Sleep Hygiene; The first step to improving sleep

In my previous post, I discussed the critical role that sleep plays in maintaining good mental health, shedding light on why I prioritise discussions around sleep with my clients. Building on that, this week, I want to delve into actionable steps that anyone can take to improve both the quality and duration of their sleep. These interventions aren't just theoretical; I've seen them make a real difference in the lives of my clients, leading to notable reductions in psychological distress and symptomatology.

Let's explore these practical strategies together, empowering you to take control of your sleep and, consequently, your overall well-being.

Consistency is Key: Establishing Regular Sleep Patterns

Perhaps one of the simplest yet often most challenging aspects of optimising sleep is maintaining consistency. From my clinical practice, I've found that regularity in sleep patterns holds immense power in enhancing sleep quality.

When assessing sleep metrics, I frequently emphasise the importance of consistency to my clients. Saying you go to bed at 11 p.m. is one thing, but how often does that actually hold true? Do weekend social engagements lead to later nights? Or perhaps exhausting workdays prompt earlier bedtimes midweek?

Similarly, our waking times can vary dramatically. While many of us adhere to a strict weekday schedule for work commitments, weekends can look completely different, with the temptation to indulge in lengthy lie-ins.

Yet, this variance poses a significant challenge to sleep quality. Our brains rely heavily on consistent sleep and wake times to regulate our circadian rhythms effectively. Disrupting this balance, such as staying up late on weekends, can lead to what's known as social jetlag. This phenomenon sees people struggle to readjust their body clocks come Sunday night, having shifted them significantly over the weekend.

If there's one change you make to improve your sleep, let it be this: set a consistent wake time and stick to it rigorously. Regardless of how late or early you went to bed the night before, rise with your alarm. This consistency prompts your body to adapt, gradually syncing your internal clock. In just a few days, you'll likely find yourself naturally growing tired around the appropriate times, roughly 8 hours before your designated wake-up call.

Embrace the Wind-Down: Cultivating Relaxation for Restful Sleep

Crafting a nightly ritual before bedtime serves as a gentle transition into a peaceful night's sleep. The beauty of this ritual lies in its versatility; it can encompass anything that induces relaxation, so long as it's practised consistently. Even mundane tasks such as bathing and brushing your teeth can become part of this wind-down routine.

Yet, there's a profound difference when we approach this ritual with intentionality and regularity. By consciously selecting and adhering to a specific wind-down routine, we can amplify its effectiveness in preparing us for rest. Consider integrating soothing activities like gentle stretching, meditation, or Yoga Nidra/NSDR to soothe the sympathetic nervous system, priming your body and mind for a night’s rest.

Chill Out: Harnessing the Power of Cool Temperatures for Better Sleep

Studies have revealed a fascinating aspect of the sleep process: our core body temperature naturally drops as we drift off into slumber. Consequently, excessive warmth can hinder sleep and diminish its quality. Thus, an effective strategy for enhancing sleep is to ensure that your sleeping environment is sufficiently cool.

This might entail a cooler room temperature than many realise. Renowned sleep expert Matt Walker suggests aiming for an ambient room temperature of around 18 degrees Celsius for optimal sleep conditions. By keeping your sleeping space comfortably cool, you create an environment conducive to restorative sleep, allowing your body to naturally facilitate the transition into peaceful slumber.

Harnessing Light: A Powerful Tool for Regulating Sleep

Light plays a dual role in shaping our sleep patterns, influencing both our mornings and evenings in distinct ways. At the core of this process lies the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the brain region responsible for regulating our circadian rhythm. It's highly attuned to light cues, particularly bright sunlight, which it interprets as daytime. In response, it triggers the release of hormones that promote alertness while suppressing sleep-inducing hormones like melatonin. Conversely, darkness signals nighttime to our brains, prompting the production of sleep-promoting hormones to facilitate winding down.

However, our modern lifestyles can disrupt this delicate balance. By remaining indoors during the mornings, we deprive ourselves of the invigorating effects of natural sunlight. Even the brightest indoor lighting pales in comparison to the sun's intensity, leaving our suprachiasmatic nucleus somewhat perplexed and potentially impacting our wakefulness hormone production. Similarly, exposure to artificial light at night, particularly from digital screens, can trick our brains into thinking it's still daytime, hindering the release of melatonin and delaying the onset of sleepiness.

To optimise both the quality and quantity of our sleep, it's crucial to leverage the power of light effectively. Exposure to bright sunlight upon waking, ideally within the first half hour of rising, sends a clear signal to the brain that it's morning, kickstarting our alertness for the day ahead. Conversely, in the evenings, we can enhance our sleep readiness by dimming ambient light levels, favouring softer lamps over harsh overhead lighting and minimising screen time close to bedtime. By aligning our light exposure with the natural rhythms of day and night, we can bolster our sleep architecture and promote more restful slumber.

Keep the bed sacred

In my practice, I often joke that the bed should be reserved for just two activities starting with the letter "S": Sleep and ‘Intimacy’.

This advice holds significant importance for our sleep quality. Our brains are incredible at forming associations between different activities and environments. When we engage in wakeful pursuits like watching videos, chatting with friends, or scrolling through social media while in bed, our brains start to link the bed with alertness and activity. Consequently, it triggers the release of wakefulness hormones, priming us for engagement rather than rest.

Unfortunately, this response runs counter to our sleep objectives. To counteract this, I encourage clients to limit bed activities strictly to sleep and intimacy. By doing so, we help our brains reinforce the bed's association with restfulness, promoting a more conducive environment for sleep. Give it a try, and you may find your sleep quality improving dramatically as a result.

Track Your Sleep: Uncover Insights for Better Rest

While not everyone may find sleep tracking beneficial—some may even experience heightened anxiety—it can be a valuable tool for those who are able to engage with it comfortably. Whether through a smart ring, watch, phone app, or even a high-tech mattress, I highly recommend considering it as part of your sleep optimization toolkit.

Sleep tracking offers invaluable insights into our sleep patterns, shedding light on the duration, regularity, and quality of our slumber. Moreover, it provides a platform to pinpoint factors—like dietary choices—that may influence our sleep but aren't immediately obvious.

By consistently monitoring and reviewing our sleep data, we can identify recurring patterns. Perhaps you notice that certain foods are linked to restless nights, or that morning exercise enhances your sleep quality the following night. These observations not only fine-tune our sleep routines but also serve as powerful motivators. Witnessing tangible progress—whether it's fewer nighttime awakenings or improved sleep quality—fuels our motivation to maintain healthy sleep habits and strive for further enhancements.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the interventions outlined in this post were selected for their efficacy and general tolerance among individuals seeking to improve their sleep. If you're experiencing sleep-related concerns, I encourage you to give these strategies a try and observe their impact on your sleep quality.

However, if you find that these methods don't yield the desired results, it may be prudent to seek professional guidance. A trained professional can assess you for potential sleeping disorders and offer personalised advice tailored to your needs.

I want to express my gratitude to Dr. Matthew Walker for his remarkable book, 'Why We Sleep', which served as a significant inspiration for this post. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in delving deeper into the science of sleep.

Lastly, if you're facing challenges and feel the need to speak with a professional, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at Betterment. We're here to provide support and assistance on your journey to get better.

Chris Henshaw

Clinical Psychologist at Betterment