Mastering The Art Of Daily Priorities: Eating, Sleeping, And More

Eating, sleeping, and other basic needs are essential for survival. However, many people struggle to prioritize them due to busy schedules and other demands on their time. Lack of sleep can lead to health issues such as weight gain, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Similarly, irregular eating patterns can also impact overall health and sleep quality. To maintain optimal health, it is crucial to make sleep and consistent mealtimes a priority. This involves creating a sleep schedule, improving sleep hygiene, and making lifestyle changes such as reducing blue light and caffeine intake close to bedtime.

Prioritise sleep: it's essential to survival, and a chronic lack of it increases the risk of health issues

Sleep is essential to survival. Human beings spend a third or more of their lives sleeping, and while it may seem like a passive activity, it is a period when the brain is remarkably active.

The brain carries out several biological processes while we sleep. It stores new information and converts short-term memories into long-term ones. It erases unneeded information to avoid cluttering the nervous system. It also reorganises nerve cells to support healthy brain function.

Sleep is also when the brain produces certain antibodies and immune cells that fight infection and inflammation. It regulates hunger hormones, which is why a lack of sleep can lead to weight gain and obesity. Sleep also supports emotional stability, and a lack of it can cause mood changes.

A chronic lack of sleep increases the risk of several health issues. These include:

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Heart failure
• Coronary artery disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Kidney disease
• Obesity
• Depression
• Strokes
• Certain types of cancer
• Dementia
• Colorectal cancer
• Infections

Sleep is as essential to survival as food and water, and a lack of it can have far-reaching consequences on our health and well-being.

Consistent mealtimes: eating at the same time every day has been linked to better sleep and lower stress levels

Eating at the same time every day has been linked to better sleep and lower stress levels. The National Sleep Foundation's 2022 Sleep in America® Poll found that those who eat their meals at the same time every day have better sleep health and lower stress levels than those with inconsistent meal schedules.

Your body's food clock and sleep clock are closely linked, and your meals and mealtimes can have a big impact on your overall sleep. Eating when your body expects you to eat is an important part of your sleep health, as it encourages healthy sleep patterns. For example, eating breakfast at the same time every day can help jumpstart your day and let your body know it's time to be awake.

On the other hand, eating your meals at different times each day can confuse your body's clock, making it harder to maintain regular sleep and wake schedules. This is especially true at night. Eating a late dinner or having a midnight snack can disrupt your sleep, as your body interprets eating as a signal that it's time to be awake and active, not winding down for sleep. Eating a light dinner 2-3 hours before bedtime can help your body slowly ease into sleep mode.

By eating your meals at a consistent time each day, you can improve your sleep health and lower your stress levels.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol: caffeine reduces total sleep time and alcohol negatively affects sleep and hormone levels

Caffeine and alcohol are two substances that can negatively impact your sleep. Caffeine is a stimulant that can keep you awake and reduce your total sleep time, even if consumed several hours before bedtime. Alcohol, on the other hand, can disrupt your sleep architecture and contribute to long-term sleep problems. Therefore, it is essential to avoid both substances, especially close to bedtime, to maintain optimal sleep quality and duration.

Caffeine has a stimulating effect on the body due to its ability to block adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine is a molecule that helps regulate your sleep/wake cycle by making you feel sleepy after several hours of being awake. When you consume caffeine, it can block these receptors, preventing the activation of sleep-promoting pathways, and keeping you alert and awake. The effects of caffeine can last for several hours, with a half-life of between four and six hours. This means that even if you drink caffeine in the afternoon, it can still impact your sleep later that night.

Research has shown that consuming caffeine even six hours before bedtime can disrupt sleep. A study by Drake et al. (2013) found that a moderate dose of caffeine taken at bedtime, three hours prior, or six hours prior to bedtime significantly reduced total sleep time compared to a placebo. This disruption was observed through both subjective reports and objective sleep monitoring. Therefore, it is recommended to refrain from consuming substantial amounts of caffeine for at least six hours before bedtime to ensure optimal sleep.

While alcohol may help some people fall asleep initially, it ultimately disrupts the sleep cycle and reduces sleep quality. Alcohol affects sleep architecture by increasing deep sleep and reducing REM sleep in the first half of the night. Later in the night, once the body has metabolized the alcohol, individuals may experience frequent wakings and fragmented sleep. This disruption can lead to feeling tired the next day. Additionally, long-term alcohol use can contribute to chronic sleep problems, such as sleep apnea and insomnia.

