Sleep Like A Log: Tricks For Uninterrupted Slumber

Sleep is meant to repair and restore, and it is recommended that we get at least seven hours of sleep a night. However, many of us are not logging that many hours, and if we are, we are not doing so consistently or without waking up throughout the night. While it is normal to wake up during the night, there are ways to improve your sleep quality and duration. Here are some tips to help you sleep for an entire day without waking up:

- Create a sleep routine: Establish a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps your body get into a rhythm of falling asleep and staying asleep.

- Manage stress: Stress can interfere with your sleep. Incorporate stress management tools such as meditation, breathwork, journaling, or a calming supplement into your nightly routine.

- Limit liquids before bed: Avoid drinking liquids at least an hour and a half before bedtime to reduce the likelihood of waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.

- Ban blue light from the bedroom: Blue light from electronic devices interrupts your circadian rhythm and suppresses the production of melatonin, making it harder to fall and stay asleep. Power down your devices at least an hour before bedtime.

- Make your bedroom a sleep oasis: Ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Consider using earplugs, blackout curtains, and setting the temperature around 65°F (18.3°C) for optimal sleep.

- Reserve your bedroom for sleep only: Use your bed only for sleep and sex. Avoid watching TV, working, or other activities in bed that can interfere with your sleep.

- Use a sound machine: Invest in a sound machine or white noise machine to block out unwanted noises and create a consistent ambient sound to help you stay asleep.

Create a sleep schedule

Creating a sleep schedule is an important part of improving your overall sleep quality. Here are some tips to help you create a sleep schedule that works for you:

Pick a bedtime and wake-up time

Choose a bedtime and wake-up time that you can stick to consistently. It's important to follow this schedule every day, even on weekends or days off. Try to avoid deviating from your set times by more than one to two hours. Consistency is key to resetting your body's internal clock and establishing a healthy sleep-wake cycle.

Make gradual adjustments

If you need to make significant changes to your sleep schedule, it's best to do so gradually. Adjust your bedtime in small increments, such as 15 minutes earlier every two or three days. This gradual approach will make it easier for your body to adapt to the new schedule.

Avoid napping during the day

Napping can interfere with your nighttime sleep. If you feel tired during the day, try scheduling some physical activity or exercise instead. However, if you must nap, aim for less than 30 minutes and preferably before 3 PM, so it doesn't disrupt your nighttime sleep.

Create a relaxing bedtime routine

Establish a calming bedtime routine to help signal to your body that it's time to wind down. This can include activities such as drinking caffeine-free tea, taking a warm bath, reading, stretching, or listening to soothing music. Avoid stimulating activities and bright screens close to bedtime, as they can interfere with your sleep.

Exercise regularly

Regular exercise is beneficial for your sleep. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, such as walking or jogging, spread throughout the week. However, avoid intense exercise within an hour of bedtime, as it may make it harder to fall asleep.

Control your exposure to light

Light plays a crucial role in regulating your sleep-wake cycle. Expose yourself to natural light during the day, especially in the morning, to help you feel more awake and alert. In the evening, dim the lights and avoid bright screens to signal to your body that it's time to prepare for sleep.

Maintain a comfortable sleep environment

Ensure your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet. Consider using heavy curtains, earplugs, or a white noise machine to create a soothing sleep environment. Opt for natural fibre blankets and pillows, and choose a mattress that provides comfortable support.

Be mindful of your eating habits

Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime, as they may disrupt your sleep. Eat dinner at a consistent time each day and try to finish your last meal two to three hours before bed. If you need a bedtime snack, opt for foods that promote sleep, such as tart cherries, kiwis, bananas, or low-fat cottage cheese.

Take a sleep supplement

Sleep supplements can be a great way to improve your sleep quality and duration, especially if you're experiencing jet lag or are a shift worker. Melatonin, for instance, is a popular sleep aid. It is a hormone that is naturally released in the brain to signal sleepiness. Taking melatonin supplements can promote natural, quality sleep and ensure you stay asleep throughout the night. It is generally safe for adults when used for short periods, but more research is needed on its long-term effects, and it is not recommended for pregnant or nursing people.

Magnesium is another supplement that can help you sleep better. It is involved in hundreds of processes in the human body and is important for brain function and heart health. Magnesium may help quiet the mind and body, making it easier to fall asleep. It also increases levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a brain messenger with calming effects. Studies suggest that insufficient levels of magnesium in the body may be linked to insomnia.

Valerian root is a popular sleep-promoting herbal supplement in the United States and Europe. It is commonly used as a natural treatment for symptoms of anxiety, depression, and menopause. Some studies have shown that valerian root improves sleep quality, sleep latency, and duration. However, the results are inconsistent, and most improvements are based on subjective perceptions of sleep quality rather than objective measurements. Short-term intake of valerian root appears to be safe for adults, but its safety for long-term use is uncertain.

Passionflower, or Passiflora incarnata, is another herbal remedy for insomnia. It has been shown to improve sleep efficiency, or the percentage of time spent sleeping as opposed to lying awake in bed. However, the evidence is mixed, and some studies have found no effects, so more research is needed.

