As we all know, sleep is a crucial part of our lives and should be taken seriously. Not getting enough sleep can have a major impact on your overall health and well-being. That being said, sleep is not always something you can control on your own. Whether you have been diagnosed with a sleep disorder, take medications that impact your sleep pattern, or simply struggle with restlessness from time to time, maintaining proper sleep health is important.
Before you panic about a potential sleep disorder, it is important to keep in mind that sleep-related issues plague over 1/3 of American adults. Having a hard time getting and staying asleep occasionally is normal and might not be indicative of any deeper issues. If you are struggling with sleep more than once per week, however, you might want to consult your doctor. Sleep problems are common but that does not make them any less of an inconvenience. So, before you panic too much about your loss of sleep, try these 8 tips to help you sleep better at night, curated by Dr. Jeanine Gingras, one of North Carolina’s leading sleep medicine doctors.
1. Set a Schedule and Stick With It
One of the most simple yet effective things that you can do to improve your sleep health is to get yourself into a set routine. Your circadian rhythm is highly affected by the time that you typically settle in for the night, If that is happening at a different time every night, it can mix up your internal clock.
Of course, everyone has different needs and responsibilities to account for. You can still have a steady bedtime routine if you have children that you have to put to bed before you can go to sleep or if you work late hours. While sleeping at night when it is dark out, is the most natural for your body, you can create a routine around any time frame that fits your lifestyle. Just make sure that you are giving your body enough time to rest and recuperate after each day.
2. Remove Unnecessary Light
A consistent cycle of sunlight and darkness helps the human body produce melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Irregular light can have the opposite effect. If your bedroom is too bright, you might be experiencing insomnia episodes, in which you can have a hard time getting and staying asleep all night. Irregular light exposure can interfere with melatonin levels in the body, which will make getting a good night’s rest much more difficult.
3. Put Away Electronic Devices
Phones are a part of most of our day-to-day life, and we often sleep with them charging well within our reach. Unfortunately, research shows that the blue light emitted by your cell phone negatively impacts the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle. This disruption may trigger insomniatic episodes or erratic sleep patterns. Blue light can cause eye strain that leads to headaches. Many patients who seek help for their sleep disorders report that pain such as migraines makes it difficult to fall asleep.
To address this issue head-on you can try switching things up and plugging your phone in just out of your reach. Not only will this help you quell the urge to check your phone as you are going to sleep, but it will also require that you physically get up to turn off any alarms set for the morning, giving you a better chance of fully waking in the morning instead of sleeping through your alarms.
4. Avoid Caffeine and Sugar
This one may seem obvious, but it is worth mentioning that stimulants like caffeine and sugar can make it more difficult to get to sleep. Experts recommend avoiding any kind of sweet, caffeinated, carbonated, or fatty foods for at least 2 hours before bed. This will help you get to sleep easier, but it is also better for your digestive health and can help you avoid unwanted weight gain.
5. Try Melatonin Supplements
If you find that you are not getting enough sleep at night, your body might not be producing enough melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by your body in response to light and darkness. Melatonin is the hormone that most effectively sets your internal clock, also known as your circadian rhythm, and controls your natural sleep cycle.
If your body is not producing enough melatonin either because of a medical issue or because there is a habit-based problem with your circadian rhythm, you might want to invest in a bottle of melatonin supplements. Melatonin supplements are easy to find at any pharmacy and can be highly effective. They are typically available in regular pill form, chewable tablets, and gummies and can cost as little as $5.
6. Regulate Sound and Temperature Levels
Loud noises can make getting and staying asleep seem impossible. While most of us would probably prefer to sleep in total silence, that is not always an option. If you are living in an area with loud, invasive noises throughout the night, changes might be necessary to help you achieve the best sleep possible. One way to take control of your sleep back is to create a consistent, soothing backdrop for your bedroom by using a fan, a white noise machine, or an app that plays certain sounds to help you cut out distractions from outside noise.
Similarly, your bedroom’s temperature can have a major impact on your sleep habits, whether you realize it or not. If you live with other people or share an air conditioner with different rooms or units, you might not be able to change the thermostat to your ideal temperature. In this case, things like fans, mini heaters, heavy or light blankets, and the clothing you wear to bed can help you get to a body temperature that will help your sleep.
While you are setting up your space for this ideal sleep temperature, keep in mind that your body temperature typically drops when you are asleep. As you fall asleep, your body goes into rest mode, conserving energy. When you keep your room cool at temperatures between 60 and 67 degrees throughout the night, it helps keep your body cooled down to encourage deeper sleep.
7. Give Yourself a Comfortable Sleep Environment
One way to set yourself up for a good night’s rest is to create a soothing, relaxing sleeping environment. The wall color, bedding, and decor in your bedroom can have a much more significant impact on your ability to achieve a restful night of sleep than you might expect.
Your bedding is arguably the most important part of your bedroom if you are having trouble sleeping at night. Too often we toss and turn without realizing that the mattress that we have does not suit our body or our sleeping style. Any time you go to replace your pillows or mattress, make sure to seek out items that support your personal sleep style so you are not putting too much pressure on your back and neck. Side sleepers and back sleepers tend to do well with memory foam, while stomach sleepers should look for hybrid mattresses or one with an innerspring coil system.
If your bedroom has a lot of bright, vibrant colors and you are having a hard time getting to sleep, consider changing your bedroom colors to soft pastels and neutral tones. Soft blue, gray, and tan can calm the mind and encourage your brain to slow down and rest. While fun, bright colors can be a welcome addition to living quarters throughout the day, they might not be the best choice for sleeping. Instead, try adding small pops of color in things like throw rugs and decorative pillows that will be removed before you go to sleep. This will help you achieve the vision you are going for without keeping you up all night.
8. Seek Medical Help
If these changes do not help you get more sleep at night, you should consider seeing a sleep medicine specialist as soon as possible. Undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorders can negatively impact nearly every aspect of your life and can even trigger other, more severe medical conditions. Many less severe cases of disorderly sleep habits, however, can be easily remedied with some simple lifestyle changes that can also help your body regulate systems like metabolic rate and insulin production.
To set up your consultation with North Carolina’s leading sleep medicine specialist you can visit us online or call us at (704) 944-0562. At Gingras Sleep Medicine, we believe that everyone deserved to wake up feeling well-rested and ready for the day and we will not stop until every one of our patients is achieving all of their sleep goals!