Ashwin Lewis
Sleep is a cornerstone of good physical and mental health, and yet, many people struggle to get a good night's rest. AARP provides a range of tips and strategies to help people improve their sleep quality and overall health. From creating a sleep sanctuary to adopting better sleep habits and understanding the science of sleep, AARP offers guidance to address common sleep challenges and promote restorative slumber. With age, sleep patterns tend to change, and conditions like insomnia become more prevalent. By exploring topics such as sleep hygiene, wind-down routines, sleep positions, and the impact of light and diet, AARP empowers individuals to enhance their sleep and, consequently, their overall well-being.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sleep duration | 7-8 hours of sleep per night for most adults |
| Sleep quality | Alertness during the day is a better measure of sleep quality |
| Sleep and age | Sleep gets harder with age |
| Sleep and health | Sleep is vital for health; lack of sleep can cause irritability, grogginess, lack of focus, and volatile moods |
| Sleep and worry | Worry is a major sleep hijacker |
| Sleep and light | Reduce bright light exposure in the evening and at night |
| Sleep and caffeine | Avoid caffeine within six hours of bedtime |
| Sleep and naps | Daytime naps may reduce nighttime sleep |
| Sleep and diet | Eat a nutritious diet and avoid eating a few hours before bedtime |
| Sleep and alcohol | Alcohol may disrupt sleep |
| Sleep and dental issues | Dental issues like grinding or clenching teeth can disrupt sleep |
| Sleep and bladder | Avoid drinking liquids after dinner to prevent waking up at night |
| Sleep and temperature | Turn down the heat or use a fan to regulate body temperature during sleep |
| Sleep and noise | Fans can provide white noise, which may aid sleep |
| Sleep and pillows | Use a pillow that supports your neck and head |
| Sleep and devices | Blue light from digital devices affects melatonin production |
| Sleep and scent | Scents like lavender can improve sleep quality |
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What You'll Learn
Avoid caffeine after lunch
Caffeine is a well-known stimulant that can keep you awake and disrupt your sleep schedule. To improve your sleep, it is recommended to avoid caffeine after lunch. This includes coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages, as well as chocolate and other foods or drinks that may contain caffeine.
Caffeine has a long half-life, which means it can stay in your system for a long time. Drinking caffeine within six hours of bedtime can lead to disrupted sleep. Specifically, late-day caffeine intake can disrupt the body's natural circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep and reducing sleep quality.
By cutting off caffeine after lunch, you give your body enough time to process and eliminate most of the caffeine before bedtime. This helps to ensure that caffeine doesn't interfere with your sleep.
It's important to be mindful of the sources of caffeine in your diet. Read labels and pay attention to the ingredients to identify any hidden sources of caffeine. If giving up caffeine completely in the afternoon or evening is too difficult, consider switching to decaf versions of your favourite drinks.
It's also worth noting that everyone's sensitivity to caffeine is different. Some people may be more affected by caffeine and need to cut it out earlier in the day, while others may be able to tolerate it later without any negative impact on their sleep. Pay attention to your body and adjust your caffeine intake accordingly.
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Stick to a sleep schedule
Sticking to a sleep schedule is one of the best ways to improve your sleep. Our bodies operate on a circadian rhythm, which is heavily influenced by the light and dark cycles of the sun. This means that our sleep patterns are closely linked to our exposure to light and darkness. Darkness triggers the body's production of melatonin, a sleep hormone that decreases with age. To signal to your body that it's time to wind down, reduce your exposure to bright lights in the evening and at night. Use low lighting for a couple of hours before bed and keep your bedroom dark at night. Light-blocking curtains or an eye mask can help with this.
It's important to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends. Research has shown that disruptions in sleep regularity, including large variations in waking and sleeping times from day to day, can negatively impact your metabolism, increase your risk of diabetes, and harm your overall cardiovascular health.
To help stick to a sleep schedule, it's also important to establish a bedtime routine. This could include activities such as reading a book, practising relaxation techniques, or meditating before bed. These activities can help to calm your body and mind, making it easier to fall asleep.
