Simple Lifestyle Changes to Improve Sleep Quality
Sleep. Do you have a healthy relationship with it, or is it the first thing you sacrifice when work demands or daily tasks pile up? Prioritizing sleep is essential for overall well-being. During sleep, your body undergoes crucial healing processes, and neglecting this vital rest period can harm your health. It’s a common misconception that you can catch up on lost sleep; unfortunately, that’s impossible.
Here are some strategies I follow to help my body wind down for the night, enabling it to produce its own melatonin to improve sleep quality.
1. Dim the Lights
When evening sets in, it’s beneficial to dim the lights in your home. If you are in one room most of the evening, consider investing in Wi-Fi LED dimmable light bulbs. These can be controlled via an app on your phone, allowing you to schedule the lights to dim, turn off, or turn on at specific times, which can help your body recognize it’s time to wind down and improve sleep quality.
2. Use Red Light at Night
In addition to dimming lights, red lights can improve your sleep environment. Red light has a much lower impact on melatonin production compared to blue or white light. Consider using red light bulbs in your bedroom or a red night light if you need some illumination. This gentle lighting option helps signal to your body that it’s nighttime and time to prepare for sleep without disrupting your circadian rhythm, ultimately helping to improve sleep quality.
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3. Eliminate Blue Light
Reducing or eliminating blue light exposure from computers, devices, or TVs is crucial. Research shows that blue light suppresses melatonin production more than any other type of light. If avoiding screens isn’t an option, make sure to use a blue light filter on your devices. Windows 10, Insider Build 15002 includes a blue light filter feature, and Apple offers Night Shift mode on iPads, iPhones, and iPods. Android users can find various blue light filter apps in the Google Play Store. Additionally, blue light blocking glasses, which can be purchased for less than $10, are a stylish and effective option to reduce blue light exposure in the evening, which can improve sleep quality.
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4. Eat for Your Body
What you consume in the evening can significantly impact your sleep quality. While some people can handle carbs and larger meals later in the day, others might find it disruptive. My sleep quality improves when I consume more protein and fat 1-2 hours before bedtime. Experiment with your diet to see what works best for your sleep patterns to ultimately improve sleep quality.
5. Sleep in a Dark and Cool Room
To improve sleep quality, your bedroom should be dark and cool. Investing in blackout curtains or roller shades can make a substantial difference by blocking out unwanted light. A high-quality sleep mask can be an excellent alternative if that’s not feasible. I recommend a mask that contours around your eyes without putting pressure on your sockets, allowing you to blink comfortably. The ideal room temperature for sleep is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit; this range helps your body decrease its temperature to initiate sleep. Too high or too low a temperature can lead to restlessness and poor REM sleep quality.
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6. Learn to Unwind
Establishing a nighttime routine is just as crucial as your morning routine. A consistent pre-sleep ritual helps signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down. Here are the typical routines I follow to improve sleep quality:
8:00 PM: Finish all meals to give my stomach time to digest.
8:30 PM: Take a hot shower or an Epsom salt bath. I light a three-wick candle and play calming music to create a relaxing atmosphere.
9:00 PM: Put on blue-blocking glasses and do 30 minutes of bedtime yoga. This calming yoga routine on YouTube is my favorite.
9:30 PM: Make myself a cup of calming tea such as chamomile, valerian root, lavender, or lemon balm, and avoid adding sweeteners.
9:45 PM: Sip my tea in bed, take my vitamin supplements, and tape my mouth shut with medical-grade tape. This practice, known as mouth taping, promotes nose breathing, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping the body to rest and recuperate.
10:00 PM: Engage in guided meditation or sleep stories, both can be found on YouTube, to further relax and prepare for sleep.
Mouth taping might sound unusual, but it prevents mouth breathing, which can dry out your mouth and activate the fight-or-flight response. Nose breathing, on the other hand, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a restful state. You can read more about this practice or watch informative videos online.
Click Here For My Favorite Book On Mouth Breathing
If you’ve tried all these steps and still struggle with sleep, consider talking to your doctor about supplements like magnesium, GABA, or 5-HTP to support better sleep and ultimately improve sleep quality.
Here’s to sweet dreams and restful nights!
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