"You can sleep when you're dead."

We’ve all heard this phrase at some point in our lives, and for decades we were told that sleeping less and working harder has been associated with success.

However, we're now realizing as a society just HOW crucial sleep is for good physical and mental health.

Matthew Walker’s book Why We Sleep explains that regardless of age, reduced amount and quality of sleep is associated with reduced ability to learn, increases in mental health disorders, more physical ailments, and higher rates of all-cause mortality. 

...Not to mention the effects that sleep can have on your athletic training and recovery. 

Unfortunately, as we age, it’s harder to achieve good sleep.

Here are a few simple and practical steps that can be implemented to start improving your sleep now:

1. Refrain from dozing off for that post work or mid-afternoon nap

There are 2 main components to our sleep cycle: circadian rhythm, and a chemical in our brains called adenosine.

After waking up in the morning, your body begins accumulating adenosine. More adenosine = more sleepiness. Meanwhile, your circadian rhythm is running like an internal clock in your brain, telling your body when to sleep and when to wake.

When you take a nap, you reset the amount of adenosine that has been building up throughout the day. This can cause difficulty falling asleep a few hours later when you’re getting ready for bed with depleted adenosine levels. 

2. Consistent bedtime

We all know some folks are night owls and some are early birds. This is because most people’s circadian rhythms aren’t the same.

Some people’s peak wakefulness comes earlier in the morning, while others' comes closer to lunch time. Along with this, your peak sleepiness comes earlier in the night if you’re an early bird, while night owls will find it very difficult to fall asleep that early.

Your bedtime doesn’t need to be the same as your peers. However, find a time that works for you and your schedule, still allowing 7-9 hours of sleep and do your best to stick to it!

3. Don’t consume caffeine past 12 pm

Caffeine likes to bind to the same receptors in our brains that adenosine does. Even
though adenosine continues to build up in your body when caffeine is present, caffeine
blocks adenosine from binding to its’ receptors and therefor blocks the signal of
sleepiness from being sent out. Caffeine takes about 5-10 hours to be cleared from your system, so stop consumption early enough in the day that it won’t interrupt your bedtime!

4. Put your phone down 30 min before bedtime

Now it’s time to talk about the infamous melatonin. Melatonin is another signal of
sleepiness that is sent throughout your body. However, this signal is halted by light.
Staring at our phones for a half hour before bed actually prolongs the time it takes for
melatonin to be released therefore prolonging the time it takes to fall asleep.

5. Diaphragmatic breathing

Diaphragmatic or “belly” breathing is a simple technique that can be added to your
bedtime routine. It helps to reduce stress and heart rate, while at the same time inducing
relaxation. It is a way to voluntarily suppress you sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous
system and turn on your parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system. To perform
this technique, lie flat on your back in bed with one hand resting on your belly. Take a
deep breath in through your nose counting to 5. You want to breathe into your belly
instead of your chest so that you feel your belly fill with air. Then take a full 5 seconds to
slowly blow the air out through your mouth. Repeat 5-10 times.

Conclusion

It can be overwhelming when healthcare professionals everywhere are telling you you need to sleep more, exercise daily, cook nutritious food, work a full day, and spend time with your family, all in a 24-hr period.

We hope this information gives you some simple strategies to improve your sleep without taking too much time out of your day! If you have any questions or want to know more, please leave a comment or reach out to us.