Other supplements that may promote sleep include tryptophan, ginkgo biloba, and L-theanine. Tryptophan may help improve sleep quality and reduce the time spent awake in the middle of the night. Ginkgo biloba may help reduce stress, enhance relaxation, and promote sleep. L-theanine may improve sleep and relaxation, especially when combined with GABA or magnesium.

Limit liquids before bed

Drinking water before bed can be a healthy habit for most people. However, limiting liquids before bed is important to avoid sleep interruptions from multiple trips to the bathroom.

The body loses almost a full litre of water each night through breathing and sweating, so it is important to stay hydrated throughout the day. Drinking water is essential for removing waste, lubricating joints, regulating body temperature, and cushioning sensitive tissues. The general consensus is that adults should drink between 2.5 and 4.5 litres of water per day, depending on their body weight and level of activity.

However, drinking too much water before bed can cause sleep issues. The exact amount and timing differ for everyone, but urologist Vannita Simma-Chiang recommends taking your last sip of the day three to four hours before bed. This will reduce the chances of nocturia, or frequent urination at night, which can disrupt the sleep cycle and lead to reduced productivity, falls, accidents, and depression.

To avoid nocturia, it is also important to avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sugary drinks before sleep, as these are diuretics that will increase your fluid excretion and urine output. Instead, try to front-load your water intake by drinking a large glass of water in the morning, which can help counteract the dehydrating effects of poor sleep.

Ban blue light from the bedroom

Blue light is a wavelength of light that is emitted by electronic devices and artificial lights. It influences your circadian rhythm, affecting alertness and heart rate. Blue light from electronic devices such as smartphones, computers, tablets, and televisions can disrupt our natural sleep cycles. Therefore, limiting blue light exposure at night is crucial to maintaining a healthy sleep schedule.

• Set boundaries for technology use: Establish a bedtime routine that involves stepping away from electronic devices at least two to three hours before bedtime. This gives your body time to wind down and prepares you for a better night's rest.
• Use blue-light filters or night mode: If you need to use devices before bed, consider using blue-light filters or enabling the night mode feature on your devices to reduce blue light emissions. There are also smartphone and computer applications available that can help reduce blue light emissions.
• Use specialty glasses: Blue light-blocking glasses or amber-tinted glasses can be effective in reducing the impact of blue light on your sleep. These glasses reduce the suppression of melatonin, helping to regulate your sleep cycle.
• Create a tech-free space: Designate a specific area in your bedroom, such as a drawer or a basket, where you can store your electronic devices away from your bed. This helps create a physical and mental boundary between your sleep space and technology.
• Use alternative lighting: If you enjoy reading before bed, opt for a lamp that emits red or orange light instead of blue light. Warmer-toned lighting is less disruptive to your sleep and creates a more relaxing atmosphere.
• Power down devices: If possible, power down your electronic devices completely instead of simply turning off the screens. Even when they are turned off, some devices can still emit small amounts of blue light.

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively reduce your exposure to blue light in the bedroom, creating a more sleep-friendly environment and improving your overall sleep quality.

Make your bedroom a sleep oasis

Your bedroom should be a peaceful sanctuary, but often it's just a place we sleepily traipse to without a second thought. Here are some tips to transform your bedroom into a sleep oasis:

Keep it clean and clutter-free

A clean and tidy space will help you relax. Dust dressers, nightstands, ceiling fan blades, and every other surface so you’re not breathing in dust. Clear the cobwebs, and clean the floor. Keep your bed sheets and blankets clean.

Decluttering your bedroom ensures you're not visually distracted and can help to calm your mind. Sort through your items and only keep the essentials and a few decorative or sentimental items. Donate any clothes, shoes, and accessories that no longer fit or that you haven't used in a while.

Choose soothing colours

When it comes to your bedroom walls, choose cool colours, which promote calm, peaceful, soothing feelings. Blues, blue-greens, purples, and lavenders are ideal. Blue is a calming colour that helps to lower blood pressure and steady your breathing. Green hues invite a relaxing, prosperous, and restorative aura.

Adjust the temperature

Overheating is one of the most common roadblocks to restful sleep. The ideal sleeping temperature is around 65 degrees, as your body temperature naturally dips at night. Experiment with the temperature in your bedroom until you find the perfect match. Layer your bedding so you can easily adjust your temperature over the course of the night.

Select the right bedding and pyjamas

Your pillow plays a big part in how well you sleep. Choose one that supports your preferred sleep position and experiment with different firmness levels to find what works best for you.

Find pyjamas that let you move freely and are made from breathable, lightweight, and cosy fabrics. Cotton is a good choice, but if you suffer from night sweats, look for moisture-wicking sleepwear or natural fabrics like bamboo.

Prepare your bedside table

Make sure your bedside table has everything you need, such as lip balm, body cream, an alarm, a phone charger, a glass of water, and a noise machine.

Add sensory experiences

Add a subtle, nice aroma to your space with essential oils or aromatherapy. Try lavender, chamomile, jasmine, rose, and vanilla. Position a few battery-operated candles in your bedroom for a visually soothing and relaxing flickering effect.

Make your bed every day

Develop the habit of making your bed every day. This helps you start your day on a positive note, and at the end of the day, a made bed is more inviting and relaxing.

Frequently asked questions