can be done within 60 to 90 minutes before bedtime without compromising your sleep.

The Science Behind It

Research shows that exercise increases your core body temperature, and when it begins to drop, you feel sleepy. Exercise also helps calm anxiety and depression and helps the mind relax in preparation for sleep. It also mimics the natural fluctuations of the circadian rhythm, making it easier to fall asleep.

Types of Exercise

The best types of exercise to do in the evening are light to moderate-intensity activities. This can include light to moderate weightlifting. Vigorous workouts, on the other hand, should be avoided as they can stimulate your nervous system and raise your heart rate too much, making it difficult to fall asleep. Examples of vigorous-intensity exercises include high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and running.

Yoga is a great option for a bedtime workout as it gets your body moving without raising your heart rate significantly. It helps relax a racing mind and calms the nervous system.

To improve your sleep, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity during the day or evening. For continuous sleep benefits, strive for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every week. You can do 30-minute workouts 5 days a week or break it up into two 15-minute workouts a day.

Best Types of Yoga for Sleep

Not all yoga classes are created equal. Some classes like power yoga are more fast-paced and can increase your heart rate. If you're feeling stressed and want to unwind before bed, it's best to do calming and slow practices like yin yoga and restorative yoga. In these classes, you hold poses longer, use more props, and the instruction from the teacher is less intense, so there's more quiet space.

Yoga nidra is another great option for before bed as it is similar to meditation and is done lying down. Little to no physical effort is needed, and it helps you relax and prepare for sleep.

Yoga Poses for Sleep

• Supported Child's Pose: This is a forward fold that is calming for the body and can also stretch the hips and low back.
• Supported Goddess Pose: This gentle hip-opener is a perfect way to unwind and relax. It also helps with digestion and releasing any lingering tension from your day.
• Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose: For this pose, you sit close to a wall and swing your legs up against it while lying down. You can keep your legs straight or bend your knees if they feel tight.

Relaxing activities and breathing exercises

Relaxing Activities

Creating a relaxing sleep environment is essential for good sleep hygiene. This includes blocking out light with blackout curtains or eye masks, reducing noise with earplugs or white noise machines, and maintaining a comfortable temperature of around 65°F (18.3°C). Additionally, it is important to avoid electronic devices and blue light at least an hour before bed, as the light from these devices can disrupt sleep.

Winding down with relaxing activities before bed is also crucial. This can include activities such as meditation, a warm bath or shower, aromatherapy, gentle yoga, listening to soft music or a podcast, reading, and practising gratitude.

It is also important to eat right and watch your caffeine and alcohol intake. Try to avoid large meals close to bedtime and limit caffeine and alcohol consumption, especially a few hours before bed, as these can interfere with sleep.

Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises are a great tool to aid sleep and reduce anxiety and stress. They work by tapping into the body's relaxation response, promoting feelings of calm and reducing any leftover 'fight or flight' adrenaline from the day. Here are some specific breathing exercises that can help:

• The 4-7-8 Technique: Exhale fully through an open mouth, then inhale through the nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale through the mouth for 8 seconds, making a whooshing noise. Repeat this cycle 5-10 times.
• Three-Part Breathing: Take a deep breath in, then exhale slowly, focusing on how your body feels. Repeat, slowing down your exhale each time until it is twice as long as your inhale.
• Diaphragmatic Breathing: Lie flat with pillows under your knees and place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Breathe deeply through your nose, feeling your chest and stomach rise and fall. Then, breathe slowly through pursed lips for 5 minutes, focusing on your stomach rising and falling.
• Alternate Nostril Breathing: Sit up straight and use your fingers to close and open each nostril as you breathe in and out through your nose. This exercise helps control the pace and pattern of breathing.
• Kapalbhati Breathing: Place your hands on your knees, palms up, and take a deep breath in. Then, exhale and contract your stomach, forcing the breath out in a short burst. Repeat this cycle 15-20 times, then relax and observe your body.
• Bhramari Pranayama Breathing: Sit comfortably and use your thumbs to block out any noise, placing them over your ears. Place your index fingers above your eyebrows and use the remaining fingers to hold your eyes closed. Take a deep breath in, then exhale slowly through your nose while making a humming or buzzing sound, focusing on the area between your eyebrows.
• The Papworth Method: Sit up straight and take a deep breath in through your nose for 4 seconds, then breathe out through your mouth for 4 seconds. Focus on your abdomen as it rises and falls. Repeat this cycle for 5 minutes.
• Box Breathing: Visualise a box with four sides as you breathe, inhaling and exhaling slowly for a count of 4 seconds each. Hold your breath for a count of 4 after each inhale and exhale.
• Buteyko Breathing: Breathe through your nose for 30 seconds, then breathe deeper through your nose. Pinch your nose closed and keep your mouth closed until you need to breathe again. Release and take a deep breath.
• Sitali Breath: Sit up in bed and curl your tongue to form an 'O' shape, poking it out slightly. Inhale deeply through your mouth as if sucking through a straw, feeling the air cool your tongue and throat. Then, bring your tongue back in and exhale slowly through your nose.

These breathing exercises can be further enhanced by combining them with calming visualisations or guided imagery.

Maintain a sleep schedule

Maintaining a sleep schedule is essential for a good night's rest and can be challenging, especially if your work schedule requires you to sleep during the day. Here are some tips to help you establish and stick to a consistent sleep schedule:

Choose a bedtime and wake-up time:

Decide on a bedtime and wake-up time that works for you and try to stick to it as much as possible, even on weekends or days off. Consistency is key when it comes to maintaining a healthy sleep schedule.

Use bedtime reminders and alarms

Set a reminder when it's time to start your bedtime routine, and use a wake-up alarm to help you get up at the same time every day. This will help you establish a regular sleep schedule.

Wind-down routine:

Develop a relaxing wind-down routine before bed. This could include activities such as reading, meditating, journaling, or listening to calming music. Consistency is key, so try to do the same activities in the same order each night to signal to your body that it's time to prepare for sleep.

Create a relaxing sleep environment:

Make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary by blocking out light with curtains or eye masks, keeping the room quiet, and maintaining a comfortable temperature. The ideal sleep temperature is often considered to be around 65°F (18.3°C). Avoid looking at electronic devices at least an hour before bed, as the blue light emitted by smartphones, tablets, and computers can interfere with your sleep.

Prioritize sleep:

Make sleep a priority in your life. Understand the benefits of getting enough quality sleep and how it can improve your mental and physical health, as well as your daily performance and stress management. This will help you stay motivated to maintain a consistent sleep schedule.

Adjust your eating patterns:

Your eating habits can also impact your sleep. Try to eat your last meal 2-3 hours before bed to give your body enough time to digest. Avoid heavy, high-fat meals close to bedtime, as they can disrupt your sleep. Instead, opt for a light snack with carbs and protein.

Exercise regularly:

Regular exercise can help improve your sleep quality. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity most days of the week, but avoid vigorous exercise within 90 minutes of bedtime as it may interfere with your sleep.

Limit caffeine and alcohol:

Caffeine and alcohol can disrupt your sleep. Avoid consuming caffeine within 3-4 hours of your bedtime, and try to skip the nightcap as alcohol can fragment your sleep and disrupt your sleep and circadian rhythm.

Remember that it may take some time to adjust to a new sleep schedule, so be patient and consistent in your efforts.

Frequently asked questions