Alcohol interferes with circadian rhythms, the biological patterns that operate on a 24-hour clock. It decreases the body's sensitivity to cues like daylight and darkness, which are crucial for regulating sleep and wakefulness. As a result, individuals may feel alert when they want to sleep and sleepy when they want to be awake. This disruption of circadian rhythms can further exacerbate sleep problems caused by alcohol consumption.

To maintain optimal sleep quality, it is best to avoid caffeine and alcohol, especially close to bedtime. Caffeine should be avoided for at least six hours before bedtime, while alcohol should be avoided for at least three hours before bedtime. By refraining from these substances, you can improve your sleep quality and duration, which is essential for overall health and well-being.

Exercise regularly: daily physical activity can improve sleep but exercising too late may disrupt it

Exercise and sleep are strongly linked. Regular exercise can help you fall asleep faster and improve your sleep quality. However, exercising too late in the day can interfere with your sleep.

Moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise increases the amount of slow-wave sleep you get. Slow-wave sleep refers to deep sleep, which is important for physical recovery, immune function, and cognitive health. Exercise can also help stabilise your mood and decompress the mind, which is important for transitioning to sleep.

Exercise increases the production of melatonin, which is a hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle, also known as your circadian rhythm. It is triggered by the onset of darkness and helps your body know when it's time to sleep. Exercise also reduces stress, which is closely linked to sleep deprivation.

Exercising too late in the day may disrupt your sleep. This is because exercise increases your body temperature, and it takes 30 to 90 minutes for your temperature to start falling again. The decline in body temperature after exercise helps facilitate sleepiness. Additionally, exercise causes the release of energising endorphins, which can keep some people awake.

Therefore, it is generally recommended to avoid exercising one to two hours before bedtime. However, individual preferences may vary, and some people may find that the time of day they exercise does not affect their sleep.

Experts recommend getting at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day to improve sleep quality. Research shows that people who exercised at least 30 minutes per day slept 15 minutes longer than those who did not.

Optimise your bedroom: reduce light and noise, keep a comfortable temperature, and limit electronic devices

Optimise your bedroom

Reduce light

Light is the most important external factor that affects your readiness for sleep. Before the advent of electricity, humans woke and slept in sync with the rising and setting of the sun. Now, light from our homes, electronics, and light pollution outside have disrupted the relationship between light and sleep. Exposure to light blocks the production of melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy.

To reduce light exposure, you could invest in blackout curtains or cover your window with aluminium foil as a low-cost alternative. If light is entering your room from the gap between the door and the floor, turn off the hallway lights or place a rolled-up towel against the door gap. Alternatively, you could wear an eye mask.

Keep a comfortable temperature

The ideal bedroom temperature varies from person to person. Some prefer a cosy and warm environment, while others like to sleep in cooler conditions. However, experts generally recommend keeping the temperature of your bedroom between 15.6 and 20 degrees Celsius. A temperature that's too high or too low can negatively affect your sleep.

To achieve an optimal bedroom temperature, ventilate your room by opening the window wide in the morning and evening. In winter, be careful not to overdo it, as too much cold air will make it difficult to sleep. Choose breathable bed linen to improve air circulation and prevent heat and moisture from accumulating. Cotton, linen, and silk are good choices.

Reduce noise

To reduce noise from outside, use your favourite throw as a sound and light-absorbing drape by adding four hooks and two removable curtain rings with clips. You can also minimise the echoing of bare floors by layering rugs with a mix of textures and styles. If you have thin walls, hang a mat from a curtain rail to dampen noise and add a decorative touch.

Limit electronic devices

Using electronic devices before bed can negatively impact your sleep and is linked to some sleep disorders. Phones, computers, and other electronics emit blue light, which stimulates your brain and keeps you awake. Exposure to blue light suppresses melatonin production. Take a break from your devices at least 30 minutes before bed, and avoid going to bed with the TV on or reading with e-readers. If you can, avoid technology for at least two hours before bed.

Many phones have a blue light blocker that you can switch on at night. You can also put a blue-light-blocking screen on your phone or wear blue light glasses. If you have to keep your phone in the bedroom, make sure it's on a table or shelf and not in your bed.

Frequently asked questions