Additionally, consider your diet and how it may impact your sleep. Eating a nutritious diet and ensuring you eat enough throughout the day can help prevent hunger or binge eating before bed, which can disrupt your sleep. Try to avoid eating for at least a few hours before bedtime, and if you must have a snack, choose something that won't fire up your digestive system, like a small nightcap.
Finally, while it's important to stick to a sleep schedule, it's also crucial to listen to your body and find the amount of sleep that's best for you. Most adults function best with seven to eight hours of quality sleep per night, but this can vary from person to person. Pay attention to your alertness levels during the day to gauge your sleep quality. If you're constantly feeling tired or run down, it may be a sign that you're not getting enough sleep or that your sleep quality could be improved.
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Reduce bright light exposure in the evening
Darkness is key to triggering the body's production of melatonin, a sleep hormone that decreases with age. To improve your sleep, it is important to reduce your exposure to bright lights in the evening and at night.
You can start by dimming the lights a couple of hours before bedtime. This helps you ease into sleep. If you can't dim the lights, consider using light-blocking curtains or a comfortable sleep mask to keep the light out. Pajamas and bedding made from natural fibers can help regulate your body temperature, which naturally drops when you sleep. If you feel hot, turn down the heat or keep a fan running. Fans can also provide white noise, which some people find soothing for sleep.
The blue light from digital devices also affects melatonin production. Instead of using your devices, you can try reading a book, doing some relaxing breathing exercises, or meditating before bed to calm your body and mind. Your body's circadian rhythm, which is influenced by the light/dark cycles of the sun, also likes a set schedule. Try not to change your sleep schedule by more than an hour, as this can impact your overall rest quality.
If you're travelling or need to sleep during the day, a sleep mask can help ensure darkness in hotel rooms and even on a plane. Just make sure it's not too tight or too loose.
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Try a sleep mask
Darkness is best for encouraging the body's production of melatonin, a sleep hormone that decreases with age. Light-blocking curtains or a sleep mask can help to keep light out of your eyes at night.
If you're a frequent traveller, a sleep mask is a great option to ensure dark hotel rooms and better odds of falling asleep on a plane, according to Chris Winter, a neurologist, sleep expert and author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It.
Sleep masks are also useful for those who share a bed with a partner who prefers to keep the lights on. By blocking out the light, you can create a more conducive environment for sleep, improving your overall sleep quality.
When choosing a sleep mask, it's important to ensure it's comfortable and not too tight or too loose. This will help you sleep better and avoid any discomfort or interruptions during your sleep.
Additionally, combining the use of a sleep mask with other sleep-promoting strategies, such as reducing screen time before bed and establishing a consistent sleep routine, can further enhance your sleep quality and overall well-being.
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Avoid liquids before bed
As we age, our bodies find it harder to "hold it" as well as they did when we were younger. To help yourself sleep through the night without disruptions, avoid drinking liquids after dinner. Make sure you empty your bladder right before you go to bed, so that you don't need to get up multiple times during the night.
Drinking liquids before bed can also disrupt your sleep because it can require you to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. This can be disruptive to your sleep cycle, and it can be hard to fall back asleep after being awoken.
Additionally, the light from turning on a lamp or overhead light to guide you to the bathroom can be disruptive to your sleep. Blue light from digital devices and lamps affects melatonin production, a sleep hormone that dwindles as we age. Darkness is best for firing up the body's production of melatonin.
To avoid this issue, try to avoid drinking liquids after dinner, and make sure to use the bathroom right before you get into bed. This will help you sleep through the night without needing to get up, and will also help you fall back asleep more easily if you do wake up.
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Frequently asked questions
Most adults need seven to eight hours of quality sleep per night. However, listen to your body to find the amount of sleep that’s best for you.
Avoid caffeine within six hours of bedtime. Create a sleep sanctuary in your bedroom with low lighting and scent, such as lavender. Use a comfortable eye mask to block out light. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule.
Refrain from looking at digital devices, which emit blue light that affects melatonin production. Instead, try reading, breathing exercises or meditation.
