5 Tips For Better Sleep 😴

We all know sleep is important and constantly hear it everywhere, yet most of us don’t get enough. We go to bed late after scrolling through our phones for hours. Wake up early to get a jump on the day and make sure we get through the day with an endless supply of coffee. 
 
Nothing against coffee or caffeine but the actual benefits of it are way more potent if you also get the recommended 7.5-8.5 hours of sleep per night. This hour range is consistently shown in research studies as what we need for optimal functioning as humans. 
 
Sleep plays a particular role in healing, and is greater recovering from a workout, soreness, or injury. The less recovery we need, the faster we can get back to performing at our best. 
 
Sleep is however not just about the total hours but also the quality of the sleep you are getting. This is falling asleep and staying asleep throughout most of the night. At least the 7.5-8.5 recommended hours. If you look at professional athletes it is not uncommon for them to sleep 8-10 hours to maximize their rest and recovery. 
 
There are always exceptions, although very few, where people can function off less sleep. Most of the time this involves parents of small children. 
 
Now that you have an understanding of why sleep is so important, here are my top, simple tips to improve your sleep and feel better within a couple days. 
 
No screen time within an hour of bed. Seriously, this is one of the easiest ones to control and can make a profound difference. Mainly, put the phone down! Stop scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, watching TikTok and YouTube. If you are going to watch TV try not to watch an action, thriller or horror, or better no TV again within an hour of bedtime. Some ways to fill this hour is to read a good book, journal, meditate/mindfulness practice, stretch or do mobility work.. 
 
Have a nighttime routine. Routines are important especially when sleep is involved. I have 2 small kids and they have a consistent routine. They take a shower, brush their teeth, we read a book to them, then scratch their backs and usually within minutes they are fast asleep. Can you imagine this as a routine for yourself, how do you think you would fall asleep if your partner read you a book then scratched your back before bed. Unfortunately, for most of us this is not realistic. So create a routine that best fits your lifestyle. This could be taking a good shower, stretching or doing mobility work, a few minutes of reading, then lights out. This kind of routine will help you fall asleep faster.
 
Make your bedtime and wake up time consistent. We are all creatures of habit to an extent. We like routine and our body will let us know if we are in a good or bad routine. One easy routine to create with sleep is our sleep and wake times. Try to keep these as consistent as possible every day. There can be some deviations on the weekend but if you are getting the 7.5-8.5 hour of recommended sleep your body will adjust to the new routine in 1-2 weeks. 
 
The darker the room the better. This part is simple. Make your room dark. Our eyes, even closed, respond to light. This light can wake us up and create sleep disturbances. Consider buying blackout shades. This is a no brainer and is one of the easiest sleep fixes. 
 
Is your room cold enough? Research has shown that the ideal temperature for sleeping is 65-70 degrees. We sleep better in cold environments. Think about the last time you were hot and sweating all night. You probably didn’t sleep well. This may be one of the harder cost prohibitive sleep measures especially during the summer months. There are some great mattress and bed cooling technologies on the market today that can help, if turning down the A/C is too much.

Enjoy a new level of sleep and feeling refreshed in the morning with these tips. 

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