It seems like we are all concerned with doing the most with very little sleep. We purchase coffee or energy drinks. We try to nap, or we say things like, “I will sleep this weekend” or “I will sleep on vacation”. Our bodies do not contain a sleep bank. So catching up with your sleep isn’t going to help your deprivation.
Being tired for the day is just a small side effect. Not sleeping can increase your risk of heart disease, impairs memory retention, increase the risk of obesity, depression and other mental illnesses. Sleep is critical for our body to repair and maintain itself. So let’s turn our attention to how to restore our sleep patterns and finally get the rest that we all deserve.
Our sleep pattern or sleep clock refers to the mechanisms that control the cycle of wakefulness and tiredness. This cycle is known as the circadian rhythm. To some level, genetics impact our sleep cycles but behaviors and the environment play an important role. In fact, there are three ways we can restore our sleep pattern tonight.
1.) One way, change your lighting. The daily cycles of lightness and darkness are cues that act on your circadian rhythm. Start your day with exposing yourself to natural sunlight and bright morning light while dimming the lights as the sun goes down. Your eyes detect light and send messages to brain. The technical way to describe it is the retinal ganglion cells in your eyes detect light cycles and transmits this information to your suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in your hypothalamus. That’s a mouthful, so just remember get exposure first thing & dim out the lights at night.
2.) Next, change your meals and mealtimes. Your digestion and metabolism play a factor on your sleep patterns. Eating a filling breakfast shortly after waking and eating dinner many hours before bed helps your circadian rhythm. Ideally, having a fast every night between your last meal and breakfast from 12-16 hours is best. So, if dinner is 7pm then the goal would be not to eat until breakfast at 7am the next day. Additionally, sticking with lean proteins and a lighter fare at night versus heavier meals in the day would help sleep.
3.) Lastly, practice good sleep behaviors. These behaviors would include allowing yourself enough time for sleep, maintaining a consistent schedule and limiting caffeine later in the day. Also, do not change your sleep on the weekends, do not take naps, avoid using electronics and keep your bedroom dark and quiet. Keeping your bedroom temperature a few degrees cooler, avoiding stress and thinking positively about the changes can all greatly improve your sleep patterns.
So take these three tips, change your lighting, change your meals and mealtimes and practice good sleep behaviors and you will be well rested in the very near future! Check out this weeks trending products to help aid in sleep & relaxation.
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Now go get some zzzzz